The Judgement of Paris 50th Anniversary.
This month as we are coming up to the 50th anniversary its a good time to talk about “The Judgement of Paris”. Not the event in Greek mythology but a wine tasting event held on, 24th May 1976
The late Steven Spurrier, who ran a wine shop in Paris at the time, organised a blind tasting of Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from California and France.
All the tasters were respected members of the French wine trade, bar one - an American living in Paris, in one way or another. Critics, restauranteurs, chefs, winery owners, and sommeliers.
The wines carefully selected by Spurrier were:-
Chardonnay’s
France, Burgundy
1973 Meursault-Charmes Premier Cru - Domaine Roulot
1973 Batard-Montrachet - Ramonet-Prudhon
1973 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles - Domaine Leflaive
1972 Beaune Clos des Mouches - Joseph Drouhin
USA, California
1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay
1974 Charlone Vineyards
1973 Spring Mountain Vineyards -
1973 Freemark Abbey Winery
1972 Veedercrest Vineyars
1973 David Bruce Winery
Cabernet Sauvignon’s
France, Bordeaux
1970 Chateau Mouton-Rothschild
1970 Chateau Montrose
1970 Chateau Haut-Brion
1971 Chateau Leoville Las Cases
USA, California
1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
1971 Ridge Monte Bello
1970 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha’s Vineyard
1972 Clos du Val Winery
1971 Mayacamas
1969 Freemark Abby Winery
Whilst, as with all tastings, the tasters ranked the wines separately, the combined scores shocked everyone and sent ripples through the wine trade with a Californian wine coming top in both the Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon.
Showing that the wines of California could rival the best in the world and loosening France’s grip as the best wine producing country.
The winners were
1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay
1973 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon
The furore around the event has continued with a book, two films, Bottle Shock being one, the USA house of representative making it an officially important day for the countries wine industry and bottles of the two winners displayed in the Smithsonian National Museum of American History.
Some of the wines from Bordeaux are still available in the market place, but the Californian wines are rarely seen now.
If you wanted to toast the tasting we have some wines, by the original producers, albeit not the actual vintages available by the bottle.
Photo Credit Zebra Press