Australia’s most collectible wine now comes in the ultimate box set.
There are two types of collectors: the one who enjoys the hunt and will willingly spend half a lifetime going to the ends of the earth to collect a rare (insert “collectible” here) to add to the stash, and the one who wants as comprehensive an assemblage as is feasible in the shortest amount of time. Those who fall in the latter category and happen to have a weakness for fine wines will perk up at news of Penfolds’ collection that conveniently comprises all 60 available vintages from its flagship Grange range.
The complete vertical has been set up at Dubai International Airport’s luxury wine and spirits store Le Clos, with a price tag of A$660,000 ($720,000). The 61-bottle collection features Grange vintages from the years 1951 to 2010, and while those after 1978 can easily be acquired from retailers at about $400 to $550 a bottle, older ones like the incredibly rare Grange 1953 Cabernet Sauvignon, or the “hidden vintages” of 1957, 1958 and 1959 usually require a bit of sleuthing.
It was Le Clos who initiated the compilation and it worked closely with the Australian winemaker to certify the bottles and recork six of the vintages. This was done in response to wine enthusiasts looking for an alternative to the market-dominating Bordeaux wines, as well as a greater overall interest in historic wines. Owning the most complete and unique collection of Australia’s most famous wine is a sure way to catch the attentions of oenophiles everywhere.