Does anyone decant Champagne?

I tried this a couple of times this week, and loved the results.

Regards, Bob

PS:

The suggestion came from a personal hero, Maximillian Riedel, the designer of the "O" glasses. Lots of enemies on this board, but my favorite wine glass.

Maximillian's argument for decanting Champagne is equally brilliant in my book:

[I like to serve] Dom Pérignon Oenothèque Champagne [at the end of a party]. I surprise my American friends by decanting Champagne. Americans think it needs to have lots of bubbles, but for me, Krug and Dom Pérignon are even better without bubbles, because you can really taste the wine. Also, you can use beautiful old silver pitchers to decant. It airs the wine as much as a glass decanter would. I say that even though I'm a glassmaker!

B.

Interesting Bob. Did you decant until all the bubbles were gone?

I can't say that I've tried this, but I have noticed an improvement in some Champagne after the bottle has been open a while. A Larmandier Bernier Bdb a few months ago was positively more enjoyable on the second day, after half the bottle was capped and put in the fridge overnight. I think the bubbles do add pleasure, and maybe help lift the aromas, so I'm not sure I would want to decant until the wine was flat.

We use those O glasses a lot also, especially when it is just my wife and I drinking.

I'm still experimenting, Marc [except with the O's which I'm willing to use in public, actually].

I decanted the first bottle and then poured immediately. The second bottle, I let rest for 15 minutes.

This is so new to me -- I'm not an expert -- just a learner. But there definitely is a different taste. Love it!

I always thought there was something wrong with my admiration of flat champagne ... I see to my embarassment that I've never, ever, written a tasting note about flat Champagne. But I've certainly drunk it with great pleasure.

Regards, Bob

I havent decanted but I've been experimenting with early opening, Bob, particularly with young champagne/sparklers. I found a NV Gatinios to really be super at about 6 hours after opening. An NV Egly-Ouriet was a bit overly carbonated at first but pretty good at about 4 hrs. And a 1998 Mumm Napa DVX was way to effervescent at opening but tamed down nicely after 3 hrs.

Never. Never. Never.

If I wanted to drink still wine, I'd open a still wine.

[Robin Garr]

Never. Never. Never.

If I wanted to drink still wine, I'd open a still wine.

I'm with you on this one, Dave. What's more, the primary reason that the Champenois invented sparkling wine (or stole the idea from LImoux, as the case may be) was that their cold climate makes crappy still wines, thin and acidic ...

I'm with Bob on the O glasses, though. I like them just fine.

Good grief! Most sparklers are so acidic I can't imagine why drinking them without bubbles is an attraction.

But then, maybe Riedel has invented a glass that directs the acidity to certain parts of the palate to make it taste like sugar...

I agree, if I wanted a still wine, that's what I'd get. But interestingly enough, I opened a bottle of Billicart Salmon Brut on New Year's Eve and it hardly had any bubbles at all. It foamed enough when it was poured but once in the flute, hardly any bubbles at all. I admit to being disappointed even though the wine was pretty good.

Glenn

I opened a bottle of Billicart Salmon Brut on New Year's Eve and it hardly had any bubbles at all. It foamed enough when it was poured but once in the flute, hardly any bubbles at all.

Hi Glenn

Since it foamed, seems the bubbles were there but were just not beingreleased while in the glass -- maybe your glass was too clean. Did you see this thread http://www.wineloverspage.com/forum/vil ... php?t=5417

Odd coincidence you should mention this. I wouldn't intentionally allow a good Champagne to lose its fizz because that is part of what I drink Champagne or any bubbly for, i.e. the bubbles. This Christmas, however, I had some leftover German Sekt and it defizzled all by itself in the fridge. I drank it as a still wine and enjoyed it. My companion thought I was nuts.

I have also been know to allow soda to decarbonate and drink it flat ... Dr. Pepper is quite good in this form.

So Bob, are you decanting to completely "defizz" or just to tame some of the effervesence?
To me there is alot to be gained by taking some of the edge off the bubbles but I wasn't even thinking about completely defizzing to a still wine as some posts and Riedel's comments have suggested.

Does anyone decant Champagne?

Yes, it happens. If you do it carefully, you don't loose much fizz. Use a narrow decanter. It helps opening up young Champagnes (young as in freshly degorged) that does not give much.