Your average mid-priced Shiraz has a lifespan of five years or so. If you're drinking it new, or with two to three years on it, it'll also benefit from a couple of hours of decanting. If it's five years old already (in its prime), then back to fifteen to twenty minutes.

Should I let Shiraz breathe?

A big, bold, young wine - a South Australian shiraz, for example - might taste tough when freshly opened and will generally benefit from air. Some wines like this can taste better after a day of being open.

How do you decant Shiraz?

It involves pouring the wine slowly into the decanter. You can either hold the decanter in one hand and pour with the other or keep the decanter on a flat surface and pour the wine in. Either way, pouring slowly and without much splashing helps fragile, older wines maintain their structure, texture, and color.