I was going to start a thread about this, but I’m a mostly rando lurker. So, +1 to Marcus for the credibility factor.
Anyhoo, last night some friends and I tasted through the Grassl lineup. I can attest that they are astonishingly excellent!
For those not familiar, Grassl is a new company making premium stemware. Chris Freemott is the US distributor and is on this board.
Chris offers a tasting set as a try before you buy. The set includes 5 glasses - one each of the Grassl line - and a decanter. The cost is $50, includes return shipping, and is refundable with a minimum purchase.
We tried the following wines: 2018 Kung Fu Girl, 2018 Lafage rose’, 2014 Winderlea Dundee Hills Pinot, 2015 Chateau Senejac Haut-Medoc, and 2007 Excelso Gran Reserva Rioja. Each Grassl glass received a small pour of the same wine, along with my current stems – Riedel Vinum XL Pinot and Spiegelau Bordeaux.
We first took turns smelling the nose. There was a tremendous variance. For example, the Kung Fu Girl went from “all pear & viscous menthol” in one glass to “kinda tropical and airy” in another. The Lafage rose’ had that Provence “bite” accentuated in one glass, while another glass showed soft and simple berries. There was an equally large variance in the taste. The different heights, bowl shapes, and curvatures change where the wine sits as you tilt the glass toward your mouth, which causes the wine to hit the palate in different ways.
All of them were winners. But for my palate, the Cru was the runaway winner. The Liberte and Mineralite were neck and neck for 2nd and 3rd place. The 1855 glass would be good for bigger, bolder wines, but I don’t drink many of those. The tasting glass was a distant 5th.
The losers were my everyday stems. The Riedel Vinum XL made an effort to hold its own, but my Spiegelaus are, uh, going to go live on a farm in the countryside.
I’ll definitely be making a purchase on Berserker Day.
If you are on the fence about spending money on glasses, I’d highly recommend at least trying the tasting set. You’ll have a fascinating evening geeking out on wine!