A few weeks ago, our small group held our 6th Manila Blind Bordeaux Challenge. The Stockbroker, having won the 5th Challenge with an '89 Pichon Lalande, was gunning for the first ever back-to-back victory. The Doc was also raring to go. Edouard said he would bring something interesting, but not a likely winner. I, myself, was not properly armed, having been buying Burgundies the past several months; but decided on something on hand that I knew all of them professed liking a lot.

Back at our traditional battleground of Old Manila, we started off various appetizers with:

1994 Domaine Weinbach Cuvèe St. Catherine Schlossberg - From the Doc. Very clean, focused peach attack with ripe melon and tangerine coming in the middle, lemon sneaking in towards the rear, underpinning of petrol surfacing rear-proper, through to the long finish. Touch of minerality mid-mouth, as well as a faint spritz towards the rear.

My '00 Chassagne-Montrachet 1er Cru "Morgeot" by Blain-Gagnard was, unfortunately, tainted. It smelled like a persistently ripe camembert. Fine for cheese, not for wine.

That done, hostilities began (from my own notes):

Wine # 1 - Oldest wine, nice heft, roasted herbs in earthy red fruit over black, sweet camphor in nose at the beginning. Much heavier than Wine # 2. After around 30-40 minutes, beginning to break apart, the flavors separating, the bouquet muting.

Wine # 2 - 3rd oldest wine, lightest in body (medium at best), pure red fruit compote with capsicum underneath, most elegant.

Wine # 3 - Youngest wine. Muscular, ripe black fruit, cedar, most noticeable oak. Rich. Very long. Notable balance between power and restraint. Makes a good statement. Best over-all performance. Held to the end. Best in terms of length.

Wine # 4 - 2nd Oldest wine, its age revealed only by the sediment which settled in the glass after around 40 minutes. Good backbone, 2nd best in length. Very similar to Wine # 3, with a touch more of gaminess.

As usual, despite the relentless urging of Edouard and the Stockbroker, I was one of the last to submit my vote, my wife bringing up the rear. Sevrine, again, as usual, tallied the votes.

Results:

1st Place - Wine # 1, 1990 Ch. La Mission Haut Brion of the Stockbroker, 23 pts, with five votes for 1st place and three votes for 4th place.

2nd Place - Wine # 3, 2000 Ch. Lagrange of Edouard, 22 pts, with one vote for 1st place, five votes for 2nd place, one vote for 3rd place and one vote for 4th place.

3rd Place - Wine # 2, 2000 Dom. Henri Bonneau Réserve des Céléstins of the Doc, 18pts, with one vote for 1st place, one vote for 2nd place, five votes for 3rd place and one vote for 4th place.

4th Place - Wine # 4, my 1996 Ch. Leoville Poyferré, 17 pts, with one vote for 1st place, two votes for 2nd place, two votes for 3rd place and three votes for 4th place.

1978 Pichon Lalande from Edouard was then served with dinner proper.

And so it came to pass that the Stockbroker made good his threat to be the first to "two-peat" the Challenge. I've got to hand it to him, though, he really went for it with the wine he brought. The dichotomy of votes garnered,though quite curious, was, nonetheless, conclusive. Hearty congratulations well deserved.

My '99 Yquem with a bit of tarte-tatin and crème brûlée added a consoling touch of sweetness (though thin and lacking in complexity for an Yquen) to my ignominious defeat.

Just wait for next time....

Special mention need be given the Doc for his trying to mix things up with the only Rhone ever entered in our Challenges. Truly a challenge to Bordeaux, I rated it my 2nd best wine.

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