Jessica Altieri - Wine Channel TV and Peter Gago - Penfolds
Hong Kong. And Penfolds. And the worldwide release of the g3. That’s a powerful combination of “3”. Which could only be outdone by the release of a special wine blended from three Grange vintages spanning seven years, aptly named Penfolds g3. A Penfolds first, these vintages of 2008, 2012 and 2014 (a vintage to be globally released in 2018), energetically entwine to create a completely unique Grange expression.
Jessica Altieri and Wine Channel TV were onsite in Hong Kong on October 28, 2017 for the worldwide release of this special wine blended from three Grange vintages spanning seven years, aptly named Penfolds g3.
Here is the complete release from Penfold’s:
“Penfolds has released a special wine blended from three Grange vintages spanning seven years, aptly named Penfolds g3. A Penfolds first, these vintages of 2008, 2012 and 2014 (a vintage to be globally released in 2018), energetically entwine to create a completely unique Grange expression.
Penfolds Chief Winemaker, Peter Gago said “Put simply it’s Penfolds ‘House Style’ distilled … Penfolds g3 is a natural end result of the venerated art of blending. It is a blend where each individual vintage selected delivers a depth of character and flavour honouring our flagship Grange”.
Blending across vintages is part of Penfolds winemaking philosophy and has been since 1844. Penfolds Tawny styles, famous in the mid 1800’s continue a long tradition of fortified wines that celebrate this particular blending style. Winemaking saw this style as a natural progression to apply this technique to a create a new red table wine.
Two of the Grange vintages selected for this wine are recognised as some of the finest Granges released, so why blend them? Peter said, “it wasn’t about selecting the biggest or the best Grange vintages, in fact it was about making something different — but not just to be different”.
Each Grange vintage component selected to make this wine brings something different to the final blend. Broadly: Grange 2008 is a big bold wine, Grange 2012 is about elegance and sophistication, while 2014 is a young wine that serves to ‘freshen up the blend’. The 2014 vintage is yet to be released, making it even more of an evocative beyond-reach inclusion.
This endeavour adds new meaning to Penfolds ongoing pursuit to confidently move into the future whilst always respecting the ethos of the past and tradition.
The original experimental 1951 Grange created by Max Schubert is now a wine regarded as one of the world’s most celebrated collectables. Grange is a multi-vineyard multi-district blend retaining its proven stylistic template to this day. The same is true of Penfolds g3 but also across vintages.
The inaugural celebration of Penfolds g3 took place at the Liang Yi Museum Hong Kong on Wednesday 18 October. A magical evening attended by international friends of Penfolds including global media and collectors.
Only 1,200 bottles are available around the world from Adelaide to Paris, Hong Kong to New York. RRP $3000.00 AUD for a 750ml bottle.
Expressions of interest via www.penfolds.com”