Umurbey Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay & Riedel Winewings
Last year I received a tasting set of Riedel Winewings from their Turkish importer KTD. One glass each for Sauvingon Blanc, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir/Nebbiolo, and Cabernet Sauvignon. I use one every time I open one of those grapes, or a Turkish grape with similar properties. But it was not until I opened a bottle of Umurbey Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay that I really put them to the test!
An experiment in glassware
Georg Riedel created the Riedel Winewings collection in order to maximize the qualities of these particular grapes. From the Riedel website:
We chose a flat and stretched bottom, with a wing-like shape to increase the surface area between wine and air, which increases the levels of evaporation and develops a greater intensity of aroma. When positioning one’s head to the glass, the nose is closer and is exposed to the wider surface of the wine. However, this alone would not fully deliver the optimal aroma of each grape variety and so, to capture the delicate layered aromas, it was necessary to curve the glass walls and to correctly calibrate the opening of each glass with its ideal rim diameter.
What does all this have to do with Umurbey? Umurbey is largely considered iconic when it comes to Turkish Sauvignon Blanc. At a friend’s urging, I also tried the Umurbey Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay which I’d never had before. I have no idea what percentage of the blend goes to which grape; but when I opened it, I thought: Hey, wouldn’t it be interesting to try this in both the Riedel Sauvignon Blanc AND Chardonnay glass and see if I notice a difference?
So I did.
Umurbey Sauvignon Blanc Chardonnay, 2019
As I mentioned, the wine’s label gives no indication regarding how much of the blend belongs to each grape. Beyond that, I can make a few assumptions such as there being no oak at all and likely no MLF on the Chardonnay.
In the Sauvignon Blanc glass the wine displayed grapefruit, a waft of flint, orange peel oil, and grass. Jasmine petals joined on the palate which was roundish with medium plus acidity.
In the Chardonnay glass the wine showed a less citric and more tropical profile. Here the orange oil was much more prominent with melon and some botanicals.
The wine tasted almost the same regardless of glass (duh, it was just the one wine after all) but there were some subtle differences. Out of the Chardonnay glass flavors seemed to pop a little more while it tastes far less intense, even a little watery out of the Sauvingon Blanc glass.
Certainly not a very scientific or conclusive experiment, but a fun one just the same!