SOMMELIERS - lead crystal, mouth-blown in Austria, 2008
- 4400/00 BORDEAUX GRAND CRU
This glass, first created in 1959, is not a design gimmick but a precision instrument, developed to highlight the unique characteristics of the great wines of Bordeaux. The large bowl (capacity 30 oz) brings out the full depth of contemporary wines made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and Merlot.
Modern vinification techniques enable wine-makers to concentrate the fruit to such an extent that young wines may seem one-dimensional, tannic and over-oaked if served in smaller glasses.
The Sommeliers Bordeaux Grand Cru gives breathing space to both young and more mature wines, unpacking the various layers of bouquet and delivering a full spectrum of aromas. On the palate, the texture of the wine - soft, silky, velvety - is intensified and the finish prolonged, gently blending acidity with supple, sweet tannins. This is a glass that showcases these majestically structured red wines in all their complexity and finesse.
Recommended for: Bordeaux (red), Brunello di Montalcino, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet-Sauvignon, Domina, Fronsac, Graves rouge, Listrac, Merlot, Médoc, Margaux, Moulis, Pauillac, Pomerol, St. Emilion, St. Estèphe, St. Julien, Sangiovese, Sangiovese-Grosso.
- 4400/16 BURGUNDY GRAND CRU
This glass was described by Decanter magazine as "The finest Burgundy glass of all time, suitable for both young and old Burgundies."
Its shape, developed in 1958, represented a quantum leap in terms of wine glass design - and has earned it a place in the permanent display of the New York Museum of Modern Art.
This 'beautiful monster' of a glass can take apart a lesser wine, mercilessly showing up its weaknesses. But a great wine - a top-class Burgundy, Barolo or Barbaresco - will be revealed in all its glory. The large bowl allows the bouquet to develop to the full, while the slightly flared top lip maximises the fruit flavours by directing a precise flow onto the front palate. Certain wines and grape varieties require this type of controlled delivery. By ensuring that the fruit is highlighted while using the marked acidity of the wine to keep the flavours in balance, this is a glass that produces a superbly three-dimensional 'taste picture'.
Recommended for: Barbaresco, Barolo, Beaujolais Grand Cru, Blauburgunder, Burgundy (red), Dornfelder, Echézeaux, Gamay, Moulin à vent, Musigny, Nuits Saint Georges, Nebbiolo, Pommard, Pinot noir, Romanée Saint Vivant, Santenay, Volnay, Vosne-Romanée, Vougeot.
- 4400/31 TINTO RESERVA
Georg Riedel has presented the first wine glass ever designed for one of the Iberian Peninsula's great, highly idiosyncratic grape varieties: the red Tempranillo, which dominates the fine Rioja and Ribera del Duero wines, in addition to being a major cultivar in many of Spain's other Denominaciones de Origen (Do).
Like Tinta Roriz or Aragonez, Tempranillo is also a major grape variety in Portugal. Riedel has actually marked this inaugural effort in Iberia by devoting not just one, but two different glasses to Tempranillo. After a protracted, highly meticulous testing process which involved three major tastings between late 1997 and late 1998, it became apparent that Tempranillo presented some of the same challenges as another "chameleon" grape variety, Syrah. Younger, less extracted, less tannic, more floral types of wine made with Tempranillo behave in a markedly different way from more tannic, oak-aged wines such as the top Gran Reservas from Ribera del Duero or Rioja.
The three successive panels of Spanish tasters, which included such major growers as Pablo Alvarez (Vega Sicilia), Alejandro Fernández (Pesquera) and the Marques de Griñon, appreciated the general shape - wider bottom, narrower mouth - that has been so successful in Riedel's Hermitage glass. But they came to the conclusion that a smaller size accommodates young Tempranillo's voluptuous aromatic qualities perfectly, while a larger liquid volume is preferable in order to equally highlight the flavours and finish of the top oak-aged Tempranillo wines, whose tannic structure makes them eminently ageable. Therefore, the final panel, including the top Bordeaux winemaker Michel Rolland, who actively works with Tempranillo in Spain, unanimously recommends a twin solution to perfectly suit both styles of wine, after testing the top glasses developed from prior panel sessions. There will be a smaller Tempranillo glass that will be produced in the Vinum range, and a markedly larger (but identically shaped) Tempranillo Reserva glass in the Sommeliers range.
Recommended for: Gran Reserva, Ribera del Duero, Rioja, Tinto Reserva, Tempranillo.
- 4400/30 HERMITAGE
"My first thoughts about a dedicated glass for Syrah date from a visit I made to the Guigal family in 1992," says Georg Riedel. 'Until that time we had always suggested our Burgundy glasses as being best suited for Syrah.
But faced with wines of such magnificence I began to think that perhaps we could find a superior alternative.' The Syrah variety was first planted in the Northern Rhône region by the Romans. It produces deeply pigmented, well-structured wines with excellent ageing potential. The glass was developed between 1993 and 1995 following tastings in the major Syrah-growing regions, with many influential winemakers kindly contributing their views.
It is shaped to deliver the classic Syrah aromas of toast and black olives. On the palate, it brings out the wine's silky, velvety structure and balanced flavours. The tannins melt into the fruit, appearing sweet rather than acerbic on the back palate.
Recommended for: Amarone, Barbera, Cornas, Côte Rôtie, Crozes Hermitage, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Grenache, Hermitage, Malbec, Mourvèdre, Petite Sirah, Priorato, Saint Joseph, Shiraz, Syrah.
- 4400/15 ZINFANDEL / CHIANTI CLASSICO
It was an Italian lawyer and owner of a famous Tuscan winery who made Georg Riedel aware that his range featured only glasses dedicated to French grape varieties.
Stung into action, Riedel began working with the oenologist Dr. Walter Filliputti to research the characteristics of the Sangiovese grape variety and the optimum shape with which to set off its delicate qualities. Sangiovese is native to the stony soils of the Tuscan hills, where most vineyards are sited at an altitude of 1000-2000 feet. intense sun on steep slopes with poor soils results in medium-bodied wines with good acidity, minerals and tannins.
The shape of this glass brings out the characteristic Chianti bouquet of cherry and bitter almonds. On the palate it helps the wine to gain fruit and suppleness, with the acidity and tannins making for a complex finish. The glass was officially presented at a tasting in Florence on 11 June 1991, where it was warmly acclaimed by leading winemakers of the region.
Recommended for: Ajaccio, Bardolino, Beaujolais Nouveau, Blauer Portugieser, Carignan, Chianti, Côtes du Roussillon, Cótes du Ventoux, Dolcetto, Dornfelder, Freisci, Grignolino, Lambrusco, Montepulciano, Patrimonio, Primitivo, Sangiovese, Trollinger, Vin de Corse, Zinfandel.
4400/0 MATURE BORDEAUX
Wines from classified Bordeaux châteaux have tremendous ageing potential.
In fact, when stored in perfect conditions Bordeaux can mature for a hundred years or more - and such venerable wines can offer an incomparable tasting experience. Late-ripening, small-berried clusters of Cabernet Sauvignon produce a wine with powerful tannic structure, and it is this that gives the wine its unique longevity. Bottle ageing develops both the colour and the aromas, fusing together and rounding out the tannins to the point that the wine tastes even better than it smells.
This stage marks a plateau from which the wine will slowly start to decline in quality. And it is at precisely this point that this classic Sommeliers shape comes into its own. The glass offers a smaller 'breathing space' than that for the Bordeaux Grand Cru, thereby de-emphasising the aromas of age. Reduced tannin levels are revived on the palate, while the fruit is highlighted.
This is a glass that imparts all the concentration and finesse that these great wines deserve. Recommended for: Bordeaux (mature), Zweigelt.
- 4400/04 ROSÉ
Rosé is produced from red grapes but is made in the style of a white wine, and therefore served cold.
Its pale colour results from the short contact of the grape skins with the juice. Some wine-producing areas specialise in rosé, and their high yields result for the most part in unpretentious wines designed to be drunk young.
This glass is shaped to direct the flow of wine onto tip of the tongue, emphasising the wine's fresh fruitiness while tempering its high acidity and bringing out its characteristic red berry and pinewood aromas. This is the ideal glass from which to enjoy typically tart, dry rosé wines.
Recommended for: Blush, Côtes de Provence, Côtes du Rhône rosé, Marsannay rosé, Rosé, Schilcher, Weißherbst.