I am a relative newbie to trying Ports and Madeiras. I tend to like the aged, sweeter varieties like Malmseys and Buals for Madeira and 30 year Tawnys and old Colheitas for Port.
I have a few really old bottles of Madeira. As in, a 1792 “Special Reserve,” an 1880 Malmsey, and a 1927 Bastardo.
How long should I let them decant before drinking? I have a cheesecloth filter because I know there will be sediment.
Also, I have a basic decanter leftover from a promotional bottle (like this: https://cityhive-production-cdn.cityhiv ... /large.png). Can I use that or do I need something bigger?
Decanting time
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Glenn E.
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Re: Decanting time
The general rule of thumb for Madeira, at least as I've heard it, is that it should be decanted for 1 day for every decade that it has been in bottle. So you would need to find out when your bottles were bottled, and then do the calculation from there.
You don't really have to worry about over-decanting Madeira - it's basically bulletproof and never goes bad. I have a bottle that at this point is more of a curiosity than anything else, but it has been open for 17 years. There's very little left in the bottle at this point, but the last time we tasted it, it was still fine. I also have several very old bottles like yours which have been open since 2016.
In the event that you can't figure out when your bottles were bottled, I'd give them a couple of days. Madeira can build up quite a bit of bottle stink over the decades, but it blows off when decanted.
Your leftover promotional bottle might not work very well as a decanter due to the fill level displayed in the picture. If that's how full it is when it contains 750 ml of liquid, you won't be getting the surface area that you need to properly decant your Port/Wine/Madeira. I'd either try to find a different container that allows for more surface area, or only decant part of your bottle into that decanter. You can just leave the rest in the bottle. Ideally you would want the fill level to be right below where "20 years old" is printed on the bottle.
You don't really have to worry about over-decanting Madeira - it's basically bulletproof and never goes bad. I have a bottle that at this point is more of a curiosity than anything else, but it has been open for 17 years. There's very little left in the bottle at this point, but the last time we tasted it, it was still fine. I also have several very old bottles like yours which have been open since 2016.
In the event that you can't figure out when your bottles were bottled, I'd give them a couple of days. Madeira can build up quite a bit of bottle stink over the decades, but it blows off when decanted.
Your leftover promotional bottle might not work very well as a decanter due to the fill level displayed in the picture. If that's how full it is when it contains 750 ml of liquid, you won't be getting the surface area that you need to properly decant your Port/Wine/Madeira. I'd either try to find a different container that allows for more surface area, or only decant part of your bottle into that decanter. You can just leave the rest in the bottle. Ideally you would want the fill level to be right below where "20 years old" is printed on the bottle.
Glenn Elliott
Re: Decanting time
Glenn,
Thank you so much. Super helpful!
Thank you so much. Super helpful!
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Moses Botbol
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Re: Decanting time
Are you planning to drink the whole bottle of madeira in one sitting?
If not, don't even bother with decanting.
If not, don't even bother with decanting.
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Re: Decanting time
Not planning to drink it all in one sitting, but I want to maximize the quality of every glass.