Ross Chandler – Chief Wine Specialist 0413 488 472 [email protected] | www.yourwineguy.com.au | facebook.com/yourwineguy Your Wine Guy has been given the privilege of finding a new home(s) for Max Schubert wrote of his urge to create an Australian wine that could what is the largest single collection of Australia’s most important and stand amongst the greatest wines in the world in his paper delivered to famous wine – Penfolds Grange – that we have seen outside Penfolds the first Australian National University Wine Symposium held in cellars. Canberra Australia in September 1979: This collection is an excursion back through the history and rise of the “It was during my initial visit to the major wine growing areas of Europe Australian wine industry. in 1950 that the idea of producing an Australian red wine capable of The collection begins with the famous 1955 vintage which is the vintage staying alive for a minimum of twenty years and comparable with those that really put Penfolds and Grange, indeed the Australian wine industry, produced in Bordeaux first entered my mind ... I elected to use Hermitage on the world stage – there are four of these in the collection. or Shiraz only (which was in plentiful supply) - knowing full well that if I The Penfolds Grange collection also includes a number of bottles signed was careful enough in the choice of area and vineyard and coupled that by Max Schubert – the visionary who created Grange – from the vintages with the correct production procedure, I would be able to make the type of 1960, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1964 1965 and 1966. and style of wine I wanted.” There is also a set of Grange bottles (pictured in the following pages) The Grange story was almost over before it began because in 1957 forming an unbroken line of vintages from the last of the ‘Secret/Hidden’ Penfolds’ senior management actually ordered Max Schubert to stop Grange 1959 through to the 2003 release with the total number exceeding making Grange as it had not achieved the success they wanted. Max 350 bottles. Schubert writes of this time “The final blow came just before the 1957 Penfolds Grange Hermitage * vintage when I received written instructions from head office to stop production of Grange Hermitage. The main reasons given were that I was The 1955 Grange is one of Australia’s biggest award winning wines, accumulating large stocks of wine which to all intents and purposes were amassing 12 Trophies and an astounding 51 Gold medals over 13 years unsaleable and that the adverse criticism directed at the wine was harmful from 1962. This was a particular favourite of Max Schubert, probably to the company image as a whole. It appeared to be the end.” because this vintage vindicated his determination to make Australia’s best wine when it won the gold medal in the open claret class at the 1962 Schubert actually had to continue in secret until the end of 1959 and Sydney Wine Show – up until that occurred, the senior management of writes of the time “This undercover production continued through to Penfolds had been reluctant to allow Schubert to continue making what 1959” when Penfolds Head Office changed their tune and “just before was to become Australia’s most famous wine. the 1960 vintage, I was instructed to start making Grange Hermitage officially again, with ample funds available for this purpose.” Over the many years that Penfolds Grange was entered into wine shows (up to and including the 1977 vintage) the wine attained an astounding Amazingly, Max Schubert had these ‘undercover’ wines concealed behind number of awards including 27 Trophies, 7 Championship awards, 117 a bricked up wall at the Penfolds Magill cellars so that senior management Gold medals, 63 Silver medals and 34 Bronze medals. would not find out. This is why the vintages of 1957, 1958 and 1959 are Your Wine Guy Fine Wine Merchants 1300 294 020 Ross Chandler – Chief Wine Specialist 0413 488 472 [email protected] | www.yourwineguy.com.au | facebook.com/yourwineguy referred to as the “secret” or “hidden” Granges and usually attract a for the opportunity to get into your glass or your wine rack. significant premium to most other vintages. Max Schubert created Grange in 1951 and continued to do so as Penfolds Grange has been the leading light of Australia’s wine industry and this Chief Winemaker until Don Ditter took over in 1975. Don Ditter then was confirmed when, in 1995, one of the world’s most influential wine continued the rise of Grange until he finally passed the reins on to John magazines Wine Spectator in the USA named the 1990 Penfolds Grange Duval in 1986. Peter Gago has now taken over as Grange custodian and as its wine of the year. This was the first time ever that a wine produced Penfolds Chief Winemaker since the 2002 vintage. outside California and France had been chosen. Ordering: In the very same year, the world’s most influential wine writer and critic The line of vintages 1959 – 2003 is being sold as a complete set (45 Robert Parker Jr proclaimed Grange as “the leading candidate for the bottles). richest, most concentrated dry red table wine on planet earth.” Grange vintages are to be sold in six bottle cases that can be mixed into So you can see that Penfolds Grange has shown and continues to show any combination you like (excluding the 1959 – 2003 set and Original 6 the world that Australia makes some of the greatest wine. bottle Timber cases). Vintages considered exceptional for Penfolds Grange: Perhaps you would like to get the vintage that you were born or the 1952, 1953, 1955, 1962, 1963, 1966, 1971, 1976, 1980, 1986, 1990, 1991, vintage from when you were married, or even a bottle or two from the 1996, 1998, 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2006. year that your child was born – it’s up to you. Interestingly, out of 17 exceptional vintages 11 of those are even If you would like more information about any particular vintage(s) or to numbered vintage years apparently showing that even numbered vintage discuss a large volume purchase then please contact our Chief Wine years have made better Grange than in uneven number vintage years by a Specialist Ross Chandler on 0413 488 472 or contact our office by ratio of nearly 2 to 1. This could simply be the human urge to find a phoning 1300 294 020. pattern in what is otherwise an unpredictable force – Mother Nature. Winemaker comments and tasting notes along with reviews by Robert It should be noted that Penfolds Grange has been known in the past to Parker Jr. are available on our website www.yourwineguy.com.au and wildly exceed auction price estimates ** due to its popularity among follow the ‘ Penfolds Grange Collection ’ links. investors, collectors and wine drinkers alike – hardly surprising given we Important information: are talking about Australia’s most famous wine. Ullage refers to the fill level in the bottle. Please see notes at the end of Often of concern with buying older wines at auction is that you do not this catalogue. know the provenance of the wine – you can’t be sure whether it has been *Named Grange Hermitage until the 1990 vintage onwards when the name Hermitage was stored correctly. With this collection you know that the wines have been removed from the label for legal reasons. very well cellared in this one collector’s underground cellar simply waiting ** Estimates listed are provided as a guide only. Your Wine Guy Fine Wine Merchants 1300 294 020 Ross Chandler – Chief Wine Specialist 0413 488 472 [email protected] | www.yourwineguy.com.au | facebook.com/yourwineguy Penfolds Grange Hermitage Penfolds Grange Hermitage Bin 14 Shiraz Bin 49 Shiraz 1955 1959 “Secret Vintage” Ullage: Ullage: Just Below Neck Base of Neck Penfolds Clinic 1991 Region: Magill Estate (Adelaide), Region: Morphett Vale (Adelaide), Magill Estate (Adelaide), Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley), Morphett Vale (Adelaide), McLaren Vale. Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley). Shiraz (90%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) Shiraz (90%), Cabernet Sauvignon (10%) Price $4000 Price $2600 Auction price estimate: $3450 - $4600 Auction price estimate: $1955 - $2760 Auction prices sourced from Langton’s, Australia’s leading fine wine Auction prices sourced from Langton’s, Australia’s leading fine wine auctioneers and includes their 15% Buyer’s premium. auctioneers and includes their 15% Buyer’s premium. www.langtons.com.au Prices current as at 8 th February 2012. www.langtons.com.au Prices current as at 8 th February 2012. Retail price estimate: $4500 - $5500 Retail price estimate: $2850 - $3500 Retail prices sourced from Wine-Searcher, a world leading search engine Retail prices sourced from Wine-Searcher, a world leading search engine of wine retailers' price lists. www.wine-searcher.com Prices current as at of wine retailers' price lists. www.wine-searcher.com Prices current as at 8th February 2012. 8th February 2012. Other bottles available from the vintage 1955: Other bottles available from the vintage 1959: 1x Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Hermitage – Mid Shoulder Price $3300 1x Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Hermitage – Mid Shoulder Price $3300 1x Penfolds Bin 49 Grange Hermitage – Mid Shoulder Price $1800 1x Penfolds Bin 95 Grange Hermitage – Mid Shoulder Price $3300 Your Wine Guy Fine Wine Merchants 1300 294 020 Ross Chandler – Chief Wine Specialist 0413 488 472 [email protected] | www.yourwineguy.com.au | facebook.com/yourwineguy Penfolds Grange Hermitage Penfolds Grange Hermitage Bin 49 Shiraz Bin 95 Shiraz 1960 1961 Ullage: Ullage: Into Neck Penfolds Clinic 2002 Region: Region: Magill Estate (Adelaide), Magill Estate (Adelaide), Morphett Vale (Adelaide), Morphett Vale (Adelaide), Kalimna Vineyard (Barossa Valley).