Product Features
- Mouth-blown and hand-made by skilled artisans
- Lead crystal adds clarity and brilliance
- Unique and elegant shape; easy to pour
- Perfect for decanting a standard-size bottle of wine
- 59-ounce full capacity
The price has come down on these. I will not comment on the aesthetic quality as that is obvious. What I can tell you about the design is that it circulates air quite well. I tested this by putting pungent slurry inside to see how fast I could smell it in the room compared to my six other decanters. It was the fastest by a factor of four.
Decanting wine is now done most often for oxidation and only rarely because of sediment. You can soften big rough wines by decanting for at least twenty minutes with this one. You get a nice head start with the long entry neck. So go slowly. This one is meant for single bottles only otherwise you will not get the air flow along that long oval. If I have a big young red with lots of tannins I will leave it for usually two hours but up to half a day. It is not good to leave wine in crystal for very long periods. If you want something for port get one that is unleaded glass AND that has a stopper.
If you have a an old wine older than eight years you may be fussy about the sediment that is thrown off. Nowhere near the grit and twigs of the old days it still can have that bit of bitter dregs at the bottom of the bottle. If you have one maybe fifteen or twenty years oxidation will quickly start removing the ghost of the wine. I had a thirty year old that was gone after ten minutes. So this decanting is done quickly and gently. Make sure the bottle is standing for a few days before you pull the cork. Decant just before serving. You can hold it in front of a candle to see when the sediment approaches the entry and stop.
Clean with a gentle soap or better the solution made for cleaning wine glasses before the residue gets a chance to dry and set. Refrain from playing it if you are able.
