Comparing Glassware - Riedel, Zalto, and Gabriel-Glas.

All samples tasted at room temperature, side-by-side.

• 1995 York Creek Vineyards Meritage

  USA, California, Napa Valley, Spring Mountain District

  (4/29/2015)

  Bottle 63666-995
  Previously accessed 4/25, 4/27.
  @home
  
  Comparing 3 glasses:
  Riedel Vinum Pinot Noir
  Zalto Bdx
  Gabriel-Glas machined
  
  My bias going in is based on reputation and Monday’s tasting with DGH and EH. I remembered thinking the Zalto Bdx was better than the others, and even the Riedel was better than the gabriel Glas. I thought maybe the GG was too small. The Riedel is cheaper, poorly constructed, and old-fashioned, I would tend to guess it doesn’t perform the best. The Zalto is by far the most expensive, and feels ridiculous to handle, so while part of me doesn’t want it to perform the best (because it’s out of my price range), part of me thinks it might.
  
  Poured ~1.5 oz into all three (might have done slightly more in the GG) . Started nosing ~5 minutes after pouring. This is a wine I know to be a bit high in acetaldehyde at first, but then to open up after ~30 minutes into savory secondary flavors and sweet fruit.
  
  --------------
  No Swirl
  N1: Top aromas - Gabriel glas is the strongest, whereas the Zalto is weakest. Riedel vinum is in between. - I think it’s just how narrow is the glass and how far away is the liquid from you. I’m getting a lot of detergent/glass smell on these glasses - next time wash better. With just water.
  
  N2: Tim Gaisers technique: light open-mouth sniffs
  Gabriel-Glas smells the most focused on the wine. The others are a bit glassy/detergent-ish. Maybe they aren’t as well cleaned as the Gabriel?
  
  N3: Medium deep.
  Riedel: medium sweet aromas, bit of funk. Moderate intensity.
  Gabriel glass: moderate/moderate-plus intensity - higher than Riedel, sweetness, figgy acetaldehyde, sweetness, and funk.
  Zalto Bdx: alcohol, bit of sweetness. Moderate intensity.
  
  [side note: Gabriel-Glas seems to be bringing the N1 aromas up in a much more focused way - higher intensity, clearer. ]
  
  N4: Back-end.
  ZB and RV were similar. The GG was slightly higher toned, mustier in a good way. All are taking on a Port-like figginess.
  
  --------------
  Swirling
  N1: Top aromas
  GG is the best. Clearer and showing the deep tones better. Also shows brett.
  RV shows a bit of funk, maybe even Brett. slight. Pretty good.
  ZB shows just light acetaldehyde. The weakest.
  
  N2: Tim Gaiser light open-mouth sniffs
  They are all great, but the GG is the most concentrated, extracted, glossy-black. It’s nice. It smells the sweetest. The most opaque. The most blackberries and blackcurrant character.
  
  N3: Medium deep.
  The GG wins hands down - focuses the aromas more. The other two have more light, floral noses, like a Barolo. The stuffing and fruit and warm black liquorice character shows more in the GG.
  
  N4: Back-end.
  ZB: poupourri
  RV: barnyard
  GG: lots of stuff: acetaldehyde, barnyard, warm leaves - bamboo leaves in the summer. Dirt. Slightly more delineated.
  
  --------------
  Tasting:
  They are all about the same.
  
  Conclusion:
  For this wine, the Gabriel-Glas was the highest-volume, most dark-fruit toned, clearest, and most enjoyable.

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• 2012 Grgich Hills Chardonnay 85 Points

  USA, California, Napa Valley

  (4/30/2015)

  @home out of a .375
  Comparing 3 glasses:
  Riedel Vinum Pinot Noir
  Zalto Bdx
  Gabriel-Glas machined
  
  Summary: It has all the flavors of a New World chardonnay. I don’t find myself too enthusiastic about the quality of the fruit, wood, acid, or finish. To me the wood sticks out like a sore thumb and then you’re left with tart malic on the finish and a bit less flavor / fruit than I’d like.
  Score: Around 8.5
  --------------------
  Full Sensory:
  
  Visual:
  Clear, day-bright.
  Medium gold with reflections of straw in the glass, moderate concentration.
  No gas or sediment, moderate plus tears.
  
  Nose:
  Riedel Vinum Pinot: Expressive, Tart. Wood (medium-done toast).
  Gabriel-Glas: Sweet, caramel, vanilla, lemon, toast - medium and burnt. The most clearly delineated and sharpest in focus.
  Zalto Bordeaux: Very nice. Sweet, tart, lemon curd, wood, slight mushroomy tone. Alcohol peeks through a bit.
  
  N: Clean, moderate intensity.
  Ripe apple/pommaceous fruit, with a hint of lemon curd.
  Secondaries of medium-done toast, faint tones of burnt toast and caramel (oak - not sure if American or French - [It’s French oak - 40%]).
  Youthful.
  Moderate minus complexity.
  
  P: What sticks out?
  Dry.
  Medium plus body. Medium plus alcohol.
  More pommaceous fruit, unripe pear, ripe yellow apple, a hint of fresh, just-ripe mango.
  Secondaries of moderate toast, faint burnt toast (evidence of some new oak - just sticks out as wood to me).
  Moderate plus acid - lively clean acid on the tail-end of the midpalate that turns into tart malic (makes sense - this didn’t undergo malo). Slight hint of bitterness - not sure if it’s phenolic, could be from wood.
  The finish is moderate minus - fruit fades into slightly bitter wood and tart malic acid.
  This wine has a nice balance - full yet vibrant. Not too hot, not too acidic, not too fruity, not too tart.
  Moderate minus complexity.
  
  CA > Napa > American Canyon and Carneros vineyards.
  "We did not allow the Chardonnay to undergo malolactic fermentation, preserving its natural acidity."
  
  Winemaker’s Notes
  Alcohol.............13.5% by volume
  Fermentation...indigenous yeast
  Harvest date....Sept. 4 - 28, 2012
  Sugar ................22.8˚ Brix (average) [This is low!]
  Bottling date....August 2013
  Release date.....December 2014
  Total acid ........7.1 g/L
  pH ....................3.32
  Time in oak......Fermented and aged
  10 months
  Type of oak......French oak: [Makes sense - got more vanilla and toast. Reminded me of the HdV but not as clear, refined.]
  60% neutral barrels
  40% new barrels
  Production.......30,832 cases (12/750 ml.)
  Blend ...............100% Chardonnay

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• NV Sean Thackrey Pleiades XXIII Old Vines

  USA, California

  (5/3/2015)

  bottle 62912-156
  previously accessed 4/22, 4/25, 4/27, 5/2.
  @home
  
  Comparing 3 glasses:
  Riedel Vinum Pinot Noir
  Zalto Bdx
  Gabriel-Glas machined
  
  Zalto Bdx:
  Initially: mentholly alcohol, hint of smell of tapwater/metallic (there’s a lot of glass here). Some fruit. Sweet cherry and raspberry tones with a hint of peppery earth. The wine seems to get a bit lost in the glass, emphasizing alcohol.
  
  20 minutes: Bloomed a little, but still remained a bit washed-out. Fruit seems distant. Maybe this glass is just too large? Your nose is too far away from the wine.
  
  Gabriel-Glas:
  Initially: Much clearer and more intense. Earth, dark fruit, hint of bitterness, raspberry/red fruit.
  
  20 minutes: More dark dried-cherry aromas. Clearer and more in-focus fruit.
  
  Conclusion:
  I definitely prefer the GG for this wine.

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The Gabriel-Glas seemed to come out on top! I wonder if the Zalto Bdx is simply too big to be practical. At some point your nose is just too far away from the wine to get a clear picture.