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There are two reasons why we decant wines: To enjoy young wines fully (up to 10 years for both red and white) consider opening them 8 â 12 hours prior to consumption for aeration, or decant the wine, as this shortens the aeration process.
Older wines require more care when decanting. They are more likely to have sediment, but because it has already been aging in the bottle, it does not need much more exposure to oxygen. Keep the bottle upright for a day or two before opening to allow the sediment to settle to the bottom. To decant, slowly pour the wine into the decanter. Position the bottle over a light source at the neck to see when the cloudy sediment comes to the top. Discard the inch or so of wine in the bottle that contains the sediment. The timing to decant an older bottle of wine is a little trickier than a young wine.