Source: Herald Sun
Chris Snow
Tuesday April 21, 2009
WINE collectors will have to pay almost $600 a bottle for the new release of Australia's top wine, the world-renowned Penfolds Grange.
But they will be getting a wine tipped to be one of the greatest Granges made since the first vintage in 1951.
"It's a benchmark wine, a very, very fine vintage," Langton's Wine auctioneers' Andrew Caillard said.
"It certainly has the potential to be one of the greats."
The wine is the 2004 Grange, each vintage being released five years after it is made.
Penfolds, owned by Melbourne-based global drinks company Fosters, usually increases prices by a few per cent each year and has done the same this year.
Last year's Grange release, the 2003 vintage, is selling for up to $580 a bottle but retailer Vintage Cellars is already offering the 2004 vintage to its wine club members at $599 a bottle.
"We're expecting the 2004 to be incredibly sought after," said Grant Ramage, liquor merchandise and marketing manager at Coles, owner of Vintage Cellars.
Dan Murphy's Steve Donohue, said no decision had yet been made about price but supply was expected to be limited.
The record price for a single bottle of Grange is $53,936 paid last August at a Langton's auction for a bottle of the 1951 vintage.