Lot. 518 Spirit Wine with Baiju
⏳ Drinking Window
Designed to be enjoyed upon release, though its fortified nature allows it to be kept and savored over several years.
🍽️ Food & Wine Pairings
Spicy Sichuan hot pot, Peking duck, rich braised pork belly
✨ Technical Specifications
Penfolds Lot 518 is a highly innovative creation that bridges Australian winemaking heritage with traditional Chinese spirits culture. This unique bottling marries rich, fortified South Australian Shiraz with premium Baijiu, a traditional Chinese grain spirit. Penfolds has a deep history of producing fortified wines dating back to its founding in 1844, when Dr. Christopher Penfold created tonics and fortified styles. Lot 518 pays homage to this legacy while embracing modern global fusion. The wine is crafted by taking robust Shiraz, fortifying it, and then carefully blending it with Baijiu. The result is a complex, warming spirit-wine that exhibits the deep plum, cherry, and anise characters of Penfolds Shiraz alongside the savory, floral, and tropical grain notes characteristic of high-quality Baijiu.
🍾 About the Producer
Established in 1844 by Dr. Christopher and Mary Penfold at Magill Estate in the Mount Lofty foothills, Penfolds represents one of the foundational cornerstones of Australian fine wine. Over nearly two centuries, the house evolved from crafting fortified tonics to pioneering modern multi-regional and multi-vineyard blending across South Australia's premier terroirs, including the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale, and Coonawarra. Soils span from rich terra rossa over limestone to weathered ironstone and alluvial clays under warm Mediterranean climates tempered by maritime breezes. Under the long-term stewardship of Chief Winemaker Peter Gago, the house adheres to Sustainable Winegrowing Australia standards while preserving an unmistakable house style defined by meticulous fruit classification, submerged-cap fermentation, and structured maturation in American and French oak hogsheads. Benchmark bottlings such as Grange (Bin 95), Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon, Bin 389 Cabernet Shiraz, and Yattarna Chardonnay define the apex of collectible New World viticulture.
🍇 Base Material
Shiraz (fortified and blended with Baijiu)
🍷 ABV
21.5%