Ravenscroft Crystal Flute Hollow Stem Glass, Set of 4

I bought this set while looking for a lead free decanter. Ravenscroft seemed to fit the bill perfectly. These have a magnificent sparkle for lead free crystal. The decanter itself has a nice weight to it, thanks to the heavy base. The stopper is solid crystal, ground to fit in the neck perfectly. This will actually give a better seal than almost any other method and won't deteriorate over time, like cork or rubber. This is clearly hand blown, and beautifully crafted. In mine, there are two tiny bubbles, barely noticeable, that may not be there on a machine formed piece, giving away the fact that these are created by hand. I'll take the bubbles over an ugly seam any day, though!The glasses are just the right weight; heavy enough to remind you that you have a drink with drinking (most likely, anyways), but light enough to bring with you back and forth from the grill. The bubble in the bottom adds extra character to an already gorgeous piece of seamless blown crystal. Again, it is clear that these are hand crafted. There are imperfections in wall thickness and roundness, but again, that is to be expected with hand crafted glass. And again, it's so minimal, you'll never notice unless you inspect them very carefully up close. Even machine formed glass will have imperfections, and an ugly seam!My only complaints are trivial, and to be expected. The bubble is a little difficult to clean. I've taken to turning the glass at an angle, with the bottom just past 90 degrees, and letting the water gently run through the bubble as I spin the glass in my hands. Seems to allow water in and out without clogging the hole. I hand dry the glasses immediately and leave them right side up to show any water in the bubble to drain. Realistically, though, the inside of the bubble shouldn't be getting all that dirty in the first place. Secondly, these are fingerprint magnets! Again, perfectly clear crystal with no texture or pattern, meant to showcase what's inside is going to have this problem. So take to holding the glasses from the bottom where the prints are hidden against the sparkle of the bubble and pouring the decanter with a serving cloth, like a sommelier (assuming you care that much. Otherwise, just deal with it like a normal person). Again, something like this is to be expected given the nature of the pieces. There is no pattern to disguise anything, and I think they look phenomenal regardless.I would highly recommend this set. It's a beautiful piece of work that looks classy, but not flashy; it is elegant in its simplicity. It has the sparkle you would expect from crystal without the flair of more traditional decanter sets. And most importantly, it's lead free, so as not to ruin the fine spirit you would undoubtedly be showcasing inside of it. As a side note, 2.5" ice balls fit perfectly inside the glasses.

Flawless, translucent lead free decanter with good weight to it, unlike so many cheap ones on the market, without being too heavy. Easily accommodates and aerates an entire bottle of wine while leaving plenty of room for a good esthetic. Easy to pour only dripping a drop towards the end only because of the care one must exercise for that last glass. If you like decanting your wine and are looking for a classic yet enduring style, you'll be very pleased. I'm a big fan of Ravenscroft!

I have posted some pictures of this glass next to a selection of other glasses at the top of this page. There are a lot of notes on the picture with wine in the glasses but I think you have to click on the picture to open the gallery to be able to see them.This is a large wine glass at about 11" tall. The foot of the glass (large disk at the bottom) is very large and heavy. That is good since it gives the glass a lot of stability and you do not feel like you are going to knock it over.The bowl of the glass is also very large and heavy. This counter balances the large foot, but there is sort of a dumbbell feel to the glass with both ends being quite heavy. The stem is robust so there is a good feel in your hand.The rim is one of the most important elements of a wine glass. In general, the thicker the rim the less enjoyable to glass is to drink from. This has a nice thin-to-medium rim that goes nicely with the glass. It is not so thin as to feel sheer and delicate, but not thick like a glass rim on a water glass. I think the rim enhances the wine from this glass.Perhaps the best quality of this glass is the way it looks sitting on the table. It is a very classic shape with the bowl having a slightly elongated look which makes it look delicate while still looking robust. They definitely look good and guests will give good comments about them.The glass is very large and if you are looking for the glass to enhance your wine, then you have to be selective in what you put into this glass. The bowl is so large that a normal pour leaves a lot of space between the liquid and your nose. Subtle and delicate wines are going to not show as well from this glass. I would not use this glass for old Bordeaux or Cabernet wines. Young California Cabernet is great from this type of glass and I think helps resolve the nose into a better flavor profile. I had a 2009 Caymus Cabernet from it the other night and it was very good.Do remember that it is a large glass. You can fit a whole bottle of wine in this glass, so be judicial in your pours. See the photo above with the wine in the glasses. It would be easy to over pour in this glass (and end up drinking more than you intended).This is a hand blown glass that is likely made to compete with the Riedel Sommeliers Bordeaux Grand Cru, Single Stem which is not shown in the pictures above. The Riedel is only slightly larger, but it is lighter and more delicate. It is also much more expensive.If you are looking to impress and want a very large glass, then this is an excellent choice. It is not going to be the best glass for the majority of red wines, so if you are looking for a glass that is better for a larger number of wines, I suggest the Riedel Vinum Bordeaux, Set of 2 or the Ravenscroft Crystal Bordeaux Glass, Set of 4. Both of these are excellent glasses for most all Cabernet based wines and will do well for Merlot and Zinfandel wines as well. This is more of a specialized glass, but I highly recommend it.My shipping was fine with this glass. They arrived well packaged and were not broken.

Prompt service/delivery. Item well-packed and pristine product. This carafe is lovely and it may be my favorite decanter. A+

Beautiful quality and excellent functionality. It’s very heavy glass compared to the cheaper decanters, but it still pours easily. Very impressed, I love it.