Step 2
of 5
When oxygen helps — aerating young wines
Half an hour to two hours, depending on structure. Young red wines often arrive closed — fruit hidden, tannins sharp, the wine tastes “tight.” Oxygen unwinds them.
It breaks up sulfur compounds (the rotten-match smell that disappears in minutes) and gently softens tannins, freeing aromatic compounds to rise.
Medium-bodied young red → 20–40 minutes. Young tannic red (Malbec, Cab Sauv, Syrah) → 30 min to 2 hours. Big icon young red → 1 to 3 hours.
