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Omar BAROSA, Best Sommelier of Bordeaux wines
Omar joined Barton & Guestier’s Food & Wine Academy at Château Magnol as Education & Hospitality Manager in 2022 and obtained the prestigious title of Best Sommeliers of Bordeaux Wines last November 20, resulting in numerous reviews and interviews.
Below the interview translated from the original article in TERRE DES VINS Magazine on line:
www.terredevins.com/a-table/omar-barbosa-est-le-meilleur-sommelier-de-bordeaux.
His CV is sure to impress! He was Best Sommelier of Mexico in 2011, then 2013. He participated in the World's Best Sommelier Competition the same year, coming in 23rd place out of around sixty candidates. He arrived in France in 2016 for a Master's degree in wine economics. With his diploma in hand, he worked as a sommelier at the restaurant Le 7 at the Cité du Vin of Bordeaux. Today he is Sommelier Head of Training & Hospitality for Barton & Guestier and Best Sommelier of Bordeaux Wines 2024 since midday (Monday, November 20).
Omar, how did the tests go?
There was a first written test with around forty theoretical questions around the appellations of Bordeaux wines, such as the new AOC Entre-Deux-Mers red, the steps to authorize white Médocs, but also on the new classification of Bordeaux wines. Saint-Emilion, on environmental approaches, the names of certain bacteria involved in breeding etc... Around that, questions of general culture the name of the appellation associated with vintages, events which take place in specific places in Bordeaux, important names of the CIVB etc. We then moved on to a blind tasting and description of two red wines, all in 10 minutes. I found out afterwards that it was a Château Damel 2009 in Fronsac and a Lions de Batailley 2016 in the Pauillac appellation. I had found the Fronsac, but the Batailley would have taken me a few minutes more.
From left to right: M. Plessard, O. Barbosa, W. Risquet©Artiste Associé
Did you win these two written tests, then moved on to the two practical tests?
Yes, the first was a white wine tasting. You had to pay close attention to the instructions. We were asked to “describe the aromas of the wines, the sensations in the mouth and to identify the wines”. Many candidates made the description of the visual part, but you really need to respect the instructions, no more and no less. For me, it was clear, it was a white Pessac-Léognan, Grand Cru Classé, I was wrong about the year. It was a Château Olivier 2019. Mainly Sauvignon Blanc, blended with Sémillon, a distinguished wine, typical of the AOP. Then another test with a scenario. Six tourists arrive in Bordeaux and sit in my restaurant, they want to discover Bordeaux wines. We had to compose food and wine pairings with an imposed menu: oyster jelly and Aquitaine caviar, scallops with saffron sauce, wood pigeon with Médoc porcini mushrooms and for dessert a zabaglione with exotic fruits and citrus fruits. I suggested a Crémant de Bordeaux as an aperitif, an Entre-Deux-Mers for the starter, a Pessac-Léognan, a Saint-Émilion and to finish a Sauternes. The most important thing was to justify our choices, and to specify the service (decanting, temperature, etc.)
Why did you participate in this competition? Do you still have things to prove when you are already the best sommelier in your country of origin?
Whatever the competition, it is always a challenge. I think I needed to give myself legitimacy for the job I currently do. I am responsible for training and reception at Château Magnol, classified Cru Bourgeois. 50% of my job is to train the customers we receive at the château, particularly in Bordeaux wines. And the prizes are truly incredible*. A stay for one person to participate in Vinexpo Hong Kong 2024 or the Hong Kong Wine and Dine Festival 2024 with an approximate total value of €2,600.
How did you prepare?
I read a lot, revised even more. I took all the classifications, all the big names from Bordeaux, but also all those from the smaller estates. I also tasted a lot, focusing on no more than 3 minutes, writing the descriptions of the wines to force myself to clearly identify the aromas, the vintage, the château, the appellation, the blend. I worked a lot on the differences between the right bank and the left bank (aromas, tannins, etc.). Once I had acquired this well, I challenged myself blindly. And finally, I also went through an oral procedure, to describe the wines in 4 minutes out loud.
What's next?
I'm currently doing my Master of Wine, I'm in my first year, there are three. I would like to apply for the MOF sommelier competition or to become Best Sommelier of France. I have gotten older, I manage stress and my knowledge better. I have improved a lot, so why not claim again the title of Best Sommelier in the world in 2026 as a Mexican candidate!