1961 Chateau Beychevelle

[dananne]

Hi, and welcome to the board. I'm sure some of the regulars will chime in, and some may disagree with this, but I wouldn't decant it until shortly before serving it. I'd rather have it evolve with airing during drinking than have it fade and lose the fruit before even drinking it.

Stand it upright for 24 hours before opening it so that the sediment will settle in the bottom. Carefuly draw the cork and pour in one steady movement so that the sediment doesn't slosh around. Some people use filters and even cloth to catch the sediment during the decanting, but certainly pour with a light shining through from underneath and stop pouring when the sediment approaches the neck.

I'll let others handle appropriate pairings.

Should make for a wonderful evening! Have fun!