It might just be worth catching a flight to Dubai to visit Le Clos, the exclusive retailer of fine wines and luxury spirits; On display at its flagship store at Terminal 3 of Dubai International Airport is the world's most expensive bottle of red wine ever offered for sale.

A Balthazar, ie, a huge 12-litre bottle of Château Margaux 2009 costing US$ 195,000 or Rs 12,061,700.

Only six Balthazars have been produced, of which three will be offered for sale; all available exclusively through Le Clos. The quality of the wine itself is unsurpassable. Former Wine Spectator editor James Suckling gave it a perfect 100 points while Robert Parker came close with 99 points.

The wine has wonderful concentration, finesse, balance and freshness with a finish of astonishing length and flavour. A Balthazar is equivalent to 16 bottles and this is the first time in the history of Château Margaux that it has released such a large format bottle.

Chief winemaker and managing director, Paul ­Pontallier, observed, "Château Margaux's history stretches back over 400 years. During that time the estate has produced some of the world's best wines time and again. The 2009 vintage is one of the finest we have ever produced, hence why we chose to bottle it in this magnificent format."

The hefty price for this prestigious purchase includes a first class plane ticket to France, a private tour of Margaux's cellars and vineyard, and dinner at the château hosted by Paul Pontallier.

Oliver Dixon, Head of Fine Wine at Le Clos, said, "We are immensely proud to display this limited edition of the Balthazar of Château Margaux 2009 at our flagship store in Dubai Airport's Terminal 3. To be given this honour by Château Margaux underlines Le Clos' position as a world leader in bringing rare fine wines to market."

Pontallier commented: "To mark this fantastic vintage, we are delighted to create a unique opportunity by partnering with Le Clos to offer three Balthazars to the world's international and discerning wine buyers."

Now that you've seen the Balthazar and decided to buy it, have you considered how you'll take it home?

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