How can you measure what’s in a glass? Hint, I’m not talking volume. Intangibles, notably appearance and aroma, should impart to a glass something worth beholding, though the sum of their parts may not always make your glass seem full. Two of Australia’s leading winemakers applied some scrutiny to everyday champagne glassware to figure out which one makes our perceptions rise to the fullest.
Let’s face it, wine attracts all kinds of snobs: those who want to be right, those who want to be seen and those who actually know what they’re talking about. At the risk of sounding well, snobby, there really is an art to appreciating wine, and it’s not just for show.
The look, smell and taste of wine leads us to draw conclusions about its quality, readiness to drink, how it might partner with food, as well as identifying its origin and variety.
Glassware is often a moot point for wine lovers. Does it make a difference and is it worth the price tag? Well, yes, it makes a difference. Price is questionable.
Champagne, in particular, needs special consideration. Effervescence and aroma must be cultivated through the right vessel, caring for it meticulously, and serving it correctly. Bubbles can flourish or fail simply by the shape of the glass, starting with its point of nucleation. Bubbles also grow in size as they make their journey to the wine’s surface, adding additional complexity to champagne’s olfactory (perception of odours) profile, heightening our perception of smell and flavour.
But what glass is best? Of course, champagne is almost as diverse as the styles, vintages, varietals and GIs of still wine. No single glass can do them all. But for everyday drinking, we figure there should be a solid go-to for all of us. We decided to de-clutter the options and put four well-rounded everyday champagne drinking glasses to the test to find the ultimate one.
To keep things fair, we used a dutifully balanced champagne for appraisal – Louis Roederer’s Brut Premier. It is one of the most reliably consistent and quality non-vintages on the market, a fine example of a classic blend, with 40 percent pinot noir, 40 percent chardonnay, 20 percent meunier and reserves matured in large format oak. It fares particularly well for the purposes our exercise, walking the line between mineral freshness and textured richness.
Onto our judges. Two outstanding South Australian winemakers, both women, and particularly enamored by champagne. Their palates, exceptional, their knowledge, profound, their opinion…matters. And don’t just take my word for it. Kate Laurie is an award-winning winemaker and owner of Deviation Road in the Adelaide Hills. Emmanuelle Bekkers is the esteemed winemaker and owner of Bekkers Wines in McLaren Vale. Both came together at a mini-workshop to take a closer look at champagne through the lense of rival glassware.
This is what they found.
Lehmann Jamesse Grand Champagne 41
Machine Blown Crystal
Capacity – 410ml ǀ Height – 234mm ǀ Diameter – 89mm
Kate:
The look and feel suggests this is a sexy glass. I love the long stem and the larger bulb, but I do find it a little top heavy. If you’re talking, you need to really hold it. The stream of the bead is coming up nice and centered. On the nose, I’m getting the creaminess and lemon, a nice complexity. I feel that you can drink any champagne with this glass, maybe it’s because the cuvée sits closer to nose, before tapering in, so you get the full amount of aromas.
Emmanuelle:
For me, it has quite a small base. The stem is lovely and long and I like how it builds its way into the bulb. The curve is part of the stem – it looks beautiful. When it comes to the wine’s appearance, I really like the way it forms the beads, nice and steady. Aromas are also quite complex. This one is a little tightly tapered to the nose, so perhaps that’s why we’re finding more aroma. For me, the glass itself is a little too thick when you place it on your lips. I’m nit-picking, I know. Overall, I think it’s very good and shows champagne’s more generous side.
Grassl Mineralité
Mouth blown Crystal
Capacity - 430ml ǀ Height - 230mm ǀ Diameter - 90mm
Kate:
The look and feel of the Grassl is very elegant. It’s super light. When it comes to the champagne’s appearance, the bead is coming from random spots around the glass. It’s not a focused bead and there aren’t many of them. The shape of the glass does narrow to the nose so, as a winemaker, I’m already thinking the aromas are going to be a little more trapped whereas if I look at the Jamesse, it seems to be more proportionally correct. On the nose, unlike the Jamesse, I’m getting just lemon on first impression. This may make complex champagnes too simple.
*After 10 minutes* I’m now seeing a saltiness and oyster shell character very strongly as it’s been left longer in the glass.Emmanuelle:
I have one small bead in the centre. If you don’t know what you’re drinking, it’s easy to think you are drinking a still wine. What I like about the Mineralité is how fine the stem is - it’s a feather, very light. The shape is very elegant and sexy. If I had to be super critical, I would have to say that the base is perhaps a little too wide because it’s wider than the bulb. As it warms, I detect a little more toastiness and complexity on the nose. Also, there’s a seamless transition from glass to palate.
Riedel Veritas Champagne
Machine blown Crystal
Capacity - 445ml ǀ Height - 235mm ǀ Diameter – 85mm
Kate:
The widest part of the glass is higher, so the pour volume is quite large compared with the other glasses. I prefer smaller pours so the wine doesn’t warm up too quickly so, for me, this glass isn’t practical. The aromas seemed trapped down in the glass and require a lot of swirling to get the full aromatic potential out of the wine, which would mean losing the bead. I think a vintage champagne with high aromatic intensity would rise to the challenge of this glass.
Emmanuelle:
It’s a nice glass, the shape is simpler but the stem is fine and long and the feel is well balanced. Looking at the wine in the glass, you can see the bubbles coming in a nice steady stream, and then they slowly diffuse. Aromas take longer to concentrate and reach the rim.
Plumm Three No. 2
Mouth blown Crystal
Capacity – 435ml ǀ Height – 225mm ǀ Diameter – 88mm
Kate:
The shape is not dissimilar to the Mineralité, but where I thought initially the Mineralité was closing in too much on the nose, this one seems quite open – maybe a little too much. Some of the aromas seem to get lost. On the palate, the bubbles feel creamy and foamy, so quite nice.
Emmanuelle:
The look and feel is fine, although not as good as some of the others. I agree that some aromas are falling out a little. Overall it’s okay, but it doesn’t stand out.
Gabriel-Glas
Machine made Crystal
Capacity – 150ml (full-serving) ǀ Height – 230mm ǀ Diameter – 95mmA kind of wild card, Kate decided to throw in one she refers to at her cellar door, the universal Gabriel-Glas, to see how it stacked-up. The results were surprising.
Kate:
I detect some creaminess on the nose, like the Jamesse. There’s also some nice orange blossom – more floral – and some crushed seaside umami character. It also throws-up a rich buttery complexity. There’s more curvature in the glass, so perhaps it makes the cuvée move a little more and release aromas. For me, this is on par with Jamesse.
Emmanuelle:
I agree with Kate. In shape, there are some similarities to the Mineralité and Plumm, but the nose is closer to what we see with the Jamesse. Aromatically, I think it stands out a little differently to the others, especially as it warms I’m getting autumn leaves.
And in conclusion? Kate says there must be a golden ratio that is ideal for glassware, like there is in art and design, which is why some shapes work better than others.
Grassl’s Mineralité took out top honours for its elegant look and lightweight feel in the hand but also when applied to the mouth. Whereas the Lehmann Jamesse Grand 41 was most impressive overall for appearance (bead) and aroma. Wild card, Gabriel-Glas, closely followed.
Words by Sara Underdown
Photography by Lewis Potter
