“A magnum is the perfect size for two gentlemen over lunch, as long as one of them isn’t drinking.” Whatever the wisdom, wit or otherwise of Winston Churchill’s quip, there is no more cheering sight on the table, especially the Christmas table, than a magnum. Compared with a brace of standard-size bottles, a magnum is intrinsically and irresistibly more festive.

But along with the benison of raised spirits, magnums bring practical benefits, too. Wine matured in magnums invariably tastes better than the same wine matured in smaller bottles. The ageing process in a magnum takes around one and a half times longer than in a 75cl bottle, so older wine is likely to be in better condition and for longer than the same vintage in a standard-size bottle. The bottle may be bigger, but the cork size in both is the same, allowing the same amount of oxygen into the bottle to aid the ageing process, but at a slower rate given the larger quantity of liquid.