Legendary wine Penfolds Grange is one of the six labels making up the company’s luxury and icon portfolio that will be distributed via La Place de Bordeaux as of 30 January 2024, the group announced.
The deal covers Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), and represents an expanded relationship between Bordeaux négociants and Penfolds, which is owned by Treasury Wine Estates but has been run as a separate division since 2021.
It’s also a major boost for La Place de Bordeaux and its international distribution network.
Négociants making up La Place are increasingly working with working with fine wines produced around the globe, on top of long-standing partnerships with leading Bordeaux châteaux from Médoc to St-Emilion.
A Penfolds spokesperson confirmed that the new deal extends to distributing wines in the UK, alongside arrangements with existing partners in the country.
Penfolds has been present on La Place de Bordeaux for two years, having made its debut with the 2018 vintage of Bin 169 Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon.
This is one of six luxury labels included in the new deal. Penfolds said the full list is:
- Penfolds Grange (‘Bin 95’)
- Yattarna Bin 144 Chardonnay
- Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon
- Bin 789 RWT Shiraz
- Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon
- St Henri Shiraz
David Warren, sales director for Penfolds EMEA, said, ‘As Penfolds enters its 180th year, we are looking to take the brand to the next level by establishing new routes to market, as well as delivering exceptional marketing programs to drive greater awareness of Penfolds as a global luxury icon of the wine world.
‘We’re therefore delighted to be reinforcing our first-class team of distributors in the region for our luxury & icons range with a selected group of 11 négociants, partnering with [courtier firm] Excellence Vin, the leading historical expert for the introduction of the iconic wines of the world on La Place de Bordeaux.’
Excellence Vin added, ‘This is an important step for Penfolds and for La Place; we are grateful for their trust and the professionalism that has been brought to this project since the first day of our collaboration.’
Penfolds announced the release of its 2023 Collection, including Penfolds Grange 2019 and Bin 169 Cabernet Sauvignon 2021, earlier this year.
La Place de Bordeaux on the rise
More than 100 international fine wines were part of the most recent ‘beyond Bordeaux’ release season in September 2023.
Some international merchants have their reservations about the model, but La Place de Bordeaux has been strongly expanding its position as a distribution hub for top wines from elsewhere in France and around the world.
For producers, La Place offers an opportunity to reach a wider pool of collectors and fine wine lovers in selected markets. For négociants, it’s a way of expanding sales alongside their traditional distribution of Bordeaux wines.
Liv-ex, a global marketplace for the trade, said in October that international merchants reported mixed results from the most recent September releases campaign, amid buyer caution in the market more generally.