Medlar's Robert wins Moët UK Sommelier of the Year

By Lucy Britner

Published: 29 May, 2013

Clement Robert, head sommelier at Medlar Restaurant, London, has been crowned Moët UK Sommelier of the Year 2013.

Second was head sommelier at The Ritz, Tobias Brauweiler, with Kathrine Larsen of Zuma third.

The day of competition at London's Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park saw 15 quarter-finalists whittled down to six semi-finalists who then competed for three places in the final.

The three finalists were put to the test with a blind tasting, a task involving correcting errors on a wine list and a food and wine matching exercise in front of a live audience. The three were finally judged on the "perfect Champagne pour" where they had seven minutes to pour a magnum of Moët & Chandon Rosé Champagne equally into 16 glasses without returning to any of them.

Winner Clement Robert, 27, from Normandy in France, took the title on his fifth year of trying - having been a finalist in 2012 and 2010. Following the announcement he said he felt a "sense of relief to at last win after attempting it many times".

Robert said he spent five months preparing for the competition.

Chief judge Gerard Basset OBE said: "The competition this year was incredibly close but Clement's Champagne pour won it for him. It was a confident performance from a very knowledgeable, competent sommelier who set a high standard all round."

Robert won a trip to Maison Moët & Chandon to taste the Grand Vintage collections with chef de cave Benoît Gouez and a hand-crafted and engraved silver Jeroboam of Moët & Chandon. He also received a Riedel Tyrol Decanter, a collection of Riedel Vinum glasses and a Magnum of 2009 Domaine Boutinot La Côte Sauvage Cairanne. He will also have the opportunity to stay as a guest of Domaine Boutinot at their vineyard in the Southern Rhône valley during the 2013 harvest.

The two runners-up receive an engraved magnum of Moët & Chandon Imperial NV, an engraved Riedel O Decanter with Vinum glasses and a finalist certificate.

This is the 34th year of the competition.

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