Rare Penfolds Grange under the hammer for $1

Curated by a former Penfold’s employee, an extremely rare collection of Penfolds Grange will go to auction, with all bottles starting at $1. 

The collection is expected to bring in a collective total in the six figures and features 60 rare bottles dating from 1959-2018, taking the current owner over 30 years to amass.

Lee Hames, Chief Operations Officer for Lloyds Auctions, who will be responsible for the sale, said a collection like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for wine collectors. 

“This is one for the ages and collections don’t come along like this very often, in fact, I haven’t seen one worldwide, so this is a great opportunity for anyone who is looking to start investing in wine,” he said. 

Interestingly, Knight Frank’s 2023 Wealth Report listed wine as one of the top three passion investments in the world, seeing a 162 per cent increase in price over the last decade, with Australasia listed as one of the top three regions of collectors. 

Bottles of note include the 1990 vintage, which US Wine Spectator magazine named Wine of the Year, the first wine from outside France or California to receive the accolade. 

“Another significant bottle is the 1959, which kicks off the collection and could fetch five figures come auction day,” said Hames. 

Every bottle in the collection is presented in its original box. Some bottles are even signed by John Duval, the third Chief Winemaker producing Penfolds Grange.

The collection has been stored in a climate-controlled cellar and checked at the Grange clinic by former Penfolds winemakers. 

You can view the entire collection here.

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