Simply put… I’m finally coming to the realization that I need to pop bubbly a few hours before I intend to drink it.
You?
sounds good. I like to decant champagne.
Depends. Some I actually decant, for example a Cedric Bouchard and Selosse recently.
So many get better as they breathe (and warm) that I do it more and more often
Sometimes I’ll pop the cork and let the bottle sit. Do you actually decant into another container or just “slow o”?
Decant. I’m not exactly sure how much oxygen is exchanged with a slow ox in a champagne bottle, that hole is tiny.
I decant most young wines, don’t see why champers be different
Ummm, because of the bubbles, the dissolved CO2 and acid?
Nothing wrong with decanting Champagne if you prefer the effects of oxygenation, but the effects on the mousse and the acid are pretty obviously different than decanting still wines.
I’ll give it a shot, never even considered doing a decant. I will limit the decant to a younger champagne though and continue slow o with my older ones.
I agree. There’s a plus and a minus, unlike a still wine where there’s less/no minus. In the case of champagne, I feel like when I’ve tried a decanter the first glass can be good after a short decant, but if the rest isn’t consumed for 20 minutes I’ve had it degrade. I wouldn’t decant anything but an infant. If I think something will be tight I typically chill it a tad extra then pour the glasses and let them sit for a five minutes. That doesn’t allow for a dramatic change but it works for me, and the balance then has the additional time with increased head space.
I don’t care about the bubbles. I love old champagne and there isn’t a bunch of bubbles I just think of champagne as any other wine.
I don’t decant, but sometimes pour a glass of half a glass in advance and store the the fridge. Can’t usually be bothered though.
To each their own, but there’s a reason that they bother to carbonate (which you’re paying for), and there’s a reason the great producers don’ t even turn out great chardonnays. There might be a few but they sure aren’t prolific. I remember having a good still wine over a dinner at one of the chateau but I don’t know that it is a release.
There’s some beneficial science behind the bubbles. They definitely change the sensation and delivery of the volatiles, though that doesn’t mean that you/some aren’t fine without the effects. There’s a Frecnh scientist named Ligier-Belaire (or thereabouts) that has some cool studies and writings on champagne.