What is the main benefit of decanting a wine?

The primary benefit of decanting wine is to aerate it and enhance its flavors. When wine is decanted, it is poured from its bottle into another container, typically a decanter. This process exposes the wine to oxygen, which can help soften tannins and allow volatile compounds to evaporate. As the wine mixes with the air, its aromatic qualities become more expressive, leading to a more pleasant tasting experience. Aeration can particularly benefit younger wines that may be closed or tight, allowing them to open up and reveal their full bouquet of flavors.

While some other purposes are associated with decanting, such as removing sediment from older wines, the primary goal remains the enhancement of the wine's aromatic and flavor profile through the interaction with oxygen. The other options relate to benefits that are either irrelevant to the process of decanting (like increasing alcohol content or chilling the wine) or are secondary effects rather than the main purpose of decanting.