High tannic, full-bodied reds, like our 2014 Ned Said Red and 2014 Monte al Mare, are prone to having sediment present in bottle. Dropping sediment is a normal, natural and harmless occurrence in red wines that happens when a wine ages. The good news is that these gritty bits don’t harm you or the quality of the wine.
So what is that stuff?
Sediment can be the result of tartrate crystals that form over time or residual grape skins, seeds and stems. We tend to keep our warehouses on the cooler side to decelerate aging, but that may accelerate sediment formation. It is a little more noticeable cork down (we keep the wines cork down to keep corks from ‘drying out’).
“Tartrate crystals are as natural to wine as seeds are to a watermelon.” – Ronn Wiegand, Master of Wine/Master Sommelier
Averse to the sight of sediment in your glass? That’s what a decanter is for!
Before decanting, be sure to let your bottle rest in an upright position for as long as you can before decanting. Gently pour the wine into the decanter, being mindful as you get near the bottom of the bottle. Cease pouring as soon as you spot sediment in the neck of the bottle.
Impatient? A tea strainer perched on the top of your wine glass will also do the trick.
Keep calm and drink on!