DFS unveils S$218,000 Penfolds Ampoule at Singapore Changi Airport

DFS, in partnership with Changi Airport Group, has become the first retailer to showcase the exclusive Penfolds Ampoule, described as “the ultimate reflection of Penfolds winemaking heritage, innovation and artistic collaboration”.

Priced at S$218,000 (US$177,400), the Penfolds Ampoule is the result of a collaboration between Penfolds and a group of four craftsmen. It features the 2004 Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon wine – regarded as one of the most valuable wines in existence – in a glass-blown sealed ampoule. The rare, single-vineyard wine is only released in stellar vintages and produced from the oldest continuously-producing Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the world.

Only 12 vessels are in existence worldwide, with Ampoule Number 1 residing in the Magill Estate Winery South Australia, and Ampoule Number 6 at the Dragon Seal Restaurant and Bar in Hong Kong.

DFS was selected by Penfolds as custodian for the highly sought after Ampoule Number 8, which was officially unveiled yesterday (15 November) in an exclusive event at the DFS Departure store at Changi Airport Terminal 2.

The lilting tunes from a harpist set the atmosphere for the unveiling

Key representatives at the unveiling included (L-R) DFS Singapore General Manager Parker Gundersen; Changi Airport Group’s Head (Airside Planning & Leasing) Chandra Mahtani, Senior Vice President for Airside Concessions Ivy Wong, Executive Vice President Commercial Lim Peck Hoon, Assistant Vice President Concession Operations – Airside Concessions Monet S Aluquin; and Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago

(Left) Treasury Wine Estates General Manager – SEA, India & Korea Andrew O’Brien expresses his gratitude for Penfolds partners, DFS and Changi Airport Group; (Right) DFS Managing Director Asia South Craig McKenna: “This prestigious work of art reaffirms DFS’ positioning as the world’s largest and most progressive luxury travel retailer”

The ampoule unveiling was attended by senior representatives of DFS and Changi Airport Group, Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago and glass artist Nick Mount – both of whom were involved in the ampoule’s making – and members of the press, including The Moodie Report’s Melody Ng.

DFS Singapore General Manager Parker Gundersen revealed to The Moodie Report that the T2 DFS store was chosen for its central location and thriving passenger traffic, following the closure of the Budget Terminal which saw several airlines moving to T2.

Following the unveiling, guests were invited to a private tasting session led by Peter Gago at the Crowne Plaza Changi Airport, featuring Penfolds wines such as the 2009 Yattarna Chardonnay, the 1998 and 2008 St Henri Shiraz, the 1999 and 2009 RWT Shiraz, the 1997 and 2007 Grange, as well as the Great Grandfather Tawny.

DFS Managing Director Asia South Craig McKenna said: “It is a great honour to be one of the select few retailers to receive a Penfolds Ampoule. This prestigious work of art reaffirms DFS’ positioning as the world’s largest and most progressive luxury travel retailer and we look forward to welcoming the ampoule to Changi Airport.”

Penfolds Managing Director Gary Burnand said: “We are delighted that the ampoule will take pride of place at the luxurious home of DFS Changi Airport. The ampoule is a testament to the passion and respect that Penfolds has not only for fine wine, but also for its Australian heritage and the skills of the region’s finest artists and craftsmen.”

Craig McKenna and Peter Gago reveal the wooden Jarrah cabinet while glass artist Nick Mount removes the glass ampoule and presents it to the audience

(L-R) Changi Airport Group Executive Vice President Commercial Lim Peck Hoon, Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago, Treasury Wine Estates General Manager – SEA, India & Korea Andrew O’Brien, the Penfolds Ampoule, glass artist Nick Mount, and DFS Managing Director Asia South Craig McKenna officially unveil the Penfolds Ampoule Number 8

Guests were later invited to a private tasting session led by winemaker Peter Gago

The Penfolds Ampoule in detail

To celebrate the provenance of the 2004 Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon, the winemakers at Penfolds have enclosed the rare wine in a hand-blown glass ampoule that is suspended by a bespoke glass plumb-bob within a wooden Jarrah cabinet.

The Penfolds Ampoule also provides a memorable experience: when a decision is made to open the ampoule, a senior member of the Penfolds winemaking team will personally attend a special opening ceremony for the owner (essentially a private master class). The winemaker will travel to the destination of choice, where the ampoule will be removed from its glass plumb-bob casing and opened using a specially designed tungsten-tipped, sterling silver scribe-snap. The winemaker will then prepare the wine using an intricately crafted sterling silver tastevin.

Four of the region’s finest artists and craftsmen were commissioned to create this objet d’art. Only 12 individually numbered vessels have been made.

The Glass Sculpture – Nick Mount

Nick Mount is one of Australia’s leading glass artists, with a career spanning four decades. His work is represented in major private and public collections, and he regularly exhibits in Europe, the US and Japan. Mount’s recent work has featured a recurring motif of the plumb-bob – a builder’s instrument used since the time of ancient Egypt for determining a vertical line.

To encase the ampoule, Mount has designed and blown a conical, elongated plumb-bob of transparent grey glass with a ruby red ‘cotton-reel’ top. The plumb-bob is suspended in the cabinet, with the ampoule held securely at its core.

“The ampoule to me signifies timelessness and permanence, as well as the integrity of the individual,” said Mount. “I think there is a lot of similarity between winemakers and artists. We share a sense of passion for what we create.”

The Ampoule – Ray Leake

Ray Leake is a scientific glassblower with more than 40 years’ experience creating customised laboratory glassware. This is a specialised field of glassblowing, requiring precise control of shape and dimension. Leake learnt his craft in the UK agrochemical industry where the professors would make a sketch of a particular shape, and he would then create it.

The glass Leake used for the ampoule is laboratory-grade Borosilicate glass, ideal for the job because it is transparent, chemical-resistant and heat-resistant. Leake’s task was to blow the 12 glass ampoules to exactly the same specifications.

“This was a job with an unusual twist – a bit different from my usual line of work,” said Leake.

The rare 2004 Kalimna Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon has been enclosed in a hand-blown glass ampoule that is suspended by a bespoke glass plumb-bob within a wooden Jarrah cabinet

The Precious Metal Detailing – Hendrik Forster

Hendrik Forster commissions include Australia’s gift for the Royal Wedding in 1981; tableware for the Australian Prime Minister’s residence, The Lodge; and the church silver for St Stephen’s Cathedral in Brisbane.

Forster’s craftsmanship was in demand in this project, as he and Nick Mount worked through the challenges of how to separate the cone, secure the ampoule inside, and then suspend the plumb-bob in a steady position.

Forster commented: “It was wonderful to be involved in this project, to work with a world-class glass artist, and stretch my skills and imagination”¦ it was a real conceptual and technical challenge.”

The Bespoke Cabinet – Andrew Bartlett

Andrew Bartlett designs and makes bespoke furniture using traditional age-old methods out of his studio in the Jam Factory in Adelaide. The wood selected is native Australian Jarrah from forestry-certified timber grown in Western Australia’s Margaret River region.

The rich, dark stain of the wood is the result of an old-fashioned technique whereby steel wool is soaked in vinegar and then rubbed into the wood. The vinegar reacts with the tannins in the wood, and the resulting ‘queen ebony’ stain still allows the natural grain and warm red of the Jarrah to shine through.

This traditional method of staining has the added benefit of being natural and chemical free. The interior of the cabinet is lined with bevelled, grey smoke-backed mirror.

Bartlett said: “While the ampoule cabinet is a display cabinet, it is also a piece of art in itself. I was conscious of not wanting to overshadow, but to complement and frame the other artists’ work and the wine.”

The Wine – 2004 Block 42 Kalimna Cabernet Sauvignon

Planted in the mid-1880s, the Block 42 vineyard is located at the edge of the Penfolds Kalimna property in the Moppa area of the Barossa Valley, about 60km north of South Australia’s capital, Adelaide.

The ten-acre Block 42 vineyard is composed of Cabernet Sauvignon vines of ancient genetic origins. It belongs to a national heritage of 19th century pre-phylloxera Australian vineyards, and is thought to be the oldest plantings of Cabernet Sauvignon in the world. For almost 130 vintages these vines – planted on their own roots – have produced “flavour-intense, mineral-rich fruit with exceptional concentration and balance”, according to Penfolds. While the vineyard produces unusually high quality fruit in most vintages, limited yields mean that Penfolds rarely releases a single-vineyard wine from Block 42.

The wine is said to have received plaudits from wine critics around the world and in 2011 it was awarded 100 points by renowned US wine critic James Suckling.

First released in the 1950s, Penfolds 2004 Block 42 is said to hold a particular significance among generations of Australian and international wine collectors. “Deeply connected to Australian wine culture, each release has in a way represented a point in the progress of the modern Australian wine industry,” Penfolds explained.

Penfolds Chief Winemaker Peter Gago commented: “Behind every Penfolds wine is the joy, energy, research and science that shape it. The ampoule project is typical of the pioneering philosophy behind Penfolds winemaking evolution. The collaboration with South Australia’s finest artists has been a fitting tribute for one of South Australia’s finest wines.”

The Penfolds Ampoule has a recommended retail price of around $168,000 AUD (price may differ slightly in different markets around the world).