I recently ordered some Zalto glasses, after all the fuzz hearing on them I really wanted to try them. So this tuesday they were finally there and on wednesday we had a fabulous tasting for testing them.
I tested the universal glass and the Burgundy glass. First we had amongst others 2 chevalier Montrachets from Leflaive, 04 and 99. Both wines rocked in the universal glass, in the Burgundy glass they just got lost. The precision in the universal glass was really excellent but the over all appreciation IMO not better than the top glasses of Riedel.
Next we had some fabulous red wines and here the Zalto glass really shined, and not only for Burgundy. We had mature Bordeaux (Haut Brion 29, Pavie 99) and Burgundy (Richebourg DRC 69) as well as barolo (Sperrs 98) and Chateauneuf (Rayas 05, 2 frères 05) and I was impressed with the performance of all of these wines in the Burgundy glass. It seemed the aromatics were presenting themselves better and purer. Compared to other glasses this glass delivered a fabulous aromatic precision on a large set of wines.
I think I have become fan!
Only remark: they seem very very fragile, I hope they last!
nice line up to test them with. I personally prefer the bordeaux stem for red burgundy and other reds. it is midway in size between the burgundy stem and the universal.
Being the huge Zalto fan boy that I am, I am not surprised by the outcome. Did you try the red wines in the Universal glass? I find the Universal works great for both whites and reds. These glasses are much stronger than they appear. Much more so than Riedels.
We compared both Zalto’s and the tasters next to me were having Riedel Somm. Montrachet glasses and another type which I don’t know. I didn’t compare to the Riedel Sommerlier Pinot noir which is normally my standard glass for Burgundy. I still need to do this comparison but I have rarely had a Bordeaux or a Chateauneuf fasting this pure in the Sommeliers and I am pretty convinced that for Burgundy reds the Zalto’s offer better transparency than the Riedel Brugundy stems based on experience.
LOVE my Universal. My only fear is that the stems feel extremely thin. It might just be an illusion, but every time I hold them, I think they are going to snap.
Wife got me six Universal glasses for Christmas and I like my old ones better. I lusted after the Zalto’s and they are beautiful looking glasses. What I don’t like about them is how light they are, the feel in the hand is synthetic. Feels like your holding a plastic glass. When washing them the water tends to dry quickly and leave water mark. For me I still prefer glasses with some weight and a texture that feels like glass vs. synthetic.
Interesting, as the featherweight feel and the razor thin rim are big reasons I love the glasses. It adds an ethereal experience to the process and is almost as if the stem is not even present. Different strokes for different folks.
I agree, I love the light weight and thinness of the Zalto. For me, it helps me focus on the wine. I wouldn’t have thought that the Zalto Burgundy glass was intended for white burgundy (though I could be wrong), so I’m not surprised at the OP’s results.
My first introduction to a Zalto glass was the champagne glass. I was at Jay Miller’s place (our Jay, not Mr. Big Jay), standing and holding the champagne glass. I had finished the wine in the glass and, deep in conversation, I kinda forgot I was holding it (it was so light) and, well, let go. Of course, it smashed on the ground. Never did that again!
Just a tip. I broke a Zalto burgundy the other week. When you are washing the bowl, hold under the bowl, don’t hold the bottom. Mine broke in the middle of the stem and ended up slashing the hell out of my hand.
Zalto’s weakest point is really the stem, and since they are handmade, some stems are a LOT thinner than others (my only gripe). There is literally a 33% diameter variance between some stems of the same glass type and some of the really thin ones are quite scary.
Eric, ouch! Hope it heals quickly. Good advice to never hold by the base or stem while washing the bowl. Just a little torque can snap the stem. True for other glasses as well but especially really thin-stemmed ones like Zaltos. Another bit of advice: if it’s late and you’re tired or tipsy, leave the washing until tomorrow. Or use the dishwasher if they fit.
I love Zaltos. The Universal and Bordeaux have become our go-to stems. The Burg is too big for my preference, both ergonomically and in how it presents the wine. But I’m not drinking aged Burgs.
I find that I like the Zaltos for old world wines but not for new world wines. It seems like the Zaltos subdue the expression of the fruit. I do love the way they look and feel.
Just starting to explore Burg’s. At dinner out last week the Somm recommended a Benjamin Leroux Volnay from 2012 and it was served with Zalto Burg glasses. First time for the wine and the glasses. Absolutely lovely, all the way around. That said, the stems were so delicate, that I’d never get them for home use. I’d either:
Just bought Zalto Bdx stems this week and have been blown away by them! I feel that they enable me to have a more focused experience of the wine – almost like having a magnifying glass…
I love these glasses. i will add, that I only just broke my first Zalto, and it was after a year of rigorous use, while I was rushing to polish it as quick as possible. So it was likely my own fault.
The only other thing I’ll mention, is that I actually prefer the Bordeaux glass over the Burgundy glass for Barolo. I feel the burgundy glass has too much surface to air ratio and too small a radius at the top.
. I love them.