Flitering vs Decanting for older wines?

[HoosJustinG]

I usually do a traditional decant (visually) then filter the dregs through a 300 mesh filter into a separate glass. Why 300 mesh? Because the particle size that can get through 300 mesh is too small for humans to see - so that means I’d miss it visually anyway, and particles of that size probably already exist in the decanter.

I like this idea. I often start to see very fine solids in the wine when there’s still 1/5 or more of the wine left and I would love a way to get that leftover wine in a glass with out the sediment. When I look for this kind of strainer on Amazon, it seems like they are all cylindrical strainers for beer brewing. Is that what you have? I’d rather have a normal shaped hand held strainer if available.

I use this: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B087C1ZNW4

I just hold the funnel over the glass and pour

[Ron_Slye]

This, like 98% of the time.

While I know it would be more ideal, it ruins the spontaneity for me. A wine I stand up a week in advance may not ultimately be the wine I want to have that night.

You need to stand up (or, better, put in cradles) a dozen or so bottles each week, so you are all set for next week, while you are working on this week’s bottles that you stood up last week.

This is basically what we do. Every few days to a week one of us will pull 6 or so bottles of the types of red we drink most often from the cellar to sit under the stairs where is dark and cool. Sometimes we pull wine based on what we intend to cook. Sometimes we cook based on which wine has been standing up! It is also in my marriage contract that there must always be at least 1 bottle of champagne chilled at all times.

As to the original question, we almost never filter unless some cork has accidentally fallen in, and then just the last bit, as others have said. I find it helpful, when decanting off the last ounce or so from the visible sediment, to slowly and carefully turn the bottle, while holding it horizontally and tipping over so slightly.

I generally do this also – though not as systematically as I would like. I find with most wines (not Nebbiolo, not old Pinot) that even pulling the same day the sediment is manageable – particularly if I use a cradle as William suggests.

I used to use a coffee filter, but stopped because of concerns that some have raised above (though I can’t say I noticed any difference). Instead I decant to near the bottom – then for the last bit use a filter or perhaps coffee filter. But I can usually get 80 percent or more of the bottle without sediment using careful pouring.

[A_Dotson]

What am I missing out on in the argument?

My method is always (almost) stand up bottle for an extended period and then double-decant out the gunk that settles at the bottom before drinking the wine. Wine looks much better, without the (or minimal) cloudiness and the clear-look I think imparts that it tastes better.

I like that.

Sometimes, I will filter the dregs from a bottle into a glass because I am sad to be at the end of the bottle and I hate sediment.

[Frank_Drew]

For the record, and for those who consider filtering during winemaking essentially a crime against nature, there’s no comparison between the kind of filtering we might do at home and the gear we’d use to do it, and what even sensitive winemakers might do and the filter medium they’d employ.