Dear Lauren,

If by decanting, you mean traditional decanting where you pour a wine off its sediment (as is often done with older—15+ years– Cabernet Sauvignon), then there’s no need. Because of its lightish color and generally low level of tannin, Pinot Noir doesn’t throw much of a sediment.

But if, by decanting, you mean simply pouring a wine into a carafe to aerate and “open it up” before you drink it, then the answer is mixed. Pinot Noir tends to be fragile and by aerating it vigorously, you could actually cause the wine to collapse a bit. Pouring a Pinot into a decanter can also cause the wine’s nuanced aromas to blow off. I don’t decant/aerate many Pinot Noirs for this reason.

On the other hand, there are many powerful Pinot Noirs—especially from California. These are fairly dark in color and have highish alcohol and tannin. I think these Pinots actually do benefit from being poured out a half hour or so ahead of drinking.

—Karen