Our most expensive bottle can set you back $42,000 – is it worth it?

If you’re an Australian and have a basic understanding of wine, you’ve most likely heard of Penfolds Grange. It's the Nicole Kidman of Aussie wines: it’s elegant as hell, everyone likes it, it’s reliably good, and odds are your grandad knows what it is. But why has it reached such cult status both at home and abroad? And why did the Penfolds Grange Hermitage Bin 1 Shiraz 195 go for a whopping $157,624 at auction? Let’s take a look together.

Started from Bordeaux now we’re here

Australian inventions always come with a hit of innovation, confidence and a bit of cheek. The origin of Penfolds Grange is no exception. It was during a research trip to Bordeaux in the latter part of 1949 that Penfolds' winemaker Max Schubert became determined to make the first great Australian red. At a time when the nation was drinking fortified wines and beer, this was an exceptional aspiration. On return from Europe, Max set about crafting a quality red wine, with 1951 as the first vintage. It’s believed there are only a few dozen of the 1951 left in circulation – hence its major price tag.

A bump in the road

Max was pretty stoked with his first iteration, so he invited Penfolds management to have a wee taste. To Max's absolute horror, they hated it and went as far as ordering production to stop altogether. However, in true-blue Aussie stubbornness and with management based in Sydney, Max and his team in South Australia ignored the command and continued to make the wine in secret. With the help of Jeffrey Penfold Hyland (then Assistant General Manager of Magill Estate, Penfolds’ spiritual home in Adelaide) and Max's team of winemakers, all the experimental Grange was hidden in Magill’s underground cellars from 1957 to 1959. Very rebellious and a little bit sexy, if you ask us.

Australia’s worst-kept secret

Although management was kept away, friends and associates were occasionally brought in to taste the wines, with some bottles even being given away. Because of this, the “secret” wine the boys were creating eventually leaked, causing mass hysteria in the wine world.

It didn’t take long for the bosses over in Sydney to find out about Max’s little project and, hey presto, a second tasting with the same board members was organised. This time, Max put the 1951 and 1955 vintages, both even tastier after bottle ageing, on the table. To everyone's delight (and relief) the drops were greeted with great enthusiasm (the 1955 went on to have a very successful wine show career). The Penfolds board swiftly ordered production of Grange to restart (huzzah!), just in time for the 1960 vintage. It was during the 1960s that Penfolds Grange firmed its position as Australia's most distinguished wine.

The vintages

So, how exactly did Penfolds Grange lodge itself as Australia’s best wine? Well, it’s a combination of the buzz it created at its beginnings and its superb ageing potential. Penfolds Grange is made to live for a minimum of 20 years and designed to unfurl its greatness over time (find out how to properly cellar wines here).

While the 1971 vintage won ‘Best Shiraz in the World’ at the ‘Wine Olympics’ in Paris, it wasn't until the 1976 vintage was awarded 100 points by leading US wine critic Robert Parker Jr. that Grange really took off on the world stage. Though Grange already had a bunch of groupies here in Aus, this was the first time the label was widely recognised internationally. No surprise, then, that this was the year when demand and prices soared.

Fast forward to the noughties, Grange’s 1990 vintage was named ‘Wine of the Year’ by acclaimed US magazine Wine Spectator, becoming another super sought-after drop to go ‘straight to the pool room’, so to speak.

Gorgeous, gorgeous grapes

What’s wine without the grapes? Nothing. So let’s chat all things grapes. Officially heritage-listed by the South Australian National Trust, Penfolds Grange is a shiraz that's very much representative of the state's soils and climate. Penfolds Grange is primarily shiraz with a small percentage of cabernet sauvignon in most years, a multi-district blend with significant shiraz contributions from the Barossa Valley, Clare Valley, McLaren Vale and Magill Estate; and with cabernet sauvignon from the Barossa Valley, Coonawarra, McLaren Vale, Padthaway and Robe.

Okay, so how much does Penfolds Grange cost?

Okay, okay. Penfolds Grange may be a little out of the average human’s price range. But hear us out. If you do love wine and have some savings floating about, it could be a great investment. And when we say savings, we mean SAVINGS. Our most expensive bottle of Grange (from 1954) is selling for $42K at the moment. Just a few short months ago, someone even purchased a full set of Grange from Dan’s. The set included every vintage release of Grange ever at an eye-watering and record-high price of $400K – a bargain if you consider the $150K a single bottle of 1951 Grange went for at auction just last year.

Yes, Grange is a little unobtainable for most people. But here’s the good thing about Penfolds; you can get a great Penfolds wine for fewer dollarydoos as well. So, if the big price tag of Grange and some of the other Penfold vintages makes your lip curl, have a crack at some of the more affordable wines like the Bin 51 EV Riesling (we like the 2020 vintage) or the Bin 128 Shiraz (we’re partial to some 2019).

Is Penfolds Grange worth it?

If you’ve got the dosh, then absolutely. Penfolds Grange consistently wins awards and receives accolades from wine critics all over the world. It’s delicious – but it’s also a key part of Australia’s wine history (and hopefully future). So, get your Penfolds Grange piggy bank in order.

If you’re ever lucky enough to get a hold of one of these bad boys, remember to keep the bottle in good condition, regularly kiss it and give it daily affirmations (we’re joking – maybe) and lastly, savour the love, patience and good ol’ Aussie cheek that went into each bottle.

FYI we’ve got all the Penfolds Grange vintages – including the first from 1952 – available at Dan Murphy's Cellar in Melbourne.