2012 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon

Napa Valley, Stags Leap District, California (USA)

Sunday Night Wine Up is 2012 Clos du Val Cabernet Sauvignon from Stags Leap District. Still dark red color. Good intensity. Floral perfume and dark red fruits. Round mouth feel with great balance of acidity and firm tannins. Moderate to long finish. A Costco buy years ago!

Decant Wine is Fine but Decant Whisky is Frisky? 

Before we get into whether to decant a wine or a whisky, let's explore the history of decanting.  

The practice of decanting wine, or separating it from sediment, dates back to the guys wearing robes during the day and not at home.  The Romans and Greeks used pottery jugs and amphorae (Greek word amphiphoreus for “something which can be carried from both sides are oblong, two-handled vases with fat bodies, pointed ends and narrow necks).  The emergence of glass decanters coincided with the Roman Empire, with free-blown carafes becoming the vessel of choice for the upper echelons of Roman society.  Glass decanters experienced a resurgence in popularity during the Renaissance, particularly in Venice, where they were reintroduced.  The 18th century saw the introduction of stoppered bottles, which we now term as decanters, allowing for the storage of spirits.  The 19th century witnessed a variety of decanter shapes and styles, including the shouldered decanter, the mallet decanter, and the ship's decanter.  As wine culture spread,  decanters became status symbols, with stunning designs and intricate craftsmanship becoming hallmarks of lavish dining settings.  In the mid-20th century, bourbon distilleries like Jim Beam and McCormick Distilleries began producing ornate decanters to hold their whiskey, often with themed designs to sell more product for a higher price tag.  Today, decanters are typically used for serving wine, allowing it to breathe which can improve its flavor and aroma. 

-  Aesthetic appeal (Elegance and high style)

-  Presentation (Clear decanter to see the whisky hue)

-  Sediment removal (Some whisky may develop sediment over time in the bottle)

-  Aeration (Intentional addition of oxygen can evolve the taste)

-  Storage (Easier to pour from a decanter than a bottle)

-  Blending (Infinity bottle)

-  Serving (Elegance)

-  Preservation (reduces oxidation)

-  Seal quality (Being airtight is crucial to preserve quality) 

-  Environmental factors (Light, heat, and temperature can impact quality over time. Best to store the decanter in a cool, dark place away from direct sunlight.)

-  Size of the decanter (Smaller amounts of whisky in a large decanter may oxidize more quickly than in a smaller decanter that is nearly full) 

-  Storage time (Whisky can can stay in a decanter depends on various factors like whisky quality and aging. Like law school, the answer is "it depends". Ddecant for a few years however prolonged storage may result in discolouration and less intense flavor) 

-  Types of whisky (No consensus as whisky of different aging will evolved at different rates when exposed to oxygen)

-  Material (Glass and crystal decanters so be careful to with vintage crystal as it may not be lead-free)

-  Design and Capacity (Many styles from classic square shapes and globed vessels to intricately beveled and minimalist designs. The shape may impact the aeration due to surface contact area.  Some designs are not functional so hard to pour)

-  Cleaning (Smaller the neck, the more difficult it will be to clean the decanter) 

Decanting is a personal choice that is determined by "trying" (trial) and error.  Wine is more predictable and in greater use of decanting.  Being new to whisky, I have read many knowledgable whisky expert reviews.  One small detail I found is that some reviews include how long the whisky was in the glass before being tasted.  Antedotially, 30 minutes is common.  I tried this with pn St. Patrick's Day when I poured the Whisky Advocate Whisky of the Year, a 2024 Laphroaig Elements L2.0. Cask strength Islay Single Malt Scotch.  Had the scotch out of the bottle so many times but when it was out for 30 minutes, it was OMG great!

For scientific purposes only, I tried and errored by pouring two shots of the same whisky into two glasses. One was straight out of the bottle the other using a white wine Vinturi aerator.  There was a slight difference but as any good experiment, it must be repeated to ensure results are accurate.  Next time the pour will be larger to increase the sample size.  Do anything for whisky science!

Mork from Cork Different Personalities (Robin Williams TV character if you are old enough to remember):  A wine blog from Rob-Bob www.itsthewinetalking.info

The orgins of cork in our wine bottles started after the mid-17th century where French vintners used oil-soaked rags stuffed into the necks of bottles.  Sure many wines had a bit of ethanol funk on the nose.  Who invented the cork-based wine stoppers is unknown however it is believed that the Benedictine monk Dom Pérignon began using cork. In 1956, someone found 20 wine bottles from 1789 with cork stoppers. Other researchers say that in 1600's in England wine was shipped in hand blown decanter bottles that they stuck cork in the opening.  The corkscrew hadn't been invented until 1795.  Fast forward to the early 21st century, the problem of cork taint became prevalent, leading many producers to stop using corks in favor of alternatives. Screw caps became especially prominent in Australia and New Zealand by 2010. Most cork was sourced from around the Mediterranean Basin.

My physcological analyis of the many different cork personalities are as follows:

Natural cork stoppers are made from a single piece of bark, and have the best flexibility, keeping the seal strong for aging wine for over 5 years.

Colmated corks are made from a single piece of bark, but have pores filled with glue and cork dust. They are easier to remove from a bottle, and are good for medium aging.

Multi-piece corks have two or more pieces glued together. They are denser than single-piece corks, and are not good for prolonged aging.

Agglomerated corks are made of cork dust and glue, and are dense, inexpensive, and not good for sealing wine for over a year.

Technical corks are agglomerated corks with single pieces of cork on either end.

All these personalities should be treated by wine professionals and even some wine bloggers.

Pass Up, Repour, or Buy Backup Bottle?  Old Overholt Cask Strength 10 Year Rye.  120 proof. 

Retail: $99 - a good value

Got a peanut carmel on the nose.  Front of the mouth baking spices and warmness.  Would like a longer finish.    Better as a mixer than a sipper.  Any higher proof it is a stripper (paint stripper, keep it clean guys)!

A repour Rye in my book and a keeper for candidate for cocktails. 

Some Old Overholt history for you:  Said to be America’s oldest continually-maintained brand of whiskey having been founded in West Overton, Pennsylvania in 1810. After World War II, Americans turned to clear spirits, and Old Overholt soon found itself as the only nationally distributed straight rye whiskey on the market. Despite being the only rye on the market, it struggled, and in 1987 was sold to James B. Beam Distilling Company. After the sale, production was moved to Kentucky.  Sometimes referred to as Old Overholt Extra Aged Rye, is the first cask strength release from the brand since the 1940s.