ARTICLES
Penfold's Ampoule
Spitbucket | 29 June 2012
Wine
"A Wine Fit for the Gods"
In the sort of move more associated with high end champagne makers, Penfold's have released the 'Ampoule'. More a work of art than anything else, it is limited to a dozen individually numbered units. The wine it contains, which almost seems irrelevant, is their famous 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon.
The ampoule was first unveiled in Moscow at a Penfold's 100 Point dinner (exhibiting those Penfold's wines that have been awarded the maximum points at some stage of their life by someone) by chief winemaker, the globe-trotting Peter Gago (he left a Rewards of Patience session in New York to fly back to Australia for a single evening for a dinner with the Prime Minister before flying to Moscow and then leaving next day for Berlin for more tastings – he'd have more frequent flyer points than David Attenborough).
The Ampoule, which has been many years in the making, will sell for a mere $168,000 each (as one site mentioned, this is, after all, only two and a half days wages for Christiano Ronaldo, though also, an awful lot of very, very good wine). But you don't only get the Ampoule. When you decide to open it, one of Penfold's chief winemakers will fly to you, anywhere in the world (and this applies even if you decide to open it in fifty years time, though obviously then it may not be Gago himself), “where the ampoule will be ceremoniously removed from its glass plumb-bob casing and opened using a specially designed, tungsten-tipped, sterling silver scribe-snap. The winemaker will then prepare the wine using a beautifully crafted sterling silver tastevin”.
As noted, the ampoule sits in a “hand blown conical, elongated plumb-bob of transparent grey glass with a ruby red ‘cotton-reel’ top” casing all designed by internationally recognised glass artist, Nick Mount. The precious metal detailing on the plumb-bob was prepared by Hendrik Forster, whose commissions include Australia’s gift for the Royal Wedding in 1981, as well as tableware for the Australian Prime Minister’s residence, The Lodge, and the church silver for St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane. It is all encased in a bespoke wooden cabinet designed by Andrew Bartlett. The wood is jarrah from the Margaret River region.
The pedigree of the wine is unquestioned. Block 42 was planted in the 1880's and believed to be the oldest cabernet vines on the planet. Whoever said the Barossa can't make cabernet! The wine is very rarely made and this vintage was originally released, in normal formats, a few years back, to great acclaim. Harvey Steiman from the Wine Spectator declared it the finest cabernet ever made in Australia. He might not be too far wrong.
Of the twelve ampoules, Penfold's will retain one for their library, one will be auctioned for charity – be very interesting to see what it brings – and the rest are for sale. They divvy up with two in North America, two in Europe, three in Asia, and three in Australia and New Zealand, but I think that it is more a matter of first in...
If you are keen, contact Ildi Ireland on 0407 058 862 or ildi.ireland@penfolds.com.au.
Article by Ken Gargett
The ampoule was first unveiled in Moscow at a Penfold's 100 Point dinner (exhibiting those Penfold's wines that have been awarded the maximum points at some stage of their life by someone) by chief winemaker, the globe-trotting Peter Gago (he left a Rewards of Patience session in New York to fly back to Australia for a single evening for a dinner with the Prime Minister before flying to Moscow and then leaving next day for Berlin for more tastings – he'd have more frequent flyer points than David Attenborough).
The Ampoule, which has been many years in the making, will sell for a mere $168,000 each (as one site mentioned, this is, after all, only two and a half days wages for Christiano Ronaldo, though also, an awful lot of very, very good wine). But you don't only get the Ampoule. When you decide to open it, one of Penfold's chief winemakers will fly to you, anywhere in the world (and this applies even if you decide to open it in fifty years time, though obviously then it may not be Gago himself), “where the ampoule will be ceremoniously removed from its glass plumb-bob casing and opened using a specially designed, tungsten-tipped, sterling silver scribe-snap. The winemaker will then prepare the wine using a beautifully crafted sterling silver tastevin”.
As noted, the ampoule sits in a “hand blown conical, elongated plumb-bob of transparent grey glass with a ruby red ‘cotton-reel’ top” casing all designed by internationally recognised glass artist, Nick Mount. The precious metal detailing on the plumb-bob was prepared by Hendrik Forster, whose commissions include Australia’s gift for the Royal Wedding in 1981, as well as tableware for the Australian Prime Minister’s residence, The Lodge, and the church silver for St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane. It is all encased in a bespoke wooden cabinet designed by Andrew Bartlett. The wood is jarrah from the Margaret River region.
The pedigree of the wine is unquestioned. Block 42 was planted in the 1880's and believed to be the oldest cabernet vines on the planet. Whoever said the Barossa can't make cabernet! The wine is very rarely made and this vintage was originally released, in normal formats, a few years back, to great acclaim. Harvey Steiman from the Wine Spectator declared it the finest cabernet ever made in Australia. He might not be too far wrong.
Of the twelve ampoules, Penfold's will retain one for their library, one will be auctioned for charity – be very interesting to see what it brings – and the rest are for sale. They divvy up with two in North America, two in Europe, three in Asia, and three in Australia and New Zealand, but I think that it is more a matter of first in...
If you are keen, contact Ildi Ireland on 0407 058 862 or ildi.ireland@penfolds.com.au.
Article by Ken Gargett
© 2013 Spitbucket
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