Cos offers festive six-pack

Cos d’Estournel is releasing a limited edition six-pack for Christmas made up of six “emblematic” vintages dating back to 1982.

The “Maharajah” set contains six bottles, one each, of the 1982, 1989, 2003, 2005, 2009 and 2010 vintages. Only 50 cases are available and only from Millésima.

Priced at £4,750 each set also comes with an invitation for four people to visit the estate for a day to “unlock the mysterious secrets behind the majestic Zanzibar door.” The visit includes a tour of the vineyard and cellars, a vertical tasting and lunch with the owners.

Billed as a collection of the estate’s most “legendary” vintages, the 2003 and 2009 divided critical opinion on release. US critics such as Robert Parker and James Suckling were lavish in their praise and both gave the 2009 100-points, while the 2003 was scored in the high 90s. British critics were more reserved in their praise although there wasn’t quite the same level of verbal skirmishing that characterised discussion over the 2003 Pavie.