Qantas uncorks Penfolds Grange at its first class lounges

Qantas’ international first class lounges at Sydney and Melbourne are well regarded in their own right, but that five star pre-flight experience is being elevated even further with the airline pouring Penfolds Grange Bin 95 for its high flyers.

Selling for upwards of $800 depending on the vintage, with a reputation for superb fruit complexity, rich yet nuanced flavours and an exquisite perfume, this iconic Australian red wine is a must-have in the cellar of connoisseurs.

The Grange is making a special appearance as part of special ‘12 days of Christmas’ menu in the Sydney and Melbourne first class lounges.

And while 2023 has been a challenging year for Qantas, and one the airline is no doubt keen to put behind it, a few glasses of Penfolds Grange are no doubt a superb way to welcome the approach of 2024.

However, not all guests to these Qantas First Lounges can partake of one of Penfolds’ best – the Grange is served only in the roped-off ‘VIP dining areas’ reserved for first class passengers on the Qantas A380, along with Platinum One frequent flyers and members of the invitation-only Chairman’s Lounge.

Those fortunate high flyers have to date noted the 1992, 1997 and 2007 vintages being poured.

For the 1992, expect what’s been described as “a beautiful nose of chocolate and berries” where raspberries dominated the palate, despite the wine itself not being “overly fruit driven or syrupy.”

Tasting notes for Grange 1997 describe it as “an exceptional vintage” of a “deep, opaque crimson hue… a sumptuous, fragrant bouquet of rum-infused dark chocolate, intertwined with the luscious essence of blackberry and blueberry.”

The palate is “deeply concentrated with flavours that envelop the senses. Cranberry and blueberry harmonise with the seductive embrace of dark chocolate. Oak integration is seamless, and the tannins, smooth and fine, weave a balanced tapestry. The finish leaves a lasting impression, chalky and firm, a testament to its exceptional quality.”

And no apologies need be made for the Grange 2007, which most experts rate at 95/100.

“A very contemporary, richly fruited and opulent Grange that is already very smooth and approachable,” suggests Australian wine writer, commentator, educator and presenter Jeremy Oliver.

“It’s very ripe and perfumed, scented with meaty aromas of cassis, blackberries, dates and figs knit with sweet, fine-grained mocha-like oak.”

“Long, sweetly flavoured and backed by gamey complexity, it drips with intense, sumptuous fruit handsomely integrated with oak and polished, pliant tannins.”

Qantas First Lounge visitors who’re not eligible for a chair at one of the VIP tables can still find some solid reds on the roster and also lurking in the by-request decanter to pair with the return of the minute steak and other dishes on the latest seasonal summer menu (try the pav, which is now dressed with peaches, raspberries and red currants).