Pannier

An item rarely seen today, the French pannier or wine decanting basket is a must-have for resting sediments from older claret-style wines, mature Syrah or vintage Ports. The one at La Terre holds the wine bottle securely at a 45-degree tilt, to help the sediments settle at the bottom of the barrel. A lighted candle or strong light is then used to illuminate the bottle while it’s being poured, to watch for sediments as the contents of the bottle are slowly, steadily poured out, stopping when the sediments start reaching the top of the neck. Done correctly, there won’t be a need for filtering or even a decanter for these older, more fragile bottles.