Hopefully this will actually be “go big when you go home (this Christmas)”. For me there is no better way to ‘celebrate’ the festive season than with a magnum of my favourite tipple.
It may feel a bit decadent but there are actually good reasons why buying a magnum this festive season should be the way to go:
They age better
Wines bottled in magnum age better – I won’t get too geeky but it’s all to do with the greater ratio of wine to oxygen in the bottle. Oxygen ingress occurs through the cork which accelerates the ageing process of a wine, and a magnum although double the size of a normal bottle, has a cork the same or similar size. Therefore oxygen ingress is lower, ergo wines age slower and taste fresher for longer.
This applies even more to Champagne where the larger surface area of the magnum bottle means the lees in the bottle during the second fermentation have more contact with the wine. This plus extended ageing ensuring more flavour, greater texture, freshness and finer bubbles. So yes folks, Champagne served out of magnums invariably taste better than the same Champagne in the standard bottle. A caveat here is to wait a while before drinking newly released Champagne magnums though as they evolve more slowly – so If you have the pennies to afford a vintage, lay it down for a while!
Also, it’s worth noting that the price for a magnum of Champagne will be slightly more expensive than 2 bottles of the normal sized bottle of champers, this is due to the increased production costs.
A Perfect Size
There is a saying I’ve heard many times “A magnum bottle of wine is the perfect size for two people if one of them isn’t drinking…..” that might be stretching it a bit and I am by no means advocating such behaviour, although I have a number of friends who would happily drink a bottle themselves, I’m sure! However, in all seriousness, given the likely COVID restrictions this Christmas – a magnum is perfect for a group of six adults as it will serve six 250ml glasses.
It's really festive
There is no doubt, they look impressive and decadent – nothing shouts celebration more than a big bottle of great wine sat there on the Christmas table, and it saves space too!
Gifting Ideas
They are great for gifting – many magnums are available in presentation boxes so they make the prefect pressie for the “hostess (or host) with the mostest”.
So if you are unsure what to open to kick start the festivities this year..and God knows we need something to look forward to… why not give a magnum a try?
I have a range of large format wines both still and sparkling, if anyone is interested, let me know at info@thewinedemystifier.com and I will provide further information and pricing as required.
A magnum of champagne is always a great table centrepiece, but I had never thought about getting a magnum of red wine. Good to know Sam!