Wine Magnums Aren’t Just For Christmas – Or Even Champagne

There are galore reasons you whitethorn want to bargain a magnum, and those reasons multiply and proliferate astir this clip of nan year. Your accustomed nighttime successful pinch your partner becomes a statement for six. Dinner pinch nan family becomes an tremendous pre-Christmas do, pinch thirsty adults and kids successful nan measurement everywhere. And watering nan masses tin get expensive, not to mention cumbersome.

I often urge boxed wines for this circumstantial quandary. I’ve written before astir nan joys of bag-in-box, but to springiness you nan apical line: it’s astatine slightest 2 bottles successful a fridge-friendly box, and it stays bully for up to six weeks. But if you for illustration nan allure of a solid bottle, and nan thought of each attraction successful nan room being drawn to what’s successful your manus arsenic you participate it, past a magnum mightiness beryllium a nosy point to unsheathe during nan festivities, aft nan first cocktails person been sipped and glasses are empty.

At 1 and a half litres, a magnum is simply doubly nan size of a regular 750ml bottle, but nan closure (ie, nan entranceway to nan bottle) is nan aforesaid size arsenic a regular one, which intends that little oxygen gets into nan wine. Many vino lovers opportunity this useful wonders connected nan liquid inside. I asked Sandia Chang, co-founder of nan 2 Michelin-starred Kitchen Table successful London, astir serving from a magnum – does she judge nan wines are better? “The ratio of vino to oxygen is overmuch little successful a magnum, truthful immoderate ageing that nan vino has nether cork is slower and much gentle.”

What’s nan subject down this? Well, because it has nan aforesaid size of closure arsenic a regular bottle, nan wine-to-ullage (that is, nan aerial nether nan cork) ratio is importantly less. Air is cardinal to nan improvement and aging of a wine, which is why we decant bottles and service them successful costly glasses pinch wide bowls to thief america really taste it. And nan little aerial location is successful nan vessel to interact pinch nan wine, nan slower its improvement and development.

That’s not to opportunity each magnums are created pinch nan volition of ageing; location are plentifulness of fresh, fruity wines and elemental sparklings bottled successful magnum that are designed to beryllium drunk correct this minute. A magnum of Provençal rosé, for instance, is astir apt astir nan spectacle, alternatively than nan committedness of an aged wine.

As nan proprietor of grower champagne master Bubbleshop, I presume Chang’s favourite vino to service by nan magnum is champagne, but I’m wrong: “My favourite is really riesling,” she tells me. “Traditional riesling bottles are taller and much narrow, meaning a magnum tin beryllium strikingly tall. It feels much playful and it’s conscionable fun!”

Four magnums to get you successful nan mood

La Gioiosa Prosecco Rosé DOC £22 Majestic, 10.5%. A high-street prosecco that I really enjoy: each agleam strawberry and a persistent mousse.

Cristóbal 1492 Malbec £35 Tanners Wine Merchants, 13.5%. A classically presented Argentinian malbec pinch plump, reddish plum and herb from oak ageing. It moreover comes successful a gifting case!

Berry Bros & Rudd Good Ordinary Claret by Dourthe 2020 £28.50, 14.5%. An icon for a reason: outrageous-value bordeaux, particularly en magnum.

Weingut Wess Kremstal Reserve Old Vine Riesling 2023 £59 The Wine Society, 12.5%. A towering Austrian riesling brimming pinch flowers and spice.