what would your recommendations be for opening a 1991 Beringer Private Reserve Cab? Open and leave in bottle or decant? How long?
thank you!!!
I had a 95 a while back that was popped and poured…it kept getting better as the night went on. I don’t think a splash in a decanter will hurt this, but 91 might be a touch more verve than 95.
My experience with older wines like that is that they can start to rapidly decline in the decanter. I would just pour a bit in the glass and see how it is out of the gate. There are many like me who mainly decant younger wines as opposed to older ones. Some may say that the older wines have more sediment and that the decanter helps with that. I eat the sediment…seriously…I don’t mind it at all. My only other comment is that if you have older wines you should consider getting a Durand wine opener if you don’t have one. It is pretty much guaranteed to successfully get a cork out that would have otherwise crumbled. www.thedurand.com
Agree with Glenn: long decant on younger wines to open them up, short decant on older wines for sediment. These may not have a long drinking window once they are open.
30 years old Cali and not mountain fruit to me = follow in the glass unless tons of CT reviews tell you it needs to soften. A glass is just a small decanter if you have time…
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I would decant for sediment but try it soon thereafter. If you’re looking for fruit, it may be best in the first couple hours.
On the opener, a Durand would be great, but I have pretty good success with a monopol/ah so type opener for about 1/10 the cost.
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Thank you so far. I have the Durand but just do not have experience with older Napa cabs. i have had the bottle standing for a few days so sediments would go down. Sounds like I will open shortly before dinner and pour with no decant.
If you are going to pour the whole bottle out into the glasses carefully this could be ok but there will be a lot of sediment so any tipping back and forth of the bottle is going to stir that up and will get in the glasses. Also, the unexperienced may sometimes tip the bottle over for the last drops which could ruin that last glass. The main purpose of the decanter in this case is to only tip the bottle once, leaving most of the sediment in the shoulder of the bottle. In case you don’t know this trick and excuse me for winesplaining if you do, but put your cell phone light on the counter next to the decanter when you pour so you can look down through the shoulder to see when to stop pouring so the sediment doesn’t go into the decanter.
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Decant for sediment and drink sooner rather than later, it doesn’t need a bunch of time. I’ve had this many times over the years but not in quite a while. If was a good wine for a long time and may still be.
Another vote for pop and pour…Enjoy!!
My 1991’s have been pop-and-pour beauties.
Every bottle will be a little different at 30 years. Pop and pour.
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