Penfolds g4 released, combining four vintages of Grange for $3500 a bottle
Penfolds has a new wine on the horizon and at $3500 a bottle it’s almost enough to make Grange seem affordable.
Food & Wine
Don't miss out on the headlines from Food & Wine. Followed categories will be added to My News.
As new release wines go, it doesn’t get more precious than Penfolds g4.
The rare drop was blended from four vintages of Grange (2002, 2004, 2008 and 2016). Just 2500 bottles were made and at $3500 a pop, it’s one for serious collectors.
“It’s quite the wine,” said Penfolds chief winemaker Peter Gago.
“We literally cherry-picked the vintages of the new millennium.”
The g4 is the second release in a trilogy that kicked off in 2017 with the Penfolds g3 (a 2008, 2012 and 2014 blend). The Penfolds g5 will be available in 2021.
In the meantime, the g4 hits the global market on August 6.
As feedback on the g4 and the 2016 Grange filters in from across the globe, Mr Gago and the Penfolds winemaking team are delighted with the response.
“I think that double barrel has really shaken a lot of people outside of Australia.
“It’s going to raise the bar and help all South Australians and Australian producers,”
Mr Gago said.
The Penfolds Collection 2020 will be released at the same time, consisting of a line-up of 17 wines.
The collection of whites and reds spans five vintages, multiple regions, multi-vineyard blends, single-region wines and vineyard wines and price tags.
Highlights include the 2017 St Henri Shiraz ($135) and the 2018 Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz ($100) which is often referred to as ‘Baby Grange’. The Bin 389 is a significant release, marking the 60th anniversary since it was first made by Max Schubert in 1960.
“It’s a good thing from a South Australian perspective that even in a 2018 vintage, when we did have a bit of heat, those sorts of wines can come out of it without being porty, over the top alcoholic or unbalanced,” Mr Gago said. “We are so lucky.”