we knew Rory McIlroy birds and boges could talk. Turns out he’s also a pro when it comes to Burgundy and Bordeaux.
That became clear on Wednesday when McIlroy unveiled his menu for the Masters Champions Dinner that he will wait on Augusta National Club next month. Its offerings include wagyu sirloin, yellowfin tuna carpaccio and peach and ricotta bread, but the real show is what McIlroy will pour.
“I wanted to be really intentional with the wines,” he told reporters. “It’s something I’m very passionate about and I’ve been collecting wine for probably the last decade. Working with the sommeliers at the club and being able to pick these wines was a lot of fun.”
For more information on McIlroy’s selections, we consulted veteran sommelier Harley Carbery, who is director of corporate beverage at Station Casinos in Las Vegas and holds a “certified” level of qualification from the Court of Master Sommeliers. Carbery said that while McIlroy’s wine choices reflect the fact that he has enjoyed the finer things in life, he has also “done his homework” on vintages and producers.
“Someone on the Internet posted a top 10 (Dinner of Champions) menu recently and no one came close to that set of wines,” Carbery said. “For me, there was more focus on the wine than the food.”
Carbery would know, because he has tasted each of the wines McIlroy chose for his Tuesday dinner: Salon Cuvee “S,” Brut; 2022 Domaine Laflaive, Batard-Montrachet; 1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild; and 2022 Domaine Laflaive Batard-Montrachet.
“These are some of the best wines out there,” Carbery said. “You ask any wine collector or sommelier or anyone who has been in the wine business for a while, you see those brands and you say, ‘wow.’
“In terms of quality, he went for some pretty heavy hitters. It’s all there to impress, but also if you’re a wine drinker and can afford the finer things in life, these are the things you’re going to gravitate towards.”
Carbery has been in Augusta National three times – in 2018, 2022 and 2024 and is likely to return again next month – and knows all about the club’s epic summer cellar. As a wine professional, he says, it would be “a dream” to visit.
But in this space, we’ve tasked him with a different mission: removing each of McIlroy’s picks.
Salon Cuvee “S”, Brut (approximate retail cost $1,200)
Carbery points to the champagne as a perfect example of McIlroy digging deep for a choice that would impress even someone as qualified as Carbery, who says the most expensive bottle of wine he ever sold to a restaurant was a 1947 Cheval Blanc, priced at $35,000.
McIlroy’s 2015 Salon S from Le Mesnil-sur-Oger is almost an if-you-know-you kind of vintage.
“Ask any sommelier and this would be their favourite; it’s outstanding,” says Carbery. “They don’t do that a lot. It’s very hard to get. Every time I’ve had a chance to try it – it’s a special moment. It’s so fantastic.”
2022 Domaine Laflaive Batard-Montrachet ($1,800)
McIlroy’s choice of white wine is special to him, as he said it was the first white wine he actually liked. It comes from one of the world’s best chardonnay producers, Carbery said, and since they only produce a small amount each year, it sells out immediately upon release.
“It’s almost a perfect example of white burgundy,” says Carbery.
1990 Chateau Lafite Rothschild ($1,100)
Turning to red, 1990 was an “amazing” year for Bordeaux with everything working well in the vineyards, Carbery said. That led to “great juice in the bottle,” Carbery said, and although this wine is 36 years old, it’s in the perfect place to drink. It all comes together like when you’re making a stew at home – it just gets better with more time, says Carbery.
Chateau Lafite Rothschild also has personal meaning for McIlroy; it’s the same red he drank the night he won the Masters when Shane Lowry gifted him a case. But it is also generally appreciated by wine professionals.
“Rothschild is what they call a top ‘first growth’ in Bordeaux and it commands a lot of money just in name and quality because it’s incredible,” says Carbery. “No matter who’s drinking it, when you see a bottle like this, you’re drinking something special.”
1989 Chateau d’Yquem ($530)
McIlroy’s final comes from the year of his birth, a 1989 Chateau d’Yquem. It’s a dessert wine that McIlroy described as “liquid gold.” While this wine isn’t for everyone, Carbery said this vintage feels syrupy in your mouth with the acidity balancing the sweetness. This wine can age for centuries because it comes from musty grapes (yes, really) or noble rotthe english translation is “noble rot”.
“It’s hard to manage because it’s a (living) thing,” Carbery said. “What comes of it IS liquid gold. It’s decadent, unique, delicious. With all dessert wines, this would be at the top of the list.”
Carbery, who spent more than six years as wine director at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, said that if you were to order all of these bottles at a restaurant it would cost you, in total, about $13,000. A hefty bill before you order any food. But your night, as McIlroy’s dinner guests will discover, was going to be a night to remember.
“The food,” Carbery says of McIlroy’s menu, “was chosen so that the wines were the star.”
;)
