Penfolds releases £1,900 Tawny

Penfolds has released 330 bottles of a 50-year-old rare tawny onto the market priced at £1,900.

The fortified wine’s oldest component dates back to 1915 – the year Max Schubert, creator of Grange, was born.

The tawny also contains wine from the 1940, 1945, 1959, 1960, 1961, and 1971 vintages, which were chosen for the blend for their unique, distinctive character.

According to its makers, Penfolds 50 Year Old Rare Tawny boasts a “silky and luscious” palate with “concentrated flavours of mocha, chocolate, fruit cake, salted plum and savoury spice.”

Rather than laying it down, Penfolds suggests the wine is best enjoyed immediately, while the freshness is locked in.

Australian glass artist Nick Mount was commissioned to design the hand-blown, 75cl bottle, which features a pewter crest and a wooden stopper crafted from old Penfolds barrels.

Mount previously put his hands to the Penfolds ampoule, released in 2012.

“This is an extraordinarily expressive and evocative wine. This is our history in a bottle,” Penfolds chief winemaker, Peter Gago, said.

“Our hopes and aspirations across a hundred years are somehow distilled through this wine,” he added.

The tawny has gone on sale via the Penfolds cellar door and global travel retail. Penfolds celebrates its 170^th anniversary this year.