Decanter World Wine AwardsPenfolds commissions £100,000 'ampoule' for Block 42
- Friday 29 June 2012
The vessel – ‘Essentially a hand-blown glass ampoule that provides an ideal wine environment and a bespoke glass plumb-bob that suspends the ampoule within a wooden Jarrah cabinet’ – retails for approximately AUD$168,000.
Such a sum, the equivalent of £100,000, would buy ten or more cases of Chateau Lafite 2009, or an entire case of Domaine de la Romanee Conti, Romanee Conti 2000, with change.
It would also pay for four experienced teachers for a year, or five newly-qualified nurses, or Cristiano Ronaldo's wages for two and a half days.
But then the Real Madrid striker does not have Peter Gago flying in personally to adjust his shinpads: so rare is the ampoule – only 12 have been made – that the Penfolds chief winemaker will fly anywhere in the world to assist when you decide to open it.
‘The winemaker will travel to the destination of choice, where the ampoule will be ceremoniously removed from its glass plumb-bobcasing and opened using a specially designed, tungsten-tipped, sterling silver scribe-snap. The winemaker will then prepare the wine using a beautifully crafted sterling silver tastevin,' the container's prospectus says.
Penfolds says the rarity of the Block 42 – the last vintage was 1996 – inspired the ‘compelling work of wine art’, for which four renowned Australian artists were commissioned.
These are glass sculptor Nick Mount, scientific glassblower Ray Leake, metalsmith Hendrik Forster and cabinet maker Andrew Bartlett.
Block 42 Kalimna is made from 130-year-old vines from a 10-acre (4ha) block at the edge of the Penfolds Kalimna property in the Moppa area of the Barossa Valley, about 60km north of Adelaide. It is produced in tiny quantities and is highly sought after: the 1996 sells for around £2,500 a case.
Gago said, ‘The ampoule project is typical of the pioneering philosophy behind Penfolds winemaking evolution. The collaboration with South Australia’s finest artists has been a fitting tribute for one of South Australia’s finest wines.’
The ampoule contains one 750ml bottle of the 2004 vintage, which in a normal bottle retails for around £400.
Have your say!
Ron Graves
July 20 18:25
"The winemaker will travel to the destination of choice, where the ampoule will be ceremoniously removed from its glass plumb-bobcasing and opened using a specially designed, tungsten-tipped, sterling silver scribe-snap."
So - an overblown glass-cutter, then, to go with the overblown egos of those who'll buy into this nonsense. I'll wager, though, that at this price the winemaker will not be travelling much, if at all, as I doubt anyone will drink it.
After all, what this is really about is ownership and pose value, though it's possible some footballing pleb will crack one open and tip it into a pint glass. ;-)
AB
July 18 11:34
Special wine, special vineyard, special brand, special vessel, only 12 made,
special price, makes sense to me
joao santos
July 01 10:08
well, fools who buys it! maybe the bottle is worth it, for the 130 years old wineyards, the portuguese douro region there is 200 year old grapes making wines like the noval nacional 2003, elected recently best wine in the world for about 1000 dollars!!!! so maybe people like the bottle shape or something...
Goonie
June 30 13:49
Looks amazing and pushes the closure envelope to a whole new level. BTW Block 42 was made in 2004 also under cork and screwcap.