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Following the success of the inaugural “Iconic Wine Dinner” on 8 November 2018, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore’s Origin Grill will present the second in the series of this exquisite dinner, bringing a unique experience to wine epicureans. Exclusively for 10 guests, the wine dinner will be held on 31 January 2019. Yohann Jousselin, Shangri-La Hotels and Resorts’ wine director and Britt Ng, Shangri-La Hotel, Singapore’s head sommelier, will present nine rare and remarkable vintages paired with a set course degustation set menu by Chef de Cuisine Heidi Flanagan.

The evening will commence on a refreshing note with a selection of canapés and Champagne, namely Perrier-Jouët, Belle Epoque, 2007. In the tradition reserved Perrier-Jouët’s prestigious cuvee, the champagne is presented in a stylish diamond-cut bottle with a commissioned designed that mirrors the signature spray of white anemones originally painted by Emile Galle in 1902. An acclaimed cuvée of the house, the Belle Epoque 2007 has crystalline characteristic with magnolia, honeysuckle and citrus aromas clothed in just-ripe pear and peach. Perrier-Jouët Champagne also creates a light gold taste with an almost radiant clarity and fine, vibrant bubbles.

The decadence continues with Meursault, Francois Mikulski, 2015 and Meursault 1er Cru Poruzots, Francois Mikulski, 2011. The wines, expressing power and concentration in an elegant, stylish package, are a favourite selection of Meursault. They are precise and clear on the nose, showing pineapple and grapefruit aromas. The palate is tight, well-structured and just as clean as the nose.  It has plenty of buttery vanilla flavours, apply acidity and bags of tropical fruit. The finish is soft and creamy with a touch of lime.

The following course will showcase an attractive vintage, Margaux, Château Palmer, 1995 and Margaux, Château Rauzan-Ségla, 1988 with its notes of medium- to light-bodied, tobacco, cedar wood, cigar box, cassis and forest floor with a hint of greenness in the soft, red-berry finish. The nose has red fruits, earth, incense, truffle and spice. Soft in texture, the wine finishes with a fresh, cassis, kirsch and spice-laden perfume.

Accompanying the main course, wine tasting follows with Pauillac, Château Lafite Rothschild, 2005 1er cru classé. The palate is medium-bodied and beautifully balanced, to wit, a sophisticated Pauillac that prioritises elegance and poise over intensity of fruition, keeping with Lafite Rothschild’s style.

Tasting continues with Pauillac, Château Haut-Brion, 2005 1er cru classé with its extraordinary nose of sweet blackberries, cassis and spring flowers with some underlying minerality, a full-bodied mouthfeel, gorgeously velvety tannins (which is unusual in this vintage) and a long, textured, multi-layered finish that must last 50+ seconds. This is a fabulous wine and a great effort from this hallowed terroir.

Pauillac, Château Mouton Rothschild, 2005 1er cru classé will be the perfect interlude before dessert. There is a sense of bravura here, of aristocracy. The palate is medium-bodied with sumptuous black fruit, perhaps beginning to soften in texture, one or two years off its plateau. There are layers and layers of black fruit intermingling with graphite and black pepper, and it wisely reins everything in on the finish that is more classic in style and in keeping with the vintage.

Evening will end with a sweet note from Maury, Mas Amiel Vintage 1969 that is ranked second among the wines from the region and awarded three stars from the Guide Hachette des Vins. It is made from 100 per cent grenache, which tastes rich and sweet with silky black-fruit flavours. It is certainly a perfect wine to end the day.

The range of exclusive wine will be complemented with Chef Heidi’s special creations including Foie Gras Crème with Kaluga Queen Caviar, Wylarah Cross-bred Wagyu with Bone Marrow Soil, and Manjari and Hazelnut Feuilletine.

The exclusive “Iconic Wine Dinner” is available for 10 diners only on Thursday, 31 January 2019, at 7 p.m. at $1,380++ per person.  For reservations, guests may call (65) 6213 4595 or send an email to origingrill.sls@shangri-la.com.