The much-awaited private members' wine club is finally ready to receive members and guests. Here is our first impression
At long last, the Singapore post of wine club 67 Pall Mall is open for business.
Sitting atop Shaw Centre on the 27th floor, this eyrie inhabits 15,000 sq ft of space, with floor-to-ceiling windows opening to magnificent views of Singapore. The members-only club offers a thousand wines by glass courtesy of 15 Coravin units, and another 5,000 wines ready to be poured in hand-blown Austrian Zalto glasses.
The main feature is the six-meter wine tower that sits majestically in the main hall holding part of the wine collection. In addition, there are private dining rooms with modular walls to accommodate small to large parties, a glittering whisky wall housing 430 bottles of whisky and a cosy bar and lounge on the 28th floor.
Richard Hemming MW and Roberto Duran (who moved from the London branch) lead the 15-strong sommelier team. The club also offers all-day dining with signature dishes from the London branch and Asian-inspired dishes under the stewardship of head chef Alex Zhu.
During the soft opening from 14 Feb to 28 Feb, members are invited to book their space for a complimentary tasting menu and a walk around the club. We savoured some of these bites including Haggis and Piccalilli Scotch Eggs, Foie Gras Crumpet as well as the delectable Bang Bang Burrata, a fusion plate of burrata in a sauce of black vinegar and Sichuan peppers, served with crispy youtiao (fried dough fritters).
The wines were limited to three uncomplicated and facile choices – Two Paddock Pinot Noir, the M3 Chardonnay by Shaw and Smith and Nyetimber cuvée classic sparkling wine. The full iPad-powered wine list (complete with critics score and tasting menus) and food menu should come into effect in March when the club opens fully to members and their guests.
The whisky bar and lounge, monikered “the naughty corner”, will also serve select cocktails. We sampled a glistening Manhattan and Daiquiri, which may need a little fine-tuning to compete in Singapore’s fine cocktail market.
Founder Grant Ashton’s welcome speech set the tone for the club as he thanked the Shaw family for entrusting him with the iconic penthouse space, introduced the team and gave a sneak preview of what’s in store. Expect masterclasses delivered by wine experts worldwide and multiple horizontal and vertical tastings.
In the coming months, three headlining experts are booked to hold the first lot of masterclasses, including Burgundy expert Jasper Morris MW on the weekend of 11 to 13 March: Bordeaux expert Jane Anson on 18 to 20 March. Finally, the doyen of the wine world Jancis Robinson MW will hold her masterclasses from 1 to 3 April.
67 Pall Mall is at 27th floor, Shaw Centre, 1 Scotts Road, Singapore 228208