Any advice would be appreciated on decanting and other ideas for opening an ‘89 Pichon Baron.
Thanks.
No decanting needed, unless you want to decant for sediment. The wine is 36 years old, and unless it’s a pristine bottle from a never traded, OWC, it’s stunning as is. At that age, you have more to lose than gain by adding air. Maybe a splash decant, but it’s already fully mature. Enjoy. It’s a gorgeous Pauillac.
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Jeff has good advice, no surprise there. I’d stand it up for a week, decant off the fine sediment and back in a clean bottle to minimze O2, then watch it evolve thru evening in glass(es).
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Yes, I forgot about the standing up in advance. That is great advice! But, regarding double decanting, that is twice the air of decanting. Once should be ample for the sediment, IMO.
I just find it slows down ingress if I put it straight back in bottle as it reduces the surface space again vs. a decanter with a wider surface space, but YMMV, just my experience.
I bought a six pack on release and started drinking them about 10 years ago. Fantastic wine. I haven’t had one in a couple of years but the last one I had maybe 3 years ago suggested a long life. Enjoy!
Thank you all. One ignorant question: what’s the best way to decant off the fine sediment? Should I just watch and avoid pouring the sediment at the bottom of the bottle after letting it stand for a week?
Einstein does not agree. It’s the movement of the wine that stirs up the molecules with the addition of air that motivates the changes. Though my brain, what little there is, agrees in part with you.
I understand the science, to be more precise, I find the double decant, while imparting air to get the process moving in the first decant, helps regulate air with the tight neck space in bottle by putting it back in a clean bottle while working thru the consumption phase.
I don’t know that science, but as you eloquently state, my palate says it works, for me at least.
And I agree with you. Though I am aware I’m arguing with science 
'89 Baron is a great Pauillac.
There are various approaches to wines of this age; here is mine. I would not decant. Instead, I would open several hours before intended drinking and pour a small amount into a glass. If the bouquet and taste is fantastic, pour the rest of the glass back in an recork. If the nose is shy and/or the wine is harsh or dumb, leave the wine in the glass and the bottle open. Revisit a time or two to decide whether to recork or, (unlikely) to decant a half hour before drinking.
If you hate the Belgium chewing approach to the end of the bottle, pour the last bit through a filter to remove the sediment when you get to the bottom of the bottle.
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That’s it and the shoulder helps keep the sediment in the bottle. I also use a very fine mesh filter in the funnel which helps keep the sediment out. For decanting into the decanter I use a Rabbit funnel which comes with the filter but with it you need a second funnel to decant back into the bottle. The problem is that the Rabbit funnel ends in holes in the side instead of being open at the bottom and isn’t long enough to extend past the bottle neck. After one wine fountain caused by the literal bottleneck, I learned my lesson.
Sounds like my opinion on this one will be a little contrarian.
I’ve had this twice from pristine bottles and I found it shut down relative to it’s peers, coming across as a wall of black fruit with little else in the way of complexity. If you value earthy, tobacco-y notes, this wine doesn’t show it on pop and pour. On the most recent one I had, half the bottles was left for 24 hours and I found I liked it significantly more at that point. Pretty amazing for a wine of this age. So personally I would give this wine a ton of air.
You’d think at 36 years this would be showing everything it has, but I bet this is a 100+ year wine. When you think it about it that way you get that its actually relatively youthful. I think 1989 is the best vintage from 1971-present. Maybe going even further back. Vintages this good are very long lived.
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I agree with Chris – the '90 Baron is open, but the '89 needs air.
I appreciate everyone’s thoughts on this. I know the difference in views could just be due to bottle variation, but could it also be due to the fact the various tastings occurred during different time periods? Curious to know the rough dates people’s notes are from.
FWIW, I’ll share my approach to opening red wines that may need decanting for sediment and/or time to aerate . . .
Stand the bottle up for at least a few days up to a week or more. Open the bottle early in the day well before you intend to drink it, which will allow for a long aeration if needed. Decant the wine for sediment and leave it in the open decanter to aerate. This also is the time to address any broken cork issues by passing the wine through a fine sieve when decanting. Wash out the empty bottle and set it aside to dry upside down in the dish rack. Sip-sample the wine’s development throughout the day, which gives you a chance to monitor how the wine is evolving with aeration. When the wine gets to a “taste-place” you like, pour the wine from the decanter back into the now dry bottle, and stopper the bottle. Re-open when you are ready to start drinking.
First in 2012 second in 2023. Consistent showings from both. Both pristine bottles.
I think it’s more likely palate variation than bottle variation.