PENFOLDS GRANGE HERMITAGE VINTAGE 1988 BIN 95 - AUSTRALIAN ICONIC RED WINE

A SIGNIFICANT EXAMPLE OF PENFOLDS' LEGENDARY GRANGE HERMITAGE FROM THE 1988 VINTAGE, ONE OF AUSTRALIA'S MOST CELEBRATED AND COLLECTIBLE WINES. THIS BOTTLE REPRESENTS A MILESTONE IN AUSTRALIAN WINE HISTORY, PRODUCED DURING THE HEIGHT OF PENFOLDS' REPUTATION FOR CRAFTING WORLD-CLASS FORTIFIED AND DRY RED WINES.

IDENTIFICATION AND PROVENANCE:
- PRODUCER: PENFOLDS WINES PTY LTD, MAGILL ROAD, NURIOOTPA, SOUTH AUSTRALIA
- WINE: GRANGE HERMITAGE
- BIN NUMBER: 95
- VINTAGE: 1988
- BOTTLED: 1989
- ALCOHOL CONTENT: 13.5% BY VOLUME
- BOTTLE FORMAT: STANDARD 750ML WINE BOTTLE

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:
GRANGE HERMITAGE REPRESENTS THE PINNACLE OF AUSTRALIAN WINE PRODUCTION. THE 1988 VINTAGE IS PARTICULARLY NOTEWORTHY, AS DOCUMENTED ON THE LABEL ITSELF, WHICH REFERENCES THE WINE'S INTERNATIONAL ACCLAIM AND THE EXTENSIVE TOUR OF THE BORDEAUX REGION UNDERTAKEN BY MAX SCHUBERT, PENFOLDS' LEGENDARY WINEMAKER. THE LABEL EXPLICITLY NOTES THAT GRANGE HERMITAGE 'IS GENERALLY RECOGNISED AS AUSTRALIA'S FINEST RED WINE' AND REFERENCES THE 1952 VINTAGE AS THE COMMENCEMENT OF THIS DISTINGUISHED LINEAGE. THE DEVELOPMENT OF GRANGE HERMITAGE MARKED A NEW ERA IN AUSTRALIAN WINE-MAKING, COMBINING TRADITIONAL TECHNIQUES WITH INNOVATIVE APPROACHES TO PRODUCE WINES OF EXCEPTIONAL QUALITY AND AGEING POTENTIAL.

LABEL AND PRESENTATION:
THE ORIGINAL LABEL IS PRINTED IN RED INK ON CREAM PAPER STOCK, FEATURING THE CHARACTERISTIC PENFOLDS GRANGE HERMITAGE SCRIPT TYPOGRAPHY. THE LABEL PROVIDES COMPREHENSIVE PRODUCTION INFORMATION AND HISTORICAL CONTEXT REGARDING THE WINE'S SIGNIFICANCE AND THE WINEMAKING PHILOSOPHY BEHIND ITS CREATION. THE FOIL CAPSULE IS ORIGINAL, THOUGH SHOWING NATURAL OXIDATION CONSISTENT WITH AGE.

CONDITION ASSESSMENT:
THE BOTTLE ITSELF REMAINS STRUCTURALLY SOUND WITH NO VISIBLE CRACKS OR CHIPS TO THE GLASS. THE LABEL SHOWS SIGNIFICANT AGE-RELATED WEAR, INCLUDING FOXING, DISCOLOURATION, AND SURFACE DETERIORATION TYPICAL OF A BOTTLE STORED FOR 38 YEARS. THE FOIL CAPSULE EXHIBITS OXIDATION AND MINOR SURFACE DAMAGE. THE WINE LEVEL IS AT MID-SHOULDER, INDICATING SOME EVAPORATION THROUGH THE CORK OVER THE EXTENDED STORAGE PERIOD, WHICH IS NORMAL FOR AGED WINES. THE CORK CONDITION CANNOT BE FULLY ASSESSED WITHOUT OPENING THE BOTTLE.

COLLECTING NOTES:
THE 1988 GRANGE HERMITAGE IS A HIGHLY SOUGHT-AFTER VINTAGE AMONG SERIOUS WINE COLLECTORS AND AUSTRALIAN WINE ENTHUSIASTS. BOTTLES FROM THIS ERA, PARTICULARLY THOSE WITH DOCUMENTED PROVENANCE AND ORIGINAL LABELLING, COMMAND SIGNIFICANT PREMIUMS AT AUCTION. THE CONDITION OF THIS EXAMPLE, WHILST SHOWING APPROPRIATE AGE-RELATED WEAR TO THE LABEL AND CAPSULE, REFLECTS GENUINE PROVENANCE AND AUTHENTIC STORAGE HISTORY RATHER THAN ARTIFICIAL RESTORATION. THE MID-SHOULDER FILL LEVEL IS CONSISTENT WITH NATURAL EVAPORATION IN A WELL-SEALED BOTTLE AND DOES NOT NECESSARILY INDICATE COMPROMISED WINE QUALITY, THOUGH PROFESSIONAL ASSESSMENT WOULD BE RECOMMENDED PRIOR TO CONSUMPTION OR FURTHER INVESTMENT DECISIONS.

THIS BOTTLE REPRESENTS BOTH A SIGNIFICANT COLLECTIBLE ASSET AND A TANGIBLE CONNECTION TO A PIVOTAL MOMENT IN AUSTRALIAN WINE HISTORY, WHEN PENFOLDS' GRANGE HERMITAGE ESTABLISHED ITSELF AS A WINE OF INTERNATIONAL STANDING AND ENDURING PRESTIGE.

Item Size: Height: 31cm, Width: 8cm, Depth: 8cm, Weight: 2Kg

Condition: Fair - Refer To Images

991761+3

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