A 1951 bottle of Penfolds Grange is set to break the record auction price for an Australian bottle of wine.

The 750 millilitre bottle is for sale through an online auction which closes tomorrow night.

The first and only bid is $60,000 — or $8,999 more than the record set last year, also for a bottle of Grange.

Penfolds chief winemaker Max Schubert only gave the first 1951 Grange to family and friends, including the vendor.

Langton's heads of auctions Tamara Grischy said the bottle had an amazing provenance.

"It was given to the family by Max, which is just amazing to be able to follow that," she said.

"So it's only been in Penfolds hands and then in this family's hands, which is absolutely outstanding.

"It's very rare to find that these days."

Also for sale is a set of Penfolds Granges from 1951 to 2013. It has yet to receive a bid.

A similar set sold for a record $332,608 in December.

While the latest bottle is likely to go to a collector, Ms Grischy said there were people who just went ahead and drank such expensive wines.

She said a client bought a vintage Grange last year to give to her partner for his birthday.

"We stored it for her for a year and then she turned up and said, 'Can I collect it up and I'm going to drink it tonight with my partner', so people do drink them," she said.

"It's the ultimate gift I suppose for somebody who's passionate about wine."

The retail record for a 1951 Penfolds Grange is $65,000. It was sold by Dan Murphy's in 2015 and was signed by Max Schubert.