Owners of vintage Penfolds will be able to have their wine checked by the chief winemaker and his team at the first Penfolds red wine re-corking clinic in London next month.
Any Penfolds wines from 1989 or before will be tasted by Peter Gago, Penfolds’ chief winemaker since 2002, and his team. An expert from Sotheby’s will audit and check the veracity of the procedure, as well as providing valuations.
The bottles will then be topped up with the current vintage, re-corked and labelled stating the assement of the Penfolds team.
The event will take place on 23 November, at Home House in London’s Portman Square. This is only the second time that the clinic has come to the UK and interest is expected to be high, both from professionals and amateurs alike.
‘The tension is palpable. Sommeliers of leading restaurants and private clients who have nurtured their Penfolds wines are equally anxious to have them checked and evaluated,’ said Gago.
At the last re-corking clinic in 2001 then chief-winemaker John Duval said his favourite was a bottle of ‘fantastic’ 1986 Grange.
On that occasion Duval came into contact with myriad Granges from 1954, 66, 77 and a host of 80s vintages. The attendees included collectors, celebrities and restaurateurs. British DJ Jono Coleman arrived with a bottle of Grange 84 and Irish former restauranteur Donal Scannell turned up with a padded bag holding 20 bottles of Grange 82.
The event is regarded by Penfolds as an after-sales service.
‘What other producer is prepared to re-evaluate and certify its products 15 years and more after they were released?’ said Duval in 2001.
For more information visit www.penfoldsuk.com
Written by Oliver Styles
