Red wine glass BLACK SERIES COLLECTOR'S EDITION BORDEAUX GRAND CRU 860 ml, Riedel

Product detailed description

The first series of custom-made glasses for different wine varieties is presented in a brand new guise in 2013. The Riedel factory in Kufstein, Austria, the birthplace of the world-famous Sommeliers glass series, celebrates 40 years. Special collector's editions were created for this occasion. The Black series, black opaque crystal, hand-blown into the most popular glass shapes, is an appropriate way to celebrate such an anniversary.

The crystal turns black by adding cobalt and manganese. For experienced glassblowers, blowing the shape and pulling out the stem is a real challenge, as this mixture cools and solidifies much faster than clear crystal. But to make the task no small challenge, the glassmaking bar is raised even higher with the "R" Black series, where the stem of these glasses contains a very fine red glass string encased in clear crystal. While these series can be used to consume wine, they are primarily intended as works of art to decorate the homes of avid wine collectors.

The design of the Bordeaux Grand Cru Sommeliers glass dates back to 1959 and is more relevant today than ever before.

Connoisseurs are surprised, the size seems exaggerated. However, the modern big red wines, pressed from the grape varieties we recommend for this glass, require volume to achieve full development of their aromas.

Based on the formal characteristics of the glass and the flow characteristics, these wines show their velvety body, high concentration of extracts and sweet, full tannins that are bound up in the fruit. You are not expected to fill the 860 ml container completely; we recommend about 100 to 150 ml of wine.

The remaining volume is used to develop and present a concentrated, rich aroma. This allows the wine to express all its typical characteristics in its optimal shape. If we use small glasses, these wines will lose their fruity aromas and complexity and become flat, with a woody and bitter aftertaste.

Glasses of Bordeaux Grand Cru Sommeliers Riedel are recommended for:

• Bordeaux (red), Brunello di Montalcino
• Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Domina
• Fronsac, Graves rouge, Listrac, Margaux, Médoc
• Merlot, Moulis, St. Emilon, Pomerol, Pauillac
• Rioja, Sangiovese, Sangiovese Grosso, Tempranillo

SOMMELIERS series:

Claus Riedel introduced the first series of glasses for connoisseurs in 1973 in Orvieto in collaboration with the Italian Sommeliers Association A.I.S. (Associazione Italiana Sommeliers). The series includes 10 different sizes.

From this moment on, the world of wine has changed fundamentally.

In different regions and on different continents, wines are produced today that did not exist or were completely unknown at the time. Therefore, the development of the Sommeliers series was continued by his son George Riedel until the Sommeliers became an extensive "vitrum-vinoteque" at the highest level of technical development.

In 1991 Robert Parker, editor of Wine Advocate magazine wrote: "The best glasses, both from a technical point of view and from the point of view of maximum enjoyment, are those made by Riedel. The effect that these glasses give to fine wine is truly extraordinary. I can't express enough how much of a difference it makes."

Thanks to worldwide demand, the Sommeliers series is now the absolute top wine glass series and the most successful hand-blown wine glass series in the world. Each glass is made separately: the top is blown in a mould, the stem and base are shaped by hand according to production methods developed in the early 1900s.

The glassmakers use their talents, their skills and care for details are essential to give the Sommeliers series the craftsmanship customers expect. Sommeliers are made of glass with more than 24% lead content.