Is bigger always better?
A deep dive into the world of big bottles. Magnums, double magnums and imperials explained.
My first proper contact with wine was working in wine shops and I often found myself wandering over to the large format section. Why would you buy a bottle when you could buy a magnum? I used to think big bottles were only suitable for parties and special occasions but I’ve since found this to be ‘fake news.’ Say you have six people coming round for dinner, why not open a magnum as you’ll likely open two bottles anyway? A magnum will up-the-ante and there’s less recycling too?
What about the price premium, I hear you ask? It’s true that the cost of a magnum (2x75cl equivalent) will often be more expensive than the price of two bottles but this isn’t always the case. Sometimes there are deals, gaps in the matrix where magnums are the same price as bottles. If you spot this, you should get involved. The cost of glass and bottling admin leads to the premium on large formats but personally, I think it’s worth it. I’m not saying you should fill your cellar entirely with large formats but you should have a few. Call it diversifying, call it party planning - big bottles always bring a smile to people’s faces.
Visual impact aside, the liquid inside certainly ages longer and slower. This leads many to postulate that wine tastes better in large formats. Corks are porous but there is less oxygen exposure when the wine is in a bigger bottle. This enables larger bottles to be stored for longer periods of time without compromising on flavour. It’s this quality that makes them perfect Christening gifts; they can stand the test of time. For personal consumption, I would buy a few large formats every year with the view to drink them a few years later. The wine will soften and take on more interesting flavours after a few years, plus large formats enable wines to stay fit for longer.
The world of large formats is vast with names for the bottles becoming increasingly more far fetched with the size. You might have seen Nebuchadnazzars (20 bottles worth) and Melchiors (24 bottles worth) but these are feats of engineering as opposed to bottles you open regularly. Why these huge bottles were given biblical names is beyond me but they are incredible to look at (less fun to pour!).
Let’s look at three large format sizes that you might get more use out of:
Magnum (1.5 litres, 2x75cl bottles worth)
I bet your brain automatically pulls up images of red wine magnums but the power of the magnum is felt most strongly in Champagne. Champagne tastes better in magnum and there’s science to prove it. Magnums slow down the ageing process because they contain double the amount of liquid compared to standard bottles. Magnums and bottles have the same ullage (gap between the cork’s bottom and the liquid) meaning same amount of oxygen yet with magnums, the volume of wine is doubled so the oxygen’s impact is less. The effects of oxygen can be beneficial in very small doses but magnums are great because they enable the wine inside to stay fresher for longer. If you were to try the exact same wine, say Pol Roger’s 2008 Sir Winston Churchill, in bottle and magnum, I guarantee the liquid would taste quite different with the magnum having more vibrancy.
Ageing aside, the autolysis process in Champagne winemaking is more effective in magnum. Autolysis is the slow breakdown of yeast cells (you remember lees!) that gives Champagne bubbles and pastry flavours. Magnums have a larger surface area than bottles allowing more contact between the lees and the wine. More autolysis, leads to more flavour and complexity.
Don’t forget about white wines either. For richer, fuller wines such as White Burgundy, Loire Chenin Blanc and California Chardonnay, magnums allow the flavours to blossom. The larger surface area means you can age for longer, plus people don’t expect to see white wine in a big bottle.
Double magnums (3 litres, 4x75cl bottles worth)
Double magnums are also known as jeroboams and I love their chubbiness. Squat and chunky, this shape is probably my favourite size. The equivalent of 4x75cl bottles, a double magnum is perfect for larger gatherings. Family occasions like Christmas and Easter would be the opportune moment to open a double magnum. 8-10 thirsty people and you’ll finish your double magnum in no time. They are rather hefty so not the easiest to pour, so I’d nominate one person to be head pourer throughout the day and task them with topping people up. Wines from Bordeaux look amazing in this bottle shape and as with magnums, they age even slower. You could pull the cork on a double magnum of Ch. Leoville-Barton from the 90s and you’d still be met with lush blackcurrant fruit. This is a fun bottle size to experiment with so think outside the box. Try a Rioja, a Ribera del Duero or a Brunello di Montalcino in this size. The downside is not all producers will bottle double magnums, as they are harder to sell.
Imperial (6 litres, 8x75cl bottles worth)
Also known as Methuselahs, imperials are about as big as I’d buy. You need a lot of people to get through an imperial and a very strong person to pour. Imperials are majestic; they dominate tables but they can cause trouble too.
Getting the corks out of these bottles can be a challenge. This summer, I brought an imperial of Aix Rosé to a friend’s house. There were eight of us staying for the week so I thought the imperial would be perfect (imperials are so big that it’s hard to find a deserving occasion so I jumped at this one). Whack it in an ice bucket, open it once chilled and drink it over the course of a few days. This all seemed a good idea until it came to the opening stage. I knew it would be a challenge but having asked my colleagues whether a special corkscrew was needed, and told no, I thought ‘how hard can it be?’. Very hard, it turns out.
Armed with my waiter’s friend corkscrew (the only corkscrew you’ll ever need. It’s worth investing in a good corkscrew), I cut away the wax cap to reveal the cork. Twisting the corkscrew in I prepared to pull but sadly, the cork started to crumble. Hmmm, this was not going to be easy. After a few more attempts, I realised ‘the miner’ approach was the only option. I started to dig. Using a combination of corkscrew knife, teaspoon and my hand, I painstakingly chipped away at the massive cork. Did I get quite a lot of cork in the wine, sure but at least I opened it. The whole process took thirty minutes from start to finish! For the first fifteen minutes I thought there was not a chance in France of getting the bottle open but I persevered. I was not letting 6 litres worth of wine go to waste. With one final chip, the wine was ready to be poured. I really hope I haven’t put you off imperials but they come with a caveat: you have to be prepared to get your hands dirty. They require care and attention but they do look amazing and inject a sense of party to any occasion.
You’ve heard my rosé imperial story but in all honesty red wine is the best candidate for imperial format. This is because you don’t need the fridge. Imperials are big! They are the size of my torso so unless you have an empty fridge dedicated to the chilling of imperials, you have to get creative. We had to buy a plastic bucket from B&Q and ice to chill the Aix magnum! Don’t worry about finishing the bottle in one night (you can if you want to!), as you can always drink it over a few days. Cover the top with a tea towel (the cork will likely be out of action) and add a post-it saying ‘don’t throw away.’
Is bigger always better? I’d say so. Large formats manage to combine looks with taste and even though you might pay a bit more, in my opinion, it’s worth coughing up every now and then. Magnums are probably the most versatile but don’t be afraid of double magnums or imperials and branch out when it comes to the colour.