New world record set for a single bottle of Penfolds Grange 1951, selling at auction for $157,624

A bottle of Penfolds Grange Hermitage Bin 1 Shiraz 1951 has gone under the hammer at a Langton’s auction for $157,624*, making it the most expensive bottle of Australian wine ever sold, breaking the previous record of $142,131* (also for a bottle of Penfolds Grange 1951 sold at auction by Langton’s in July 2021).

The bottle is one of the few rare examples in existence of the first vintage of Penfolds Grange ever made, and it went under the hammer at the Langton’s Penfolds: Rewards of Patience auction which closed on Sunday 19 December.

“To have again broken the record for the most expensive bottle of Australian wine only months after breaking the previous record is an outstanding result, and is testament to the quality of wines available at a Langton’s auction,” said Tamara Grischy, Head of Langton’s.

“We are seeing very strong demand for premium wines here in Australia, and we are proud that this auction has further cemented Penfolds Grange 1951 as such a highly prized wine, with the buyer delighted to have secured an amazing piece of Australian wine history for their collection,” she added.

According to Ms Grischy, given their age, each and every bottle of the Penfolds Grange 1951 is different and this bottle was in almost pristine condition after being through the Penfolds Re-corking Clinic in 2014.

“The label had only very minor markings making it the perfect centrepiece wine, with its ullage, together with its pristine label, making this bottle as good as it gets,” she added.

The Penfolds Grange Hermitage Bin 1 Shiraz 1951 is the first vintage ever made of Australia’s most famous wine. Winemaker Max Schubert only made three or four barrels of it, and he gave away most bottles to his friends.

There are estimated to be around 40 bottles of the first vintage of Penfolds Grange in existence. This includes approximately 30 bottles that are part of complete sets of Penfolds Grange, which include all vintages of Penfolds Grange from 1951 to present day.

Other highlights in the Langton’s auction include Penfolds Bin 60A Cabernet Shiraz, Coonawarra-Kalimna 1962 that sold for $21,552*; a Penfolds Bin 47 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1958 that sold for $21,463*; and a Penfolds Bin 46 Grange Hermitage, South Australia 1959 that sold for $8,574*.

* All prices in this media release include Buyer’s Premium, which is 16.5% including GST and is paid on top of the hammer price.

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