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Tim Gaiser, Master Sommelier

Rarified Air

9/21/2015

16 Comments

 
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It has been said that timing is everything. Nothing could be truer about wine. Consider this: you’re dining out with friends and everyone in your group is a shameless carnivore. No surprise that you’ve been handed the wine list to choose a bottle for dinner. In scanning the list you quickly realize that it’s filled with current releases and your immediate task will be to somehow find something drinkable knowing full well that everything on the list has been in the bottle for less than a year—most for less than six months. After posing several recommendations to the table—all of which get shot down—the group cries out for Cabernet. Again, not a surprise. You close your eyes, point randomly at the Cabernet section, and make a selection.

Minutes later (hopefully), the server arrives with the bottle, opens it without injury or international incident, and pours you a taste. You swirl, sniff, take a sip, and--hopefully out of the sight of your dining compadres - grimace because the wine is tight, tannic, and astringent—far from pleasant. The server then goes on to pour for the rest of the table. Your dining buddies are completely oblivious to the fact that the young Cabernet you’ve chosen is so tannic it could probably take oil stains off a driveway. They chatter away and happily drink glass after glass for all the world like it’s Nouveau Beaujolais. Fortunately, a bit of time and resulting oxidation help the young wine to the point that just when the server is removing your entree plate and you take the last sip from your glass you find yourself thinking, “Wow, that’s really not so bad after all.”  

Enter the iSommelier, possibly the ultimate wine accessory and an answer to the wine-timing dilemma. The iSommelier is a device created by the Chinese firm iFavine. Several years ago Eric Li, the company’s CEO, was having dinner with friends in Guangzhou and saw a sommelier decanting wine. He inquired and learned that it wasn’t unusual for certain wines to be decanted hours before serving. Being an engineer he was curious if the length of time between decanting and serving could be shortened. He went on to conduct a series of experiments and ultimately he and his team isolated four factors that influence the enjoyment of wine: temperature, humidity, air pressure, and air quality. Serving temperature is a given but the other three unseen elements combined have a major influence on how we perceive wine.

The result of Li’s efforts is the iSommelier. What does the iSommelier do? Using a series of three filters the unit takes outside air and removes dust, contaminants, moisture, and separates oxygen from nitrogen, CO2, and other gases. It then injects the now 90% pure oxygen into the wine via a nozzle through what can only be called a “smart decanter.” The amount of pure oxygen put into the wine can further be adjusted in the frame of a wine having been opened and decanted at various intervals of time, i.e., 30 minutes, one hour, two hours, etc.
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The iSommelier
How effective is the iSommelier? I wanted to find out. Recently I was part of a team that tasted a set of wines using the device. The group included good friends and colleagues Peter Granoff MS, Peter Marks MW, Gilles de Chambure MS, and Bob Bath MS. For the trial we tasted four wines comparing glasses poured directly from the bottle to glasses from a decanter that was treated with the iSommelier.

The wines used in the tasting included the 2013 F.X. Pichler Loibner Burgstall Riesling, the 2013 Shafer Chardonnay, “Red Shoulder Ranch,” the 2011 Azelia Barolo, and the 2012 Joseph Phelps Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. The wines were poured in series of three glasses: the first glass poured directly from the bottle, the second with the wine having been iSommelier decanter set at 25 minutes, and the third glass with the wine having been treated for one hour. Here are my notes on the wines before and after being treated with the iSommelier: 

I. 2013 F.X. Pichler Loibner Burgstall Riesling

Before: the F.X. Pichler Riesling (bottled in screwcap) poured directly from the bottle showed notes of tart apple, yellow grapefruit, white flower, TDN (petrol), SO2, and wet stone on the nose with SO2, tart fruit, mineral, and phenolic bitterness on the palate.

After: the glass from the decanter set at 25 minutes showed less TDN and sulfur on the nose with more floral and high-toned white fruits. The third glass (one hour) showed even more noticeable change especially on the palate. The wine was prettier—for lack of a better word—with no TDN or sulfur apparent on the nose. The palate was softer with a rounded texture and seemingly lower overall acidity. The phenolic bitterness on the finish was completely gone. 

Conclusion: the iSommelier removed the sulfur, TDN, and practically all the phenolic bitterness; it made the wine more attractive--but somewhat simpler.

II. 2013 Shafer Chardonnay, Red Shoulder Ranch, Carneros

Before: the Shafer Red Shoulder Ranch Chardonnay (bottled with natural cork) poured directly from bottle was a combination of intense fruit and new oak notes including pineapple-tropical, mango, kiwi, key lime, honey/comb, lees, vanilla-spice, and toast. On the palate oak and tart acidity dominated. The wine was definitely young and angular.

After: the second glass poured from the iSommelier set at 25 minutes had most the wood influence removed. Overall the wine was cleaner and for lack of a better term prettier--but again simpler. With the glass poured from the decanter set at one hour most of the high-toned aromatics were gone. The nose showed peach and green melon fruit with a touch of white flower. The palate was richer and rounder with all the sharp volatile oak elements completely gone. The acidity was also less apparent. 

Conclusion: the iSommelier does a thorough job removing volatile compounds making white wines prettier but at the expense of also making them simpler.   

III. 2011 Azelia Barolo

Before: the 2011 Azelia Barolo (bottled with natural cork) was spot on Nebbiolo with a strong whiff of VA on first impression along with tart and dried red fruits, dried rose floral, black tea, mushroom consommé, forest floor/white soil, slight spice, and used wood. On the palate the 2011 showed intense dried/sour fruits with high acid and high tannins.

After: the glass poured from the iSommelier a decanter treated for 1 hour was a completely different wine. The top end of the wine was gone—VA, floral notes, and all. The nose was much simpler--almost like a young, fruity Barbera. On the palate the wine was fruiter, softer, less tannic and acidic, but also much less complex and interesting. The bitterness on the finish was greatly diminished but the tannic astringency was still there.

Comment: as before the iSommelier removed practically all the volatile compounds which in old-school Barolo like the Azelia is a majority of the aromatics. In effect it was like transforming a dominatrix into Barbie.

 IV. 2012 Joseph Phelps Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley

Before: the Phelps Cabernet (bottled with natural cork) offered ripe, concentrated black fruits (almost to the point of raisination) with violet floral, pyrazines (green pepper, olive, and green herb), bitter espresso, toast, and wood spice. The heat from high alcohol immediately was immediately apparent. On the palate it was a young tannic Cabernet that desperately needed to be accompanied by the nearest source of fat and protein.

After: with the glass from the decanter set at one hour it was as if the top 30% of the aromatics were gone. Once again the fruit was prettier but simpler. There was also less heat and sharp wood aromatics. On the palate it was the same as the Barolo: the volatile compounds from alcohol and wood aging were greatly diminished but the wine was simpler. Some of the bitterness was reduced as well (along with some of the acidity) but the astringency from actual oak tannin was still there.

*We re-tasted the wine from a decanter that had been treated for two hours. This version of the wine was better than the “one hour glass.” The fruit returned and overall the wine was more integrated with tannins still apparent. But there was no sign of raisination and the pyrazines were missing in action.

Comment: the iSommelier helped the young Cabernet more than the other three wines. It seems to do best with young, astringent reds that traditionally need long-term aging. 
Conclusion

Unlike many wine accessories, the iSommelier more than delivers on what’s promised. It excels at removing volatile compounds in any wine but in doing so removes a considerable amount of aromatic complexity. In effect, it’s like Photoshopping wine to make any bottle softer and more drinkable. At some point during the tasting I wrote in my notes the phrase, “Warts and all are part of wine’s complexity.” Perhaps the warts—and here I’m thinking of the TDN, sulfur, and phenolic bitterness in the Riesling--aren't all that bad. I note this because my previous experiences with dry Austrian Rieslings includes said aromatics and thus I have an expectation that they will appear in similar wines in the future. For me these aromatics are a vital part of what makes the wine typical. But does that make wine professionals like me the 1%--the outliers? Are we the ones who want a wine in its natural state (whatever that is) “warts” and all while the rest of dining/drinking humanity could care less and just want their wines to be softer and imminently drinkable regardless of age, type, or origin? Good questions to ponder.

All this comes at a price. The suggested retail for the iSommelier unit is a hefty $1K. Does it have applications? Absolutely. Eric Li argues that over 90% of all restaurants don’t have a sommelier on the floor. In that context having an iSommelier available to a restaurant staff makes sense. I can also see the iSommelier being offered as a “value add” service in high end steak houses where hefty-tomed lists are populated by Cabernets and other reds entirely too young to drink. Would a dinner pay an extra fee for having a bottle treated? Probably so but how much? $10? $20? Who knows? And will the iSommelier ever replace sommeliers? Interesting thought (and very ‘50’s science fiction involving robots), but doubtful as someone still has to choose the wines that will go on the list to be potentially treated with the iSommelier.

Final Thought

One final thought about the iSommelier and it’s philosophical more than anything. The iSommelier raises a larger issue of how wine is enjoyed in the dining experience. To point, when I’m not traveling and at home I rarely go out. Carla and I take turns cooking. Once dinner is plated (way too many years working in restaurants…) we sit at the dining table and enjoy it with a bottle of wine over the course of 60-75 minutes—even longer on weekends. To us dinner is all about taking time to enjoy a meal with wine and a huge part of that enjoyment for me is being able to appreciate how the vin du jour changes in the glass over the course of dinner; how a wine can be angular, even disjointed, when first poured only to integrate and improve over time. Thus the last thing I want would be to “Photoshop” a wine into so-called perfect drinking condition from the get go. No sport! But I also realize that Carla and I are in the minority and that most people don’t have the luxury of an hour for dinner or simply don’t think it’s important enough to take the time. Ultimately, the iSommelier probably isn’t for me. If aerating a wine is needed—and it often is—I have any number of decanters that will accomplish just that. Finally, I have a strong belief that wine can only show its best in the company of food and for me that presupposes a shared meal and that in turn presupposes a duration of time. I hope that never changes. 
16 Comments
Bill Oehler
9/22/2015 08:58:17 am

As a lover of wine toys (and a retired research methodologist), I enjoyed the thoroughness of your review. Our decanter of choice for expediency is Menu Winebreather Carafe by Norm Architects. While we prefer some of our Riedel decanters for their visual appeal, the Winebreather does the job effortlessly, while I'm prepping and cooking. We generally give it 6 turns, ending with the wine back in the bottle for the purpose of presentation to fellow winos. It takes about 1 minute per turn. Easy to clean and affordable at about $50. I'm not ready to spend $1,000! YIKES! Thanks again for your always enjoyable thoughts.

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Anna D
9/22/2015 10:32:50 am

Great review, Tim. I can't see restaurants bothering with this. If you're one of the 90% of restaurants without a sommelier, then your wine program certainly doesn't need a $1k decanting device. You probably don't even offer decanters to begin with, and there's a good chance you offer Kendall Jackson wines (here in the US at least). Hardly a booming market opportunity...

You raised an interesting point whether this kind of softer, less interesting wine is what the public really wants. Maybe, but then why spend so much money on a bottle of wine and all the gadgets? There are plenty of tips and tricks on the internet to "make a $5 wine taste like a $20 wine." Shaking it in the bottle, throwing it in the blender, buying one of those oak bottles to dump the wine in overnight. None of them involve $1k machines or expensive young Barolos.

The name also bothers me - what does stealing Apple's branding have to do with wine devices?

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Tim Gaiser
9/22/2015 10:42:06 am

Hi Anna, thanks for reading. Great points all around! Agree with your assessment of sommelier-less restaurants but I think Eric Li was referring to restaurants in China. I know first-hand about the serious lack of trained sommeliers in country primarily because the government doesn’t consider sommelier an official job—whatever that means. Agree also that there are plenty of ways to aerate wine without spending $1K. As for what the public seems to want, there are other variables as well. I didn’t want to go into them simply because the post is too long as it is. But obviously pairing the right dish with a tannic red is a no-brainer. A young, astringent Cabernet is quickly tamed by the fat and protein of a good cut of beef or lamb. Finally, I too queried the name but will leave that to others to comment. All best!

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Tim Gaiser
9/22/2015 10:33:50 am

Hi Bill, thanks for writing and also reading the post.Much appreciated. Please know that I'm not a fan of accessories/devices that "expedite" a wine's drinkability. If a bottle is closed, tannic, astringent, or funky, I’m a firm believer in decanting, double decanting, or multiple decanting the wine. Usually, it does the trick. If it doesn’t the wine is either flawed or you should reseal the bottle (the Zyliss stoppers are the best way unless it’s a screwcap) and wait another 24-48 hours to drink it. And though I highly doubt I will ever fork over the $1K for an iSommlier by all means check it out if you get the chance. It’s a very good—and well-made—application of science. All best!

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Steve Armes link
9/22/2015 01:56:25 pm

For me, you summed it up perfectly in the middle of your final paragraph. I enjoy tasting the wine evolve in the glass punctuated by good company and conversation. Nice article, Tim.

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Tim Gaiser
9/22/2015 02:54:21 pm

Hi Steve, thanks for reading and your comment--much appreciated.

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Kevin Vogt
11/20/2015 07:21:34 pm

Hi Tim, I just received my test unit... I've only tried two wines in it so far, but my results are the same as yours... I plan on giving it a workout to see where it really excels... I didn't know it was $1K until I read this article... Wow.

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Tim Gaiser
11/23/2015 12:15:31 pm

Hi Kevin, good to hear from you. Hope all is well. By all means keep me posted about your trials with the unit. It definitely has some strong potential uses.

All best!

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Tom Martin
1/11/2018 11:10:44 am

Tim, If this thread is still open, I am puzzled by decanting. I have had some wonderful new cab's completely fall apart after an hour in a decanter. No nose, flat, almost like flat ginger ale. Can you please give your thoughts on this?

All the best...

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Tim Gaiser
1/11/2018 12:04:25 pm

Tom, thanks for reading. Could you please a bit more about the issue? Are you using a regular decanter or the iSommelier?

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Michael Blum
11/8/2018 12:26:26 pm

iSommelier suggests one minute treatment per hour of desired standard decanting time. I'm curious why you chose to use 25 minutes (= 25 hours in a decanter) and an hour (=60 hours in a decanter). I would be more interested in, say 2 or 5 minute treatments to simulate 2 or 5 hours in a decanter.

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Tim Gaiser
11/8/2018 04:02:37 pm

Michael, thanks for reading. I wrote this post what seems like eons ago. Per your question, a rep from iSommelier ran the tasting and set the timings. For the record, I think this is a very expensive wine accessory that for me is not at all useful. True, it does render any wine more "drinkable" more quickly. But it also Photoshops any wine by removing volatile compounds, which to me are a vital part of any wine's identity and varietal character. A decanter and time spent enjoying the wine are personally much preferable. And you can do a lot of other things with $500 which is the current price on Amazon. My two cents. Cheers!

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jk
8/7/2019 01:00:46 pm

Interestingly, I read some other reviews and one noted that after an "hour" aromatics diminished, but after 5 "hours" (minutes) the aromatics were stronger than non-decanted, truly decanted for an hour or speed decanted for an hour samples. I suspect like in a regular decanter the different characters ebb and flow.

While I don't doubt your results, I wonder what experiments with longer times would have returned in the tests.

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Tim Gaiser
8/7/2019 02:15:08 pm

JK, thanks for reading. I wrote this particular post almost four years ago--which is eons in blog time. My thoughts on the iSommelier now are that it was a novelty at the time and prohibitively expensive for what it accomplishes. I wouldn't recommend it for that and other reasons. There's nothing that decanting or double decanting any wine wouldn't accomplish along with enjoying the wine 60-90 minutes over time. Cheers.

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jk
8/7/2019 02:25:06 pm

Four years ago, yes. But the same thing is still for sale and I have lots of wine in the wine room that was there when you wrote this! And, you're thread is still valid today (and was easy to find through Google). Hey, and I got a reply. Thanks!

We use a Reidel "Eve" decanter when we want some quicker aeration (too much for everyday use). No, we didn't pay retail -a small fraction of that and it works very well, is a novelty and the video that came with it entertains guests. Search "Eve decanter" on YouTube if you want some Maximilian redial decanter fun.

Thomas Ng
11/27/2019 12:43:39 am

I bought it for USD225. I thought 1 minute in the machine equals to 1 hour in a normal decanter? Can't wait to try it out. Cheers!

Reply



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