The best wine decanter

Mea culpa if this has been discussed, but I searched the archives and couldn't find a thread that specificaly addressed this topic.

I've been told that the right decanter can be very important to enjoying the full potential of red wine. I am shopping for a decanter and would appreciate advice from the board, having heard good things about the duck shape, the captain's type (very wide, flat bowl) as well as the Rojaus apparatus which appears to be not only practical but a conversation piece. I'd like to spend less than $150 if possible

Thanks in advance to my fellow LTH-ers!

Davooda

I only decant wines with a lot of sediment, so i am not so concerned with the shape from an aeration perspective. It is pretty much a matter of stability and ease of pouring for me. Some of the duck decanters have little lids or flaps on the ends which can make the pouring from bottle to decanter difficult. the captains or ships decanters are obviously very stable but can be awkward to pour. I have a couple of very simple, crate and barrel type decanters that are very easy to use, and one more ornate ships decanter, which I rarely use. I am not sure how the decanter would change the taste of the wine, although i suppose that a wider based decanter would allow it to breath more quickly. I think that it is more a matter of function and appearance than the effect on the wine. I have never heard of a Rojaus apparatus, so I cant comment. I do have one of those crank tilter things for pouring the bottle, which is pretty cool.

-Will

I pretty much agree with Will - I almost never decant wine. I probably will decant to manage sediment, but that is a little risky if the wine is fairly old as the air can cause it to fade quickly. I might decant if I am drinking a tightly wound red that really needs to age a few more years.

But mostly I do not decant. Let the wine aerate in the glass and evolve more slowly as you drink it. I think what you call the captain style decanter is the best choice from a purely mechanical point of view as it offers the most surface area to allow aeration. Beyond that, I think the choice should be more about what looks good to you. Decanting is a show and or the most part you should view the decanter as a prop to make the show look better.

I was dining out recently and watched curiously as they decanted a white wine. I have never seen a white wine decanted before. Not sure what the wine was, but by the look of it, it may have been a Sauternes. The only other white I would think they might decant would be a Burgundy.

I come from the other end as someone who decants a lot- we drink a lot of wines that open up a lot faster by decanting. Different wines decant differently- for example, we never decant pinot noirs or pinot noir based wines as it presents the problem dicksond noted.

There are a lot of wines, especially older CA cabs and Bordeauxs that open really nicely if decanted properly.

In regards to decanting white wines, white burgundies and heavily aged white dessert wines get some help in opening up by decanting, but frankly for white dessert wines i'd just pick my wine at the beginning of a meal and open it then. i guarantee that by the end of the meal it will be ready to pour, just as it would with a decanted (if it's a decently long meal).

Many of the white wines I buy are bottled with more CO2 dissolved in the wine to reduce the need for SO2 as a result, they can come off as fizzy.
These I tend to decant or if without a decanter, I pour a medium pour and then record and shake the bottle to release the CO2. I know I'm done shaking when the cork does not "pop" when removed fro the bottle.

Some young reds can show better if given a quick decant prior to service
I've not found (or I drink the wrong wine) that extended (4 +) hour decanting helps the wine.

Other than super-tight young wines, I decant for sediment just prior to service. I might open older bottles 4 or 5 hours early to check to see if they are DOA or corked but then I let them sit in the cellar

I generally do not decant older wines for sediment because of the aeration. If I decant, it is usually to remove CO2 or for opening up a young wine.

I really like the Riedel Magnum Cabernet Decanter. Large enough to swirl, but the vertical shape is easy to pour from and provides less aggressive aeration, if desired. It is also a great value for a Riedel decanter.

Thanks to all who replied! A captain's decanter it is!

Davooda