Earlier this month, Emirates revealed a special treat for the many discerning wine-loving Australians who are to travel with them in 2018. The highly awarded airline has uncorked some of the finest wines from their dedicated Burgundy cellar in preparation for another year of offering a high-end experience to their First Class passengers, launching the Emirates Vintage Collection with wines that have been stored for up to 15 years.
Flown straight from France, four wines have joined the collection with limited availability, to be served only in First Class on selected routes. These are the Château Cheval Blanc 2004, Château Haut Brion 2004, Château Mouton Rothschild 2001 and, last but certainly not least, the Château Margaux 1998, which is a big red with fresh plums, black cherries and spicy blackberries with a hint of black tea and smoke. The 1998 will be the first wine available for Australians travelling from each of Emirates’ five Australian destinations between June and September.
“We went direct to the winemakers, handpicked these vintages and then cellared them for up to 15 years in Burgundy before we decided they were ready to be served”, explained Joost Heymeijer, Senior Vice President, Inflight Catering, Emirates. “It has taken a great deal of patience, investment and long-term planning. Our aim has always been to surprise and delight our customers and they are in for a treat with this selection”.
Special dishes have been created to be paired with each of these wines, which will be staggered in their release as they roll out on various routes in Europe, the Americas, Asia and Australasia throughout the year. A unique dish was chosen for each route and wine. For example, flights to and from Dublin will serve the Château Cheval Blanc 2004 with a dish of Irish grass-fed beef fillet with potato dauphinoise, creamed leek and spinach, baby carrots and a shallot jus. The same wine will be paired with a seared venison served with a thyme jus, blanched kohlrabi, baby carrots and broccolini on flights to Geneva.
The release of these luxury wines follows the recent introduction of a fourth daily Sydney service for Emirates, a substantial move for those wanting access to the 40 European destinations which the airline connects with Australia. This bumps the airline’s wine portfolio up to around 80 fine wines and champagnes, all of which are served across its network daily with more planned once the wines from the Emirates Vintage Collection have reached optimal maturity. The Emirates cellar currently holds 4.7 million bottles of wine – some of which will only be served in 2027.
———-
