A wine to savour, a design to remember

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The best wines are those that weave themselves into moments – shared among friends, uncorked in celebration, gifted as symbols of taste and thoughtfulness. But some bottles transcend mere function, becoming objects of desire, their presence lingering long after the last drop has been savoured. The latest collab between Australia’s legendary winemaker Penfolds and Japanese creative luminary NIGO achieves precisely this. 

With Penfolds 65F by NIGO, artistry meets oenology in a limited-edition release that reinterprets the winery’s storied iconography through the lens of a design visionary. This is not merely a bottle of wine; it is a cultural artefact, a collector’s piece and a nod to the enduring power of craftsmanship – both in winemaking and in the visual language of luxury. 

A tale of two traditions 

For over 180 years, Penfolds has shaped Australia’s viticultural landscape, producing wines that have garnered a global following. But great brands are not content to simply rest on their legacy; they thrive by actively engaging with contemporary culture, all while proudly upholding the integrity of their heritage. 

It was in this spirit that NIGO, the Creative Director of Human Made and Artistic Director at KENZO, embarked on his final project as Penfolds’ Creative Partner. The brainchild is an exquisite 750ml release, inspired by his first visit to Penfolds Magill Estate in South Australia. What makes this provocative design a home run is a striking architectural relic – the red and white chimney, a towering structure that has stood over the Magill Estate winery for nearly a century. Its 65-foot height lends the wine its name.

A collector’s masterpiece 

The packaging is a tribute to the past, a bridge between tradition and reinvention. Penfolds’ archival materials provided the foundation for NIGO’s creative reinterpretation. A chalkboard wine tag and pencil evoke the handwritten cellar records once used at Magill Estate, offering an opportunity for personalisation.

The bottle label design harks back to the pressed bottle labels of the 1930s to 1950s, lending the release an air of vintage authenticity. The tissue paper wrapping is adapted from Penfolds’ early 20th-century logos, grounding the project in a lineage of craftsmanship.