SINGAPORE. DFS Group will host its seventh Masters of Wines and Spirits event on 24 and 25 March in Singapore. It will showcase more than 120 ultra-premium expressions from 60 leading wine and spirits houses.
The Warehouse Hotel, a meticulously-restored heritage building on the banks of the Singapore River, will host the event, which takes place for the first time over two days. This year Masters of Wines and Spirits will highlight the influence of the distillers’ countries of origin, their personalities and varied approaches to craft. It is the only event where customers can purchase bespoke, rare, limited edition, first edition and world-class wines and spirits in one location, said DFS, which hailed the “exclusive and immersive brand experience” it offers to guests.
The curated collection features DFS exclusives, new brands and signature lines from leading houses.
“DFS is delighted to bring the seventh Masters of Wines and Spirits to Singapore, a fitting location for us to host our esteemed guests, connoisseurs and collectors to experience a range of the best globally sourced Cognacs, wines and whiskies,” said DFS President Merchandising and Consumer Marketing Sibylle Scherer.
“This year’s selection has been handpicked by our expert merchants at DFS to inspire and delight our customers. This really is a celebration of the diverse talents of the world’s most renowned distillers and winemakers, and a true adventure for the senses,” she said.
“At DFS, we take great pride in bringing together our valued brand partners and loyal customers in an intimate and exclusive environment that encourages sharing and discovery,” said DFS Group Senior Vice President Wines, Spirits, Tobacco, Food and Gifts Brooke Supernaw. “The 2018 Masters of Wines and Spirits collection sets a new bar for this dynamic category, comparing the nuances between traditional versus craft and providing an opportunity for our guests to enjoy the very best products from around the world.”
After 25 March, the Masters of Wines and Spirits curated collection will be available for sale through DFS at Singapore Changi Airport’s Wines and Spirits duplex stores at terminals 2 and 3. For highlights of last year’s event, click here.
Master Classes and Whisky Panel
The 2018 Masters of Wines and Spirits event will feature two master classes as well as a whisky panel discussion featuring four experts.
The first in this year’s Classes with the Masters is The Balvenie Master Class Workshop – Single Malt Whisky hosted by The Balvenie Malt Master, David Stewart.
Stewart will discuss how craftsmanship is brought to life at The Balvenie and guide guests through the entire Chapter 3 set of the DCS Compendium, including a tasting of the oldest Balvenie expression ever released. The second Master Class, the Château Latour Master Class Workshop – Wine, hosted by Rufus Beazley, Sales and Marketing Manager for Château Latour Asia Pacific, will take visitors through a vertical tasting across decades of Château Latour products.
Presented by The Whiskey House, The Whisky Panel will be moderated by DFS Director of Spirits, Frederik Vanden Bulcke. It will feature a panel discussion with whisky experts Stephanie MacLeod from John Dewar & Sons (Aultmore – Single Malt Whisky), Dr Kirstie McCallum from Bunnahabhain (Single Malt Whisky), Chole Wood from Bruichladdich (Single Malt Whisky) and David Croll from The Kyoto Distillery (Whisky and Gin).
The Collection
More than 30 Cognacs and whiskies include The Balvenie DCS Compendium Chapter 3: Secrets of the Stock Model, an eagerly anticipated release that pays tribute to Malt Master David Stewart. The Model comprises five rare single-cask single-malt bottlings, ranging in age from 13 to 55 years.
The Jean-Paul Camus 1945 Private Reserve, an exclusive blend for DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits, comes in a hand-carved crystal carafe with silver details that recreates a model designed in 1883 by the Cristalleries de Baccarat for Jules Grévy, President of the French Republic.
The Louis XIII Le Jeroboam with T.T. Trunks Paris piece is a contemporary design that brings a new twist to trunk accessories, said DFS. The aluminium and steel structure holds three small cases made of okume wood, each encased in natural milled buckskin with Alcantara trimmings.
A rare cellar release from Japan is the Karuizawa 1960 Cask #5627. Possibly the oldest cask of Japanese whisky ever bottled, this 1960 single cask yielded just 41 bottles, achieving legendary status amongst connoisseurs and collectors, said DFS.
Within Scotch single malts, The Aultmore 31 Year Old Exceptional Cask (Cask no. 1635) is part of John Dewar & Sons Fine Scotch Whisky Emporium which showcases the rare releases of some of the finest single cask and single malt expressions. It was specially created for Masters of Wines and Spirits. The Bruichladdich Special Release showcases three rare distillery releases from 1988, 1989 and 1990. Created and bottled on the Islay, there are only six bottles per edition. From the Bunnahabhain distillery comes the Bunnahabhain 1980 Canasta Finish, with only 20 units available.
Also present is The Macallan Fine & Rare Master’s selection, specially created for Masters of Wines and Spirits. This collection features five fine and rare vintages in 70cl, complemented by savouring samples in 5cl miniatures. The Glenglassaugh Single Cask Collection 1972-1976 is a rare selection of bottles. A rare release from The Ladyburn distillery is the Ladyburn 1974, a single malt from William Grant & Sons’ reserves of maturing whisky.
More than 30 prestige wines and Champagnes are showcased in this year’s collection. These include the Harlan Estate Double Magnum 100 Point Trifecta from the USA, a special collection created for DFS as an exclusive release of three vintages in double magnum format and representing three of the most highly regarded vintages produced by the winery.
From Australia comes the Penfolds G3, connecting three vintages of Penfolds Grange spanning seven years. French wines in this year’s collection include The Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux 2010 Double Magnum and Chateau Latour’s Vertical Magnum with 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages. Only one set of the Petrus Magnum Collection 2006, 2007 and 2011 will be released, making this a rare opportunity to acquire one of the famous wine labels in the world, said DFS.
DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits is part of the DFS Masters Series, a signature programme of exhibitions that also includes the tenth Masters of Time set to take place in Macau this December. The Masters Series is a showcase for DFS’ expertise across its five pillars of luxury: wines and spirits, beauty, watches and jewellery, fashion & accessories, and food and gifts.
