The Wine: Château Cos d’Estournel
For this experiment, I chose a high-quality but affordable wine that costs around 82 euros: Château Cos d’Estournel’s Pagodes de Cos 2017 Saint Estèphe. This exquisite wine from Bordeaux boasts a blend of 66% Cabernet Sauvignon, 32% Merlot, 1% Cabernet Franc, and 1% Petit Verdot. The wine has aged in 70% new oak barrels, resulting in a rich aroma and flavor profile featuring blackcurrant, black cherry, cassis, licorice, Christmas spices, dark chocolate, and earthy minerality. With smooth tannins and an incredible length, it’s no wonder this wine scored 94 points from Wine Spectator.

The Experiment with and without a Wine Decanter

Step 1: The Setup
I started with two identical bottles of Château Cos d’Estournel Pagodes de Cos 2017 Saint Estephe, chilled the same way. To ensure a fair comparison, I used the same glass for both wines, the Zalto Universal. It’s my favorite glass, incredibly thin and of high quality.

Step 2: Pouring the Wine
First, I poured the wine directly from one bottle into a wine glass. This served as my non-decanted sample.

Step 3: Decanting
Next, I took the second bottle and poured it into a Villeroy & Boch decanter I received 10 years ago at my wedding from my friend Balázs Deim. Thank you, Balázs. I never thought I would feature this in a YouTube video! It was a perfect present. I allowed the wine to sit in the decanter for about 10 minutes. Decanting is believed to enhance the wine’s flavors and aromas by allowing it to breathe.

Step 4: The Blind Taste Test
To eliminate any bias, I put on a blindfold before tasting. This ensured that I couldn’t see which glass contained the decanted wine.

The Taste Test

With the blindfold on, I tasted both glasses of wine. I paid close attention to the flavors, aromas, and overall experience of each sip. After careful consideration, I made my choice.

The Results
Surprisingly, I mixed them up! The wine I thought was decanted was actually the non-decanted one, and vice versa. However, there was a notable difference in the aroma. The decanted wine had more intense earthy and spice aromas, while the non-decanted wine was more fruity. In terms of taste, both wines were almost identical.

Conclusion of the Decanted Wine Experience
So, should you decant your wine? Based on my experience, decanting primarily enhanced the spice and earthy aromas, while the taste remained largely unchanged. A decanter can be useful if there is sediment in the bottle, and it certainly adds a touch of elegance to your table setting. However, in this case, decanting made almost no difference in the quality or enjoyment of the wine.

For more insights and to watch the full blind taste test, check out my video below:
https://youtu.be/A13izmZvHvQ