When we attended the launch of the Penfolds Ampoule Bottle #8 at Singapore’s Changi Airport recently, little did we know it would be sold on the same day. DFS announced Friday November 23, 2012 – a week after the launch – that the limited edition hand-blown sealed Ampoule had been sold for SGD218,000. This is actually the first Penfolds Ampoule to be sold at retail and the buyer is a member of DFS’ Platinum Services Club.
A veritable sculpture that houses and pays tribute to a very special vintage (single vineyard 2004 Kalimna Block 24 Cabernet Sauvignon), only 12 Penfolds Ampoules exist. Nick Mount designed the hand-blown housing for the ampoule itself – an elongated conical plumb-bob in transparent grey glass with ruby-red ‘cotton-reel’ top – while the Borosilicate ampoule was created by scientific glassblower Ray Leake. Furniture artisan Andrew Bartlett designed and created the Jarrah cabinet that holds the plumb-bob encased ampoule while designer craftsman Hendrik Forster prepared all the precious metal detailing.
