Community Tasting Note

Maestro wrote:

Saturday, October 4, 2008 - This Tasting Note is a result of an experiment in Aeration.

Samples from three bottles were tasted. The first bottle was a "pop-and-pour" tasting. The second bottle was aerated in a decanter for 4 hours. The third bottle had its cork removed and it remained open and untouched for 24 hours in the cellar. The timing of opening the bottles was planned so as to allow all samples to be tasted side-by-side at the same time.

Read all about this discussion on http://www.cellartracker.com/forum/Aeration_in_bottle_--_does_anyone_actually_know_and_understand_it%3F/m_29652/tm.htm
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*** Pop-and-pour Tasting ***

Opened the bottle, gave it two minutes to breathe, and poured a glass. I then gave it three minutes to breathe in the glass initially and tasted it.

Medium ruby color. The nose displays an obvious core of red cherries, and then some wet earth and spice notes.
On the palate it is medium bodied and fresh, with lots of sweet ripe fruit and notes of bitter oak. The tannins bite in the finish, but the finish is cut very short. Nice, approachable, and screaming for food.
After 15 minutes in the glass it opens more, revealing lavender and black currant on the nose, and expanding more on the palate. The finish gets better and longer too, with notes of minerals and sour cherry.

With the "pop-and-pour" tasting, I would give this wine an 89 score and I would say it needs 2-3 years in the bottle to develop its potential.
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*** 4 Hours in the Decanter ***

Aerated in a decanter for four hours.

No discernible change in appearance. Still medium ruby. Less intense but more elegant on the nose than the pop-and-pour version. This time the cherry core on the nose is more subdued, and notes of mushrooms, violets and lavender are much more evident.
On the palate it is smoother, with a dark chocolate component around the red fruit. The tannins feel less intrusive. The finish is much longer with more notes of lavender, blackberries, and some faint notes of menthol.
After 15 minutes in the glass dark chocolate and mocha notes appear also on the nose. The palate opens a bit more and becomes a bit more mouth-filling. The tannins feel very smooth, with almost no "bite".

After 4 hours in the Decanter I would score this wine 90 points and comment that it is drinking well now with aeration, but that it will improve in the bottle for the next 5-7 years.
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*** 24 Hours in an Open Bottle ***

Cork removed from the bottle and then the bottle was left alone in the cellar for 24 hours. The first wine that came after the bottle was discarded from the tasting, as it was too close to the surface of the wine.

Again no discernible change in color or appearance. Medium ruby and clear. This has by far the best nose of the three samples. By far. A lot more intense on the nose than the one that has been decanted and a lot more complex than the pop-and-pour. Cedar, lavender, wet earth, mushrooms, spices, cigar box and violets jump from the glass in an intoxicating nose.

On the palate it is not as smooth as the one decanted -- the tannins are chewy but ripe -- but, all things considered, it has again the best structure of the three samples. It is succulent and delicious, more vibrant than the one decanted and more complex (and a bit smoother) than the pop-and-pour sample. Interestingly, however, it does not show the dark chocolate component that appeared in the decanted sample. The palate is rather driven by mouth-filling fruit and ripe tannins. The finish is not as long as the one from the decanter, but is stronger and full of aromatic notes.

After 15 minutes in the glass some of the dark chocolate notes finally appear on the palate. It remains much more ferocious than the decanted one, with biting tannins. It will be the best match of the three samples for an Italian dish.

After 24 hours in an open bottle I would score this wine 91 points and comment that it is drinking well now with aeration, but that it will improve in the bottle for the next 5-7 years.

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Read our conclusions and analysis on: http://www.cellartracker.com/forum/Aeration_in_bottle_--_does_anyone_actually_know_and_understand_it%3F/m_29652/tm.htm

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