Most wine enthusiasts and collectors know well of the infamous Penfolds Australian Shiraz, with the Grange occupying the top slot.  Year after year, these wines offer collectibles to be enjoyed, sometimes for decades.  For example, the 1998 vintage of Grange, released at around $200, now goes for $350 and up.  It should be noted that the 2004, released at $450, has softened in sync with the weaker world economy, going for a “bargain” $350.  Fruits vary in vintages from dark plum, currant and blackberry to cherry and red plum, underpinned by coffee, expresso and herbs such as cardamom and other spices.  Tannins can range from firm to smooth but always well integrated into the structure of the vintage’s wine.  These wines typically have a nice, long cellaring window to work with, at least 10-20 years and a bit longer in some of the finer vintages.

Penfolds first vineyard was founded by Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold in 1844.  For over 100 years, Penfolds concentrated on the production of fortified wines and brandy.  But it was in 1950 that chief winemaker Max Schubert became inspired by Bordeaux winemaking techniques.  Schubert’s ambition was to produce a red that would rival the best of Bordeaux in both quality and aging potential.  Max first achieved his goal with the 1951 vintage of Grange, named after his cottage in Magill, using the readily available Shiraz grape. 

What you might not know, however, is that Penfolds is not just about Shiraz.  In fact, there are two blockbuster gems which don’t make it to the headlines, yet are highly sought after in their own right.  I’m referring to the Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon Block 42 and the Bin 60A, a blend of Shiraz and Cabernet. 

Located in the infamous Barossa Valley, Kalimna Vineyard yields what is thought to be the oldest Cabernet Vines on the planet, planted in the mid 1800’s.  Block 42 in the vinyard has a storied history to it, the grapes used for numerous classics wines during the 1950’s and 60’s.  But it was not until 1996 that there were sufficient Cabernet grapes available in the block to produce what is now known as Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon Block 42. 

Block 42 has been bottled only a handful of times in the past due to the scarcity of the highest quality grapes and only in 1996 did it go by its current name.  The wine is 100% Cabernet Sauvignon.  While I have yet to sample the wine (I have some on the way), the description is simply pure beauty and elegance for a wine enthusiast.  The wine offers the purity of the Cab with currant, dark plum and blueberry (not often a flavor in an American Cab), with balanced perfection of spices, oak and minerality and lingering finish.  Unlike so many of the Aussie reds that are too big in tannins and alcohol content, the Block 42 comes in at 13.2% alcohol (more in the Bordeaux range).

The Bin 60A is a blend of 56% Shiraz from the Barossa Kalimna and the Koonunga vineyards and 44% Cab from Block 20 in Coonawara.  While the blend has been bottled in the past under different names (Bin 80A and Bin 90 A), the wine has not been bottled under its current name since the 1962.  Tasting notes describe the wine as offering ripe blackberry, cherry and licorice aromas wrapped in toasty oak with a long and elegant finish.  Many seasoned wine tasters feel that the ’04 may come very close in quality to the storied 1962a original.

The pricing of these wines, as you might imagine, parallels their quality and demand, with 500 cases produced for the Block 42 and 1000 cases for the Bin 60A.  While they were released on futures several years ago at around $225 per bottle, Block 42 goes for between $350-400 while the Bin 60A will set you back $300.  If you’re fortunate enough to get your hands on either of these, they could use a couple of additional years of cellaring and then can be enjoyed over the next 20+.  These are both truly collectibles and reveal the very best of Australian reds.

Tags: Cabernet Sauvignon, Penfolds, Shiraz