Bordeaux second growth Château Cos d'Estournel is set to release a new cuvée this year.
The new wine, named COS100, is made from a parcel of 100 year-old Merlot vines planted at Cos d’Estournel by women during the First World War.
The wine, named ‘COS100’, comes from the Bordeaux 2015 vintage and will only be available in large format bottles.
Only 100 double magnums (3 litres) and 10 balthazars (12 litres) were bottled – by hand – from two barrels.
‘With COS100, I want to pay tribute to the terroir, and to acknowledge the women who, more than a hundred years ago, courageously worked in the vineyard to ensure the continuity of the estate,’ Cos d’Estournel owner and businessman Michel Reybier was quoted as saying in French financial paper Les Echos.
In 1915, most male vineyard workers were fighting or had died on the Western Front during the First World War.
According to Les Echos, two balthazars of the cuvee will be up for grabs at Sotheby’s auctions in New York and Hong Kong on 28 February.
A further two double magnums and elephant scultpures will also be for sale.
All money gained from the lots will go to Elephant Family, a charity that protects Asian elephants and their habitat.
The elephant forms part of the Château’s brand image.
The château – considered by many industry commentators to be part of a handful of top-quality “super second” growth producers – was built with an oriental twist.
It’s original owner, Gaspard d’Estournel, was known as the ‘Maharajah of St-Estèphe’. He founded the estate in 1811.
Further bottles of COS100 will be available through the château’s website. Prices were available to customers on request, the estate said.
Coming soon: Decanter Premium members will be able to see Jane Anson’s tasting note for COS100.
See Jane Anson’s ratings for Bordeaux 2015 Médoc wines in the bottle
