Now this might be a good subject - Decanting

[Thomas]

This is one of those subjects that will take us a long way; an opinion, I am sure, as numbered as there are wine drinkers.

Dutton, as the wine is poured from one container to another it picks up a great degree of oxygen. I do not think the opening of the decanter matters much after that.

As for which wines to decant: I certainly would not decant a fifty year-old wine for fear the oxygen will wipe it out. I also have stopped decanting younger wines, choosing instead to simply open the bottle, let it sit a few minutes, pour into a glass and swirl frantically. That is a lot of oxygen exposure.

As for port: definitely the one wine that can stand up to decanting and often needs it because of sediment, but you could pour it through something or simply be careful.

Decanting simply no longer appeals to me as a method to help me enjoy wine.