GLOBAL REACH

As always, Australian vineyard launches its new releases in style

Penfolds unveiled the new vintages from its luxury portfolio including the 64th straight release of Grange — Australia’s most famous red wine — at a recent stop of its world tour in New York “This is Week 4 for me,” says Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago, who dramatically draws attention toward the area underneath his eyes, which shows no signs of sagging or puffiness. “How am I looking?” Grange has been a global success story, bringing international attention to South Australia wine and raising Penfolds to be counted among the world’s most reliable luxury brands. Launching what’s known as The Penfolds Collection 2018 sees events staged in major cities — London, Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tokyo — around the world. It was the first global release staged in New York City, part of a singular campaign to stoke interest in Grange and its supporting cast of fine wines, including Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, St. Henri Shiraz, Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, RWT Barossa Shiraz and Magill Estate Shiraz. The current release includes 17 wines spanning five vintages. The new Grange comes from 2014, while the freshest release is the 2018 Bin 51 Eden Valley Riesling. Not all of the selections are available in every market — some truly small batch offerings, such as the 2017 Bin 23 Adelaide Hills Pinot Noir, don’t travel beyond the borders of Australia. Virtually all of these releases are tightly allocated to manage their scarcity. International demand continues to increase and there are only so much of these top-end wines to go around. Gago, who is the fourth chief winemaker at Penfolds since 1948, says less than 10,000 cases of Grange are made each year. In challenging vintages, such as 2011 and 2000, that number was significantly less. Half the usual production was released in 2011 and one-quarter in 2000. “People often say that we only make that amount so we can keep prices high,” Gago said. “We only make that amount because that’s all we can make at that quality level. If we could make more Grange, we would.” The 2014 Grange delivers one of the most balanced and approachable young expressions in memory. It presents a dense core of dark fruit, with savoury and warm earthy accents. Unmistakably Grange, as Gago is wont to say, but not cast in the blockbuster mode of the 2010, 1996 or 1990. Built to last, but no need to wait. Penfolds celebrates its 175th anniversary in 2019, which promises more fanfare to come including the launch of a new Champagne project that Gago has been developing with a family run Champagne house. The plans are to produce a blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs and Pinot Noir and Chardonnay blend. A red wine from the Napa Valley will follow in 2022.