Global notes

UK-based Jane Parkinson declares magnums are the future

IT MAY HAVE been a trend that began back in the 18th century, but if there’s one way to buy wine in 2020 and beyond, it’s in larger formats. Magnums are the future, offering not only deliciousness and great value, but also a sense of fun and theatre. Before we delve into exactly why bigger is better, let’s begin by addressing any naysayers about magnums being more expensive than bottles. Well, of course they are – they offer double the amount of wine. But more than that, the material costs are higher, from (empty) magnums to bespoke labels and cases, all of which must be made to order.

Supply and demand comes into play too. Wooed by the ‘wow factor’, collectors are often happy to pay more for magnums from famously expensive regions such as the Napa Valley or legendary soughtafter brands such as Chateau Margaux, pushing magnum prices up as a result.

Even so, magnums make perfect sense for those who drink wine regularly, are partial to hosting, enjoy wine at its peak drinking stage, like to be generous with a gift, or don’t necessarily need a big wine name in their lives. And one magnum can often still be less expensive than two separate bottles.

Magnums are widely touted as better quality or better value than 750ml bottles for a few reasons, but essentially it comes down to their ability to age well, or at least their ability to take longer to age. Many dry whites and rosés are best in their early years, but when bottled in magnum, they’re blessed with a kiss of life because it takes them longer to oxidise. Handily, this also means these kinds of magnums are often sold at tempting prices as retailers try to move the stock quickly.

That said, the main benefactors of slower ageing in magnums are reds that peak with age. From Barolo to Claret, northern Spanish reds and Napa cabernet sauvignon, producers will often hold onto a selection of their best wines in magnum until they are ready for release. A winemaker was once quoted as saying: “If a producer is making wine in magnum size, you know you’re guaranteed their A-game.” And this is why magnums can be such a great buy; they inherently have the implied endorsement of the winemaker. As producers keep magnums safely stashed away to age slowly, not

only do big tannins mellow and sink into the wine, but the wines are also believed to develop extra nuances of flavour. In doing so, their complexity increases. Once the producer deems the magnums ready for release, the drinkers are almost guaranteed a wine at its peak drinking stage. Arguably, it’s at a more pleasurable drinking stage than any earlier-released bottle counterparts.

So exactly how is this slower ageing achieved? It’s mostly based on the ratio of cork and air to the wine. Bottles and magnums have the same neck size so they’re bottled under the same-sized cork. However, there is more wine in a magnum so the ullage is smaller, resulting in less oxygen relative to the volume of wine, decelerating the wine’s ageing. Another contributing factor to the slower ageing is the glass. Typically made with thicker and heavier glass, magnum wines are generally better protected from one of its main enemies – vibrations.

For Champagne – the most famous wine to be enjoyed in magnum – all of the above applies to a degree, but there’s an added bonus to it being bottled under magnum as it decelerates the breakdown of yeast cells that contribute to the bubbles. The greater glass surface area of magnums allows more contact between the yeast and the wine, ultimately creating a more vibrant effervescence. Champagne houses release magnums later in life when, from their perspective, the wines are at their perfect drinking stage (many people drink Champagnes at a younger stage than most houses would typically prefer). But with magnums, wine lovers can devour more complex and older Champagnes immediately, even if it’s just the flagship brut NV cuvee.

Magnums aside, all large formats have biblical names, from jeroboam to nebuchadnezzar, and although no one seems completely sure why larger formats have such names, it all seems very apt to me.

There is something very biblical about the pilgrimage that us passionate wine drinkers follow in order to find the most delicious wines possible. In magnums and other large formats, we have arrived at our destination. Amen and happy new (magnum-drinking) year.