Full set of Grange to be sold in Australia

A 62 bottle vertical of Penfolds Grange is expected to break records when it is sold in Adelaide this weekend.

The rare lot, which covers every vintage of Grange from 1951 to 2012 (the ’51 pictured left) has been valued at AU$250,000 to $280,000 (£150,000 – £170,000) by the auction house du Plessis .

Part of the house’s sale on Sunday 6 August, the vertical is one of only a very few complete sets of the fine wine label known to exist anywhere in the world.

The auctioneer explained that several bottles have been signed by Penfolds’ chief winemakers over the years and have been inspected at the various re-corking clinics Penfolds has held for over 25 years now.

All the bottle are marked as being in good condition.

The collection was reportedly put together by a figure in the Adelaide building industry over the last 25 years and is one of two sets he owns, although the second set is not yet fully complete as it is still missing some bottles from the 1950s.

The set is expected to exceed its asking price as interest not only in Australia but from around the world grows.

Broking agent Dan Murphy’s sold a similar vertical last December for AU$300,000 and another full set was sold in Dubai some years ago for AU$600,000.

As reported by the drinks business, a single bottle of the 1951 Grange, the very first vintage, sold in Victoria last month for over AU$50,000.

The family behind the auctioneer, however, have told the Australian media that they rather hope the collection stays in the country and would be even better if it found a buyer from South Australia.

Mark du Plessis told news outlets: “The potential buyers are keen because it is so hard to find a full set of Grange.

“We’d like to sell it in South Australia where the wine originates, and we’d like it to stay in South Australia. Penfolds Grange is not just an Australian icon, it’s a South Australian icon.”

The lot, with individual pictures of each bottle, can be viewed here.