Penfolds and La Chapelle in France have combined to release a new wine called Grange La Chapelle 2021.
The luxury wine is 50 percent La Chapelle Syrah from the Hill of Hermitage in the Rhone Valley, and 50 percent Grange from vineyards in the Barossa Valley, McLaren Vale and Clare Valley.
It is the first time Grange has been blended with another winemaker’s product.
A 750ml bottle of the wine – intended to be released each year mother nature permitting – retails for $3,500.
Grange La Chapelle 2022 has been bottled and the 2023 is in barrel.
A long-standing friendship between Caroline Frey, chief winemaker and vigneron at La Chapelle, and Peter Gago, chief winemaker of Penfolds Grange, enabled the unexpected union to showcase what Shiraz can achieve aromatically and structurally.
“Coalescing different geographies, different soils and different winemaking cultures,” Peter says.
Caroline and Peter say that after many conversations, the time was right to work together.
Caroline says, “By uniting two iconic wines, this collaboration achieves something truly groundbreaking.
“As a vine grower, as a winemaker, it’s so magical, I would have never even dared to imagine it.
“No one in the world has ever blended two such legendary terroirs.
“It’s like Picasso and Dalí painting on the same canvas – an idea so extraordinary it almost feels too incredible to be real.”
Peter says, “When things are real, all quickly becomes self-evident…
“This friendship created an idea, this idea became a trial, the trial became a wine.
“Who would have thought…
“Via one variety this wine fuses two hemispheres and two winemaking cultures.
“France and South Australia, Syrah and Shiraz, La Chapelle and Grange.
“Truly, a blend waiting to happen.
“Emotionally, a wine beguilingly alluring.
“Ultimately, harmony and classicism redefined.”
Peter references earlier links, including a major La Chapelle and Grange tasting organised by The Institute of Masters of Wine many years back.
And more recently in 1987, a Hermitage Luncheon at Rakel Restaurant in New York (with a young chef, Thomas Keller) co-hosted by Gerard Jaboulet and Max Schubert.
“Pouring the 1971 Penfolds Grange and 1978 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle – certainly a celebration of Syrah and Shiraz,” Peter says.
“Fast-forward 38 years to 2025 and this connection has now come full-circle.”
The Grange component was matured in 100 percent new oak and La Chapelle in 20 percent new oak.
A small allocation will be sold by Penfolds direct to consumer channel in Australia and the USA.
Grange La Chapelle 2021 was celebrated at the inaugural global launch in Paris last night at an intimate invite only black-tie evening hosted by Caroline Frey and Peter Gago, at Monnaie de Paris.
The French component of Grange La Chapelle 2021 is transported to Australia in temperature-controlled stainless-steel pallet-tankers.
Upon receival, winemakers blend the wine and it is then matured in American oak. Bottling takes place in Australia.
La Chapelle – named after the chapel on the top of the mound of granite on the left bank of Rhône – is a revered wine in Tain l’Hermitage.
The Syrah from the revered Hermitage is both powerful and mythical, made to last.
Today La Chapelle vintages 1978, 1990, 1991 and 2015 are much sought after globally, and the 1961 remains a 20th-Century wine legend.
Grange is named after the cottage at Magill Estate Winery in South Australia – originally established by early settlers Dr Penfold and his wife Mary in 1844.
Created in 1951, Grange has enjoyed a consecutive annual release for more than 70 years, and is also highly respected and endorsed by wine cognoscenti around the world.
Prized vintages to relish today include 1952, 1962, 2008, 2010 and 2018.
Grange was once known as Grange Hermitage but ‘Hermitage’ was dropped for the 1990 vintage.
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