agree with ms macquinty about breathing. just think about the small volume of air in contact with the wine thru the neck of the bottle. decanting is another thing......young wine will react with air on decanting with a short burst of of polymerisation and esterification in the decanter for around 3-4 hours, enhancing the bouquet and flavor. older wine may or may not improve on decanting. if it smells sweet in the bottle, leaver it alone. if it's musty or has thrown a crust, decant but drink within 2 hours. very old wine should not be decanted unless it has thrown a crust. and then it should be drunk immediately or if musty (bottle stink) left for 10-15 minutes. N
- posted
20 years ago