Artificial Decantation

I managed to follow this wine over three consecutive nights by accident. My busy schedule and a missing vacuum seal had left me relying on my trusty robot bottle stopper. So what were the consequences of this? Well the wine itself was left exposed to the elements, the main one being Oxygen.

Decanting allows a wine to be exposed to a large surface area of Oxygen. This is done to help the wine show its true potential, by mellowing the wine and allowing it to express hidden aromas. A well made wine will always benefit from an hour decanting. A wine that was closed and not up to much when first opened should be jumping out the glass ... unless it needs more time in the decanter or is rubbish to begin with. This isn't much help is it? Ok rule of thumb, if a wine has enticing aromas, but is somewhat elusive, give it some time.

So why so serious, or why are you banging on about this decanting so much? Well if you have stuck with me this far I will tell you why. I opened up the bottle over to the left on Saturday night and had two glasses. The wine displayed nice tight aromas of red fruits and nutmeg. Still slightly closed i left it with trusty Mr. Roboto.



The following night I opened the bottle again and was pleasantly suprised, the assortment of spices had settled down to a defined aroma of cinnamon and and a hint of cedar, enclosed in a delicious aroma of fruits of the forest. The palate was much smoother and had a lingering finish of cinnamon and a hint of herbal scrub.

I was so tired on Sunday night that I had to go to bed rather than finish the remaining glass. On Monday evening I arrived home a whole 48 hours since the bottle had been opened and to be honest, thought it was going to be faded and dull. This was not to be. The nose displayed delicious aromas of red currant and raspberry and the spice had given way to full on cedar box (something I am very fond of). There was also a hint of blackberry and a very distinctive aroma of basil with a lick of minerality.

The wine is a blend Syrah, Grenache and Mourvedre, that sees 15 months in French Oak. A traditional Rhone valley blend and to be honest stands up to some of the former's top producers. Mas Belles Eaux is a wine that has the structure to develop for a long long time. While it is normally at a respectable 19.99, it is now available in the new O'Briens in Blachardstown shopping centre for a mere 9.99. This is a must buy for anyone interested in a complex wine that keeps on giving or for those with the patience to keep it and follow its evolution. I know I certainly will.

Thobias.








With special thanks to Mr. Roboto.