On 9th June, the four finalists in the contest organised by the Commanderie du Bontemps, the ENS (Ecole Normale Supérieure – Teachers’ Training College), the IEP (Institut d’Etudes Politiques – School of Political Science), Cambridge and Oxford, were the guests of Château Lafite Rothschild.
The contest consisted of three stages: a ten-question quiz on wine, a one-minute extempore on a subject drawn by lots and a blind tasting at the Bofill cellar at Lafite. The ENS came away with the top prize in front of an admiring audience consisting of around a hundred guests and supporters, winning a double magnum of 1990 Lafite Rothschild. The other contestants were able to console themselves with a double magnum of 1990 Carruades de Lafite!
After the tasting, Baron Eric hosted a grand dinner in the cellar. After a 1998 Carruades de Lafite and a 1994 Duhart-Milon, a double magnum of 1980 Château Lafite Rothschild provided an ideal accompaniment to the cheese, and a 1978 Château Rieussec was served with a charlotte of red fruit, a perfect end to the dinner.