One of the most celebrated and revered events in the wine and spirits industry
returns to Singapore this year, as DFS Group, the world’s leading luxury travel retailer, hosts its seventh Masters
of Wines and Spirits event. On display will be more than 120 masterpieces from 60 of the world’s most legendary
wine and spirits houses.
For the first time, the event will take place across two days; on Saturday March 24 and Sunday March 25 at The
Warehouse Hotel, a meticulously-restored heritage building on the banks of the Singapore River. Once again,
Masters of Wines and Spirits captures the heritage and craftsmanship of selected brands and pays tribute to DFS’
long-standing relationships with some of the world’s most exceptional wineries and distilleries.
This year’s event will highlight the influence of the distillers’ countries of origin, their personalities and unique
and varied approaches to craft. As the only event where customers can purchase bespoke, rare, limited edition,
first edition, and world-class wines and spirits in one location, the seventh Masters of Wines and Spirits offers an
exclusive and immersive brand experience for DFS’ guests.
Masters of Wines and Spirits showcases a highly specialized and curated collection of products, many of which
are DFS exclusives, celebrating the world’s finest industry expertise as well as the knowledge of DFS’ own
merchants. New brands, as well as signature classics from legendary houses, will all be on display, reveling in
rarity, heritage and innovation.
“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 Sibylle Scherer, DFS President Merchandising and Consumer Marketing.
“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 Brooke Supernaw, DFS Group’s Senior
Vice President Wines, Spirits, Tobacco, Food and Gifts. “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.”
Master Classes and Whisky Panel
The 2018 Masters of Wines and Spirits event will feature two exceptional master classes to inspire and enrich
guests, as well as a whisky panel discussion featuring four of the world’s leading 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 C. Stewart MBE.
Mr 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
exceptional Château Latour products.
Presented by The Whiskey House, The Whisky Panel will be moderated by DFS’ own Director of Spirits,
Frederik Vanden Bulcke and will feature a panel discussion on 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 C. Stewart MBE’s masterful skill,
knowledge, and custodianship in managing The Balvenie’s precious aged stocks. The Model comprises five
extremely rare single-cask single-malt bottling, 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 outstanding Louis XIII Le Jeroboam with T.T.
Trunks Paris piece is a contemporary design that brings a radical new twist to trunk accessories. The aluminum
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.
From the world of 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
and most delectable single cask and single malt expressions. Specially created for Masters of Wines and Spirits,
Aultmore Cask no.1635 has the color of antique leather and on the nose, the Oloroso sherry adds weight and
complexity, complimented by notes of vanilla, butterscotch, and Seville oranges. The Bruichladdich Special
Release showcases three exceptional distillery releases from 1988, 1989 and 1990, presented as the oldest and
rarest whiskies of Bruichladdich. Created and bottled on the remote Hebridean island home of Islay, there are
only six bottles per edition. From the Bunnahabain distillery, built in 1881, and deriving its name from the
Gaelic, Bunnahabhain (Bu-na-ha-venn), meaning “mouth of the river”, comes the Bunnahabhain 1980 Canasta
Finish. With only 20 units available, this rare cellar release offers a rich oakiness balanced with sweet dried fruit,
treacle toffee, black coffee, cocoa, roasted nuts, and a hint of coastal brininess.
Also from Scotland is The Macallan Fine & Rare Master’s selection, specially created for Masters of Wines
and Spirits, this unique collection features five fine and rare vintages in 70cl, complemented by savoring samples
in 5cl miniatures. The Glenglassaugh Single Cask Collection 1972-1976 is an elegant, unique and rare selection
of bottles, offering the whiskey connoisseur a lush, ripe Highland Single Malt Scotch whisky experience. A rare
release from The Ladyburn distillery is the Ladyburn 1974, a single malt from William Grant & Sons’ treasured
ancient reserves of maturing whisky.
More than 30 prestige wines and champagnes are showcased in this year’s collection, including the Harlan
Estate Double Magnum 100 Point Trifecta from the United States, 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 Harlan to date. From Australia comes the Penfolds G3, a unique wine entwining three
vintages of an Australia icon, Penfolds Grange, spanning seven years. French wines in this year’s collection
include The Pavillon Blanc du Chateau Margaux 2010 Double Magnum; the epitome of great Pavillon Blanc
vintages. A fine and elegant wine, the 2010 has an exquisite richness and a perfect balance on the palate, thanks
to higher than average acidity. Chateau Latour’s Vertical Magnum release provides a rare opportunity to
collect six of the most exceptional vintages produced by Latour; the 1996, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2010.
With only one set being released of the Petrus Magnum Collection 2006, 2007 and 2011, one lucky wine lover
will experience one of the famous wine labels in the world.
After March 25, the Masters of Wines and Spirits curated collection will be available for travelers and shoppers
at DFS, Singapore Changi Airport’s Wines and Spirits Duplexes at Terminals 2 and 3.
DFS Masters of Wines and Spirits is part of the DFS Masters Series, a signature program of exhibitions that also
includes the highly-anticipated 10th Masters of Time set to take place in Macau this December. The Masters
Series is a showcase of the pinnacle of DFS’ leadership and innovation in curating and creating exceptional
experiences across its five pillars of luxury: Wines and Spirits, Beauty and Fragrances, Watches and Jewelry,
Fashion and Accessories, and Food and Gifts.
