Decanting Wine

I recently bought a wine decanter, but I didn't know how to use it so I did a little research. Here is what I found...

Young Red Wines
Young full-bodied (and inexpensive) red wines can benefit from decanting. When the wine comes in contact with oxygen, the aromas in the wine are released and harsh tannins are softened. Use a wide-body decanter to provide more surface area for the wine and oxygen to mix.

Splash the wine into the decanter. The more it splashes into the decanter, the more it comes in contact with oxygen. Let the wine settle and rest for a short time (ten to fifteen minutes).

Aged Wine
Old wines will contain sediment due to the aging process. Old wines with sediment are decanted to leave the sediment in the bottle.

Stand the bottle upright for several hours to allow the sediment to settle at the bottom. Use a lamp or candle to light the neck of the bottle. Hold the bottle of wine so that the area just below the neck of the wine bottle can be seen through the light while pouring. Pour the wine slowly into the decanter. Stop pouring when sediment appears in the neck of the bottle.

My First Test
Since I don't own any aged wines, the wine I decanted was a full-bodied Cabernet. My first test was a Brutocao 2005 Cabernet Savignon. The retail was about $13. I liked the decanted wine better. The decanting made the initial taste much smoother but the finish was sitll strong.