'04 Beaucastel: How long would you decant it?

If you were to open an '04 Beaucastel now, how long should it ideally spend in the decanter prior to being poured? I probably shouldn't touch this for another ten years, but spring's a-coming and I'm going to be making lamb roast. 'Nuff said!

Thanks in advance.

Hey Paul,

Thomas Perrin was in town a few months ago and said he always opens the bottle in the morning, lets it sit, then decants about an hour or so before drinking.

Though I'm sure he'd also say don't drink this one yet.

DON'T DO IT PAUL!!! Slowly back away from the 2004 Beaucastel and get yourself a nice bottle of Gigondas.

If you were to open an '04 Beaucastel now, how long should it ideally spend in the decanter prior to being poured? I probably shouldn't touch this for another ten years, but spring's a-coming and I'm going to be making lamb roast. 'Nuff said!

Thanks in advance.

Paul, what is going on?! Why would you even consider doing something like that? I'm almost sure that you don't have a ton of bottles and want to open one for initial reference, since you mentioned having a bottle with a lamb roast, not for a science project. And I know that you know that you need something aged properly for a lamb roast - or at least something that you can taste.

If you can't have a nice older Bordeaux with the roast, I would hope that you take Bill's sagacious advice and at least consider a regular old Gigondas with a couple of years on it.

Covert

DON'T DO IT PAUL!!! Slowly back away from the 2004 Beaucastel and get yourself a nice bottle of Gigondas.

Thanks guys. I appreciate you steering me away from what would in all likelihood be a mad act of vinfanticide. I can do Gigondas with aplomb; I like Jiggy-Jiggy . It's just that I was thinking of something really dense and tough ... but at that young age, I guess it's true that even Beaucastel wouldn't deliver what I'm looking for anyway.