Regardless of the age of the port, and contrary to what some people believe, not all port wines need to be decanted.
Tawny Ports and full bodied, fruity Ports such as Fonseca BIN 27 do not require decanting, since they have been aged in cask or large wooden vats and filtered before bottling to remove any of the natural sediment there may have been in the wine. Simply open and these Port wines are ready for pouring.
Vintage Port wines, on the other hand, spend only 2 years in the vats before being bottled, unfiltered. Over time, and as Vintage Port ages, the wine's natural deposit builds up at the bottom of the bottle. This is why any Vintage Port must be decanted before serving to remove this deposit.
Fonseca Late Bottled Vintage Unfiltered and Fonseca Crusted, despite having aged in wood for a longer period, are bottled unfiltered. Even though they do not "form" as much deposit in the bottle as a Vintage Port, these Port wines must also be decanted in order to be enjoyed at their best.
1
If the chosen bottle of port wine was recently moved, stand it up for several hours before decanting.
This will help stabilize the deposit in the wine a bit, making decanting easier.
2
Before you begin, have a clean decanter ready. Alternatively, you can use a clean, empty bottle or pitcher. Without shaking the bottle too much, remove the seal around the neck, wipe off any dust that may have accumulated in that part of the bottle, and carefully insert the corkscrew.
Depending on the age of the Vintage, the cork may have been in the bottle for many years; therefore, it is important to pierce it carefully, then pull it gently from the bottle to prevent it from breaking or crumbling.
3
Slowly pour the port wine into the decanter, gently raising your arm so as not to agitate the tank. A funnel may be helpful, although it is not absolutely necessary.
In the particular case of older Vintage Port bottles, which will naturally have accumulated more deposit, a small piece of muslin can help ensure that no sediment gets into the decanter.
If the chosen bottle of port wine was recently moved, stand it up for several hours before decanting.
This will help stabilize the deposit in the wine a bit, making decanting easier.
Before you begin, have a clean decanter ready. Alternatively, you can use a clean, empty bottle or pitcher. Without shaking the bottle too much, remove the seal around the neck, wipe off any dust that may have accumulated in that part of the bottle, and carefully insert the corkscrew.
Depending on the age of the Vintage, the cork may have been in the bottle for many years; therefore, it is important to pierce it carefully, then pull it gently from the bottle to prevent it from breaking or crumbling.
Slowly pour the port wine into the decanter, gently raising your arm so as not to agitate the tank. A funnel may be helpful, although it is not absolutely necessary.
In the particular case of older Vintage Port bottles, which will naturally have accumulated more deposit, a small piece of muslin can help ensure that no sediment gets into the decanter.
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