For those who need to stock up on their wine from time to time, the 1855 Wine & Whisky Week (WWW) is due to return this May.
We’d add in a bit more preamble, but hey, a sale’s a sale.
So what’s new?
The last time we were at the Wine and Whisky Week, it was Christmas. The reason for the season is quite different now, as there will be a summer theme of “Behold the Beauty of Blends, Soak in the Spirits of Single Varietal”.
Well to be honest, that theme pretty much encapsulates all wines, but it doesn’t mean that there isn’t some amazing stuff on sale. There will be a set of wineries and labels making their Singapore debut at the event, and there will also be some specially sourced 20-year old (1998) Bordeaux Grand Crus available. So, pretty exciting.
We had a little sneak preview of some of the wines available, and there wasn’t a miss among them, which was pretty incredible. The preview was so early that the final prices are not actually available yet, so the prices listed are the original, non-discounted ones. The original prices seem fair but with a good 20% to 30% off- you do the maths- most of these would be great bargains.
Some quick wine impressions
Sophia 2013- Hawke’s Bay ($98 original). A fresh nose with buttery toast and a good helping of red berries. The palate is full of soft tannins and acid, red berries. A gentle blend that is rightly lauded.
Altrovino 2015- Tuscany ($88 original). A very soft wine with lots of raspberries and blackberries on both palate and nose. A light dusting of spice on a medium body. Very classic Bordeaux blend- but from Italy!
L’Andrea 2012- Umbria ($85 original). A very sensual bouquet of lilac and violets. Not a classic Bordeaux blend like the others. It contains Sangiovese, and the citrus and sour cherry flavours of the wine are clear in the palate. The inherent sweet, heavy flavours of Cabernet Sauvignon also manifests itself. Lush and my favourite of the set.
La Piu Belle 2011- Cachapoal Valley ($88 original). The most interesting wine of the evening. Thanks to the addition of Carmenere, there is a clear herbal note on the nose. We get sage, rosemary, liquorice and black berries. The flavour is interesting- Bordeaux with a heavy helping of herbs. A superb wine to pair with roast chicken, fish, or to enjoy on its own.
La Croix Ducru-Beaucaillou Cuvée Colbert 2013 – St Julien ($98 original). Oak, spice and a light herbaceousness accompany the classic nose of cranberries, blackberries and raspberries. There’s a nice evolution of flavours on the palate as it slowly drifts from light to dark fruit.
Château Gruaud Larose 1998- St Julien ($198 original). An excellent wine that has come into maturity after two decades. Like many old wines, it has an intoxicating perfume. We get spice, light pepper, blackcurrants, rich red berries and pu-erh tea. A complex set of red and black berry notes come through on the palate, along with soft, supple tannins and a hint of citrus. The finish is long, lingering and full of rich fruit.
Everything Else
If you’re a sake fan, there will also be some available.
SouHana Junmai Ginjo, 惣花 -Nada-Hyogo ($66 original). A classic style of Japanese sake, which was common in decades past but has faded in favour of the fresher, lighter, modern varieties. This particular sake was served to the Emperor on a few occasions, and we can see that it was not a bad choice for that! There is sweet, savoury, dry, a little sour and the tiniest bit of bitter in the finish. Great depth and complexity.
Fuga Junmai Daiginjo, 風雅- Nada-Hyogo ($78 original). The aforementioned modern style. This one has a delicate, sweet nose of green melons, strawberries and lychee, which translates into the flavour.
Finally, for those who are into whisky, an exclusive bottling of Johnnie Walker will be available. The Blue Label Ghost & Rare, exclusive to 1855, will be available at the fair. Despite the Blue Label branding, it does not resemble its siblings, on account of having a very special blend- which includes Brora in it.
Consequently, we get notes of cream, caramel, chocolate, cream, orange and even some forest floor on the nose. Peat is conspicuously absent from the palate, which is sweet and rich. We got honey, orange, heather and chocolate as the primary flavours. The last two carry over into a long, elegant finish.
The 1855 The Bottle Shop Wine and Whisky Week 5.0 will be held from 16-27 May 2018 from 11am-10pm at Suntec East Atrium, Level 1. For more information, check out the 1855 website. The prices here are the original, non-discounted ones, so do check them out on site for some great deals.
