I have a very nice Bordeaux that I should let stand for about 4-5 hours, according to CT notes. I’ve noticed that Bordeaux often drinks well when it’s below room temperature. How do I manage do have it at rest like that, but still be a little chilled? I’ve thought about decanting on the kitchen counter, then putting it in my normal refrigerator for an hour, but worry it would pick up food tastes. Any input/earlier threads I missed?
If you have a temperature controlled cellar, just decant and return to the cellar. If not, you can put the decanter in a large bowl with a bag of frozen peas or the like to keep slightly chilled. Change the bag of peas as needed to maintain your desired serving temperature.
You might also double-decant. While the wine is resting in the decanter, rinse the wine bottle well with deionized or spring water. Refill the bottle with the decanted wine, replace the cork part way, and chill in the fridge.
With the chiller below I use a narrow decanter that resembles tall beaker if I need to decant AND keep cool. It fits right into this.
As you know, there is real truth to a wine showing it’s best when served at the right, albeit cool temperature. For my young Cabs I say 63-66 degrees F. For my young Pinots I do slighly cooler. i much so would prefer to pour cooler and let come up slowly than pour warmish and have a not so good experience with any wine. Cheers!
I use this mostly in the months between May and September.
I wouldn’t worry about putting a filled decanter in the refrigerator. I do it all the time, sometimes for extended periods (I decant lots of young Riesling), and I’ve never noticed any food odors in the wine.
I half fill a shallow bowl with cold water from the tap and add a few ice cubes, then set my decanter in the bowl.
On an hot day I’ll add a few more ice cubes after an hour or so.
I’ve taken the advice, and have been decanting with the decanter propped up in a bowl of ice water, and with a mesh strainer over the opening, just in case fruit flies from the orange trees outside take an interest in Carmes Haut Brion.
Carmes haut brion? Just stick an ice cube in it…kidding
Actually, there are these silver ice cubes I use for scotch, you stick them in the freezer and then you can put it in a glass and chill your scotch without diluting it. I suppose it would work the same for wine.
At one point my wife got me the Corkcicle: Amazon.com
It is designed to be used with wine bottles could just as easily be put in a decanter. That said I honestly haven’t used it a ton, but it seems to work fine the handful of times I’ve tried it.