Glass matters. We all know that. But how does the choice of a wine glass influences the aroma and taste profile of a wine? I was in an exploring mood and did a little glass test today. For this entirely subjective experiment, I chose the Lapostolle Cuvée Alexandre from Apalta Vineyard 2013 and three glasses: the comparatively small Gabriel Universal Gold Series (left), the Zalto Denkart Bordeaux (middle) and the new Riedel WineWing Syrah (right). Disclaimer: I got this glass from Riedel for free some weeks ago.
The results revealed interesting findings. All three glasses highlighted different aspects of the wine. The Gabriel showed the fruitiest nose with dark fruits, cherries, blackberries and plums.Very lush and intense. In contrast, the Riedel glass highlighted the spicy side of the wine with its peppery finish and touch of herbs. The Zalto emphasised fruit, spice and herbs.
Regarding palate structure, Zalto and Riedel also performed very well but for different: The Zalto offered a touch tougher acidity but smoother tannins as the Riedel WineWing. They provided a rounder acidity but more tannin grip. Fruit intensity was similar, but even more spice and oak with Riedel and more fruit with less oak with Zalto. The Gabriel lacked the preciseness of its competitors on the palate but offered an overall pleasant palate impression. The fruit seemed to be just a touch too jammy. Nevertheless, all three glasses did an excellent job – although different. The wine, of course, was a tripple pleasure. Cheers!!
