08 Masterclass: Tasting of Great Terroir Interpreted by Different Varieties with World’s Best Sommelier Paolo Basso

The World’s best Sommelier, Mr. Paolo Basso is one of the world’s top sommeliers and wine experts, and he is titled as “the walking Encyclopedia of Wine” because of his profound knowledge and practical experience in wine and spirits. In the competition of the world’s best sommelier held by Association de la Sommelerie Internationale in Tokyo in 2013, his sublime skills in blind wine tasting were amazing and eventually helped him to win the “Best Sommelier in the World”.

At the 2018 International Wine Symposium held in Shanghai from November 30th to December 2rd, Mr. Paolo Basso will bring a top master class to Chinese wine lovers, sharing and presenting several top wines of the most distinguished regions and wineries.

From Burgundy to Bordeaux and then to Rhône Valley in France, from Barolo to Tuscany in Italy, from Rioja to Priorat in Spain, and Santorini in Greece, the master has carefully selected the top 10 famous wines produced by wineries with the world’s most representative and outstanding terroir. By sharing his understanding and profound knowledge of wines accumulated for decades, he is looking forward to widen the horizon of Chinese wine lovers.

Whether you are a wine lover who is just getting started, or a wine veteran, this Paolo Basso’s master class is more than just a wine feast, but also a great opportunity of enjoying the overview of top terroirs in the world.

Masterclass: Tasting of Great Terroir interpreted by differents Varieties with World’s Best Sommelier Paolo Basso

Time: 2 December 2018, Sunday 9:30-11:00

Address: Multi-function Hall, 3rd Floor, The St. Regis Shanghai Jing’an, No.1008, West Beijing Road

Price: Early bird ticket 1790 RMB / person, a pair of tickets 3380 RMB

Original price 2090 RMB/ person

Language: English, on-site interpretation into Chinese

Registration: Click below to register>>

*There’re no printed copies of the master class tickets. Once the purchase is finished, please keep the e-ticket for admission.

Speaker

Mr. Paolo Basso, the champion of the Best Sommelier in the World in 2013, has a double nationality of Italy and Switzerland and now lives in Switzerland.

He has worked in a number of Michelin-starred restaurants and won the title of “Best Sommelier in Switzerland” in 1997. In 2010, he was named the ” European Sommelier” in Strasbourg. He then won several awards in many sommelier competitions, and was runner-up in the world’s best sommelier competition respectively in 2000, 2007 and 2010.

In the competition of the world’s best sommelier held by Association de la Sommelerie Internationale in Tokyo in 2013, his sublime skills in blind wine tasting were amazing and eventually helped him to win the “Best Sommelier in the World”. In 2014, the Grand Cru Committee of Italy named him the Best Sommelier of the Year.

Paolo Basso is also an expert in collection of rare wines, he is especially familiar with old Bordeaux and Burgundy wines, and professor at several wine schools, including the Worldsom Sommelier Academy and the Ecole Hôtelière de Lausanne. As a member of the Technical committee in the International Sommelier Association (ASI), he is often invited as a guest speaker for various wine-related events.

He has also served as judges for several prestigious international wine competitions, such as the Decanter World Wine Award, the Mondial des Pinots, the Mondial du Merlot and the Swiss Wine Guide.

大师班酒单

1. Château de Saint-Aubin Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru “Les Criots” 2015

The white wine from the Criots-Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru (only 30 bottles of quota in China) that is the most difficult to buy in Burgundy region, the big year masterpiece of the most important student of Henri Jayer and the great female winemaker, Ms. Nadine Gublin.

2.Domaine Dugat-Py Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2010

Dugat-Py is a high class Gevrey-Chambertin Domaine that has risen to prominence in the last 10 years. The current owner Loïc Dugat will bring a classic Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru from a very pleasant vintage of 2010.

3. Domaine Marchand-Grillot Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2016

The precious Pinot Noir from the Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, which is Burgundy’s most noteworthy winery, producing only 300 bottles per year in 0.08 hectares! A preliminary study of the 2016 vintage

4. M. Chapoutier Ermitage l’Ermite 2011

The Master work of the top winery M. Chapoutier in the Northern Rhone Valley, which gets Wine Advocate’s 98+ points and Wine Spectator‘s 97 points

5. Chateau Batailley Pauillac 2015

The fifth growth cru in the Médoc Classification of 1855 Bordeaux, one of the oldest familial wineries in Pauillac, the famous village of Bordeaux.

6. Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT 2014

The “Sacred Cross” for the Italian wine lovers, the representative Super Tuscany of the Chianti Classico winery Fontito, getting 96 points from the Italian wine expert Antonio Galloni

7.  G.D. Vajra Bricco delle Viole Barolo DOCG 2013

The famous familial winery of Barolo, which has risen in recent years, is located in the Bricco delle Viole, the highest slope in Barolo. It’s the winner of the climate warming and often receives 96 points or above from the Italian wine expert Antonio Galloni.

8. Cellers de Scala Dei ‘Masdeu de Scala Dei’ Priorat 2014

A star winery of the Priorat, which is one of Spain’s two DOCa. Its flagship red wine from the 70-year-old vine, often receives 95 points or above from Wine Advocate.

9. Marqués de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Rioja 2007

A great wine from a legendary century-old winery of the Rioja, which is one of Spain’s two DOCa. It gets 95 points from Robert Parker.

10. Gaia Thalassitis 2015

An assyrtiko white wine of the old high-quality vine from Gaia, the famous winery of Santorini in Greece, receives 17 points (out of 20) from the team of Mr. Jancis Robinson

大师班酒单详解

France – Burgundy – Chardonnay

France – Burgundy – Pinot Noir 

2. Domaine Dugat-Py Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru 2010

Domaine Dugat-Py is a top-level winery in the famous Burgundy village, Gevrey-Chambertin. Its great wine of old vines with a great aging potential shows the unlimited potential of terroirs of the Gevrey-Chambertin village, from the grands crus to the premiers crus and the village wines.

The winery has excellent vineyards with great terroirs and rare old vines (some of them are nearly a hundred years old), with a production as low as 1,800 liters/ha (the average annual production of the Romanée-Conti Grand Cru is 2000+ liters/ha). Dugat-Py’s wines are deep in color, rich in flavor, complex in texture, compact and durable in structure, delicate and transparent in tannins, with both strength and elegance. They often have amazing performances after aging process. Loïc Dugat, the owner of Domaine Dugat-Py, will attend 2018 International Wine Symposium and share with us his classic Charmes-Chambertin Grand Cru from 2010.

Domaine Marchand Grillot is a traditional family winery in the Burgundy village of Gevrey-Chambertin. Its vineyards are located in 5 villages in Côte de Nuits, with a total area of 9 hectares. There are many excellent grands crus and premiers crus, among which the flagship is the ultra-small plot of only 0.08 hectares in the Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru, with an annual output of only 300 bottles of top wines.

The Ruchottes-Chambertin Grand Cru is the vineyard on the highest slope of the famous village of Gevrey-Chambertin. It has many rocks and shallow soil. Its wines have both delicate and elegant fruit flavor, as well as a firm structure of acidity. They’re a rare combination of strength and elegance, with an excellent aging potential. This time we will taste the 2016 vintage, which is the best opportunity to understand characteristics of the latest vintage in Burgundy.

France – Rhone – Syrah

4. M. Chapoutier Ermitage L’Ermite 2011

Founded in 1808, Maison M. Chapoutier has 175 hectares of quality vineyards in five regions of the Rhone Valley, which makes it the top winery of the Northern Rhone Valley. Robert Parker always highly praises the wines from M. Chapoutier, for him, “Michel’s wines can almost match the wines produced by Marcel Guigal, the best winemaker in the Rhone Valley.”

Maison M. Chapoutier has vineyards throughout the Rhone Valley and even in the entire French territory, but its focus is on the Hermitage, where the winery is located. The winery’s Hermitage Vineyard (the winery’s people will save the letter H and call the single vineyard Ermitage) has adopted the biodynamic planting method many years ago; its red and white wines are of excellent quality.

Côte Rôtie has three single vineyards (la Landonne, la Mouline and la Turque), and Maison M. Chapoutier has launched three single vineyard wines in Hermitage, including le Pavillon, l’Ermite and le Méal, which can be considered as the local models of the Hermitage. We will taste one of the three, l’Emite. It has got 98 points from Wine Advocate and 97 points from Wine Spectator.

France – Bordeaux – Cabernet Sauvignon Blend

5. Chateau Batailley Pauillac 2015

Located in the Pauillac region on the left bank of Bordeaux, Chateau Batailley is the fifth growth cru in the Médoc Classification of 1855 Bordeaux, one of the oldest familial wineries in Bordeaux. It is named after the battle of Latour Castle in the British and French Centennial War; the battlefield is where the winery is today. The winery has 57 hectares of vineyards, a typical soil texture of Médoc gravel, as well as a good drainage and heat insulation. The owner, Mr. Philippe Castéja, is not only the chairman of the Borie-Manoux wine merchant group, but also the chairman of the committee in the Médoc Classification of 1855 Bordeaux, and a major figure in the French wine industry.

Italy – Toscany – Sangiovese

6. Fontodi Flaccianello della Pieve Colli della Toscana Centrale IGT 2014

The Fontodi winery is located in the vineyard of Conca d’Oro in Chianti Classico. It is one of the local star wineries. Its wines are known as models of the region. Fontodi is a certified organic winery and has been practicing biodynamics.

As the main red grape, Sangiovese’s blending ratio has undergone a series of adjustments. The early regulations are very rigid, including the prohibition on mixing international varieties and making wines of 100% Sangiovese. The winemakers who did not want to obey the rules have broken the ban by a deliberate downgrading to the Toscana IGT and set off a “super Tuscany” trend.

The Fontodi winery is among the rule breakers. Its flagship wine, the Flaccianello della Pieve, which is called “Sacred Cross” by Italian wine lovers, uses 100% Sangiovese, and then aged in little barrels, this leads to an amazing concentration, thus the wine can be stunning whether it’s young or aged. Although the wine can only be labeled as table wine, it is very popular in the international market. It is considered to be the superstar of the Italian Chianti region, which has both classical and modern beauty. The 2011 vintage, which will be tasted, was awarded 96 points by Antonio Galloni, an Italian wine expert.

Italy – Piemont – Nebbiolo

7. G.D. Vajra Barolo DOCG Bricco delle Viole 2013

G.D. Vajra is a famous familial winery in Barolo, one of Italy’s most important regions. It has been dedicated to the winemaking of Piedmont wines for many years and has gained a reputation in recent years. The winery was founded in 1972 and is now run by the owner Aldo, his wife Milena and three children. Vajra is an ancient spelling of the family name, marking the long history of the Vajra family. G.D. is derived from the name of the founder’s grandfather, Aldo Vaira.

The wine to be tasted is from the Bricco delle Viole, the highest slope in Barolo. It’s the winner of the climate warming and often receives 96 points or above from the Italian wine expert Antonio Galloni.

Spain – Priorat – Garnacha

8. Cellers de Scala Dei “Masdeu de Scala Dei” 2014

Priorat is one of two outstanding DOCa in Spain, with many excellent wine producers. Garnacha is the most important red grape here. Founded in 1840, the Cellers de Scala Dei has a flagship wine, the Masdeu de Scala Dei, which is made of 100% 70+ years old Grenache’s vines. The wine has a very rich flavor and a strong structure, often receives 95 points or above from Wine Advocate.

Spain – Rioja – Tempranillo

9. Marques de Murrieta Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva 2007

Gaia is one of the most well known wineries in Santorini, Greece. This wine is made from old Assyrtiko. It is a fine wine with elegant and complex characteristics. It has a charming acidity and a long aftertaste. Thalassitis has the meaning of “from the sea”. The winery thinks that the water vapour from the seaside can leave the wine a mineral and salty fresh taste. You can only know this subtle taste if you taste it yourself. It receives 17 points (out of 20) from the team of Mr. Jancis Robinson.

*The actual list of wines and vintages may be slightly fine-tuned. Please refer to the on-site list of wines.