Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon Ampoule
⏳ Drinking Window
Typically best enjoyed 20 to 50+ years from the vintage release.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Roasted rack of lamb, Prime dry-aged ribeye steak, Slow-braised beef cheeks
✨ Technical Specifications
Penfolds Block 42 Cabernet Sauvignon Ampoule represents one of the most exclusive and theatrical releases in wine history. The wine itself is sourced from Block 42 of the Kalimna Vineyard in the Barossa Valley, home to what are widely considered the oldest continuously producing Cabernet Sauvignon vines in the world, planted in 1885. These ancient, dry-grown vines yield fruit of extraordinary concentration and complexity. In 2012, Penfolds commissioned South Australian studio artists to create a limited run of twelve hand-blown glass ampoules to house the legendary 2004 vintage. Lacking a traditional cork or screwcap, the ampoule requires a senior Penfolds winemaker to personally travel to the collector's location with a specially designed sterling silver scribe to open it. The wine inside is a masterclass in power and elegance, showcasing deep dark berry fruit, refined French oak integration, and a seamless, velvety structure that honors its historic terroir.
🍾 About the Producer
Founded in 1844 by Dr. Christopher Rawson Penfold and his wife Mary at the Magill Estate in South Australia, Penfolds is one of Australia's oldest and most iconic wine producers. The estate achieved legendary international acclaim during the 1950s under visionary chief winemaker Max Schubert, who created Penfolds Grange and revolutionized the country's winemaking techniques. Driven by a celebrated philosophy of multi-regional and multi-varietal blending, Penfolds sources exceptional fruit across historic Australian terroirs—such as the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra—as well as select premier global regions. The house is universally revered for powerful, impeccably structured, and long-lived wines, led by its flagship Grange, Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, and celebrated Bin series.
🍇 Grape Varieties
Cabernet Sauvignon 100%
🍷 Alcohol By Volume (ABV)
14.0% - 14.5%