Judgment of Paris
TIME
June 7, 1976
 Americans abroad have been boasting for years about California wines, only
to be greeted in most cases by polite disbelief – or worse. Among
the few fervent and respected admirers of le vin de Californie in France
is a transplanted Englishman, Steven Spurrier, 34, who owns the Cave de
la Madeleine wine shop, one of the best in Paris, and the Academie du Vin,
a wine school whose six-week courses are attended by the French Restaurant
Association’s chefs and sommeliers. Last week in Paris, at a formal
wine tasting organized by Spurrier, the unthinkable happened: California
defeated all Gaul.
The contest was as strictly controlled as the production of a Chateau Lafite.
The nine French judges, drawn from an oenophile’s Who’s Who,
included such high priests as Pierre Tari, secretary-general of the Association
des Grands Crus Classes, and Raymond Oliver, owner of Le Grand Vefour restaurant
and doyen of French culinary writers. The wines tasted were transatlantic
cousins – four white Burgundies against six California Pinot Chardonnays
and four Grands Crus Chateaux reds from Bordeaux against six California
Cabernet Sauvignons.
Gallic Gems. As they swirled, sniffed, sipped and spat, some judges were
instantly able to separate an imported upstart from an aristocrat. More
often, the panel was confused. “Ah, back to France!” exclaimed
Oliver after sipping a 1972 Chardonnay from the Napa Valley. “That
is definitely California. It has no nose,” said another judge – after
downing a Batard Montrachet ’73. Other comments included such Gallic
gems as “this is nervous and agreeable,” “a good nose,
but not too much in the mouth,” and “this soars out of the ordinary.”
When the ballots were cast, the top-soaring red was Stag’s Leap Wine
Cellars’ ’72 from the Napa Valley, followed by Mouton-Rothschild ’70,
Haut-Brion ’70 and Montrose ’70. The four winning whites were,
in order, Chateau Montelena ’73 from Napa, French Meursault-Charmes ’73
and two other Californians, Chalone ’74 from Monterey County and Napa’s
Spring Mountain ’73. The U.S. winners are little known to wine lovers,
since they are in short supply even in California and rather expensive ($6
plus). Jim Barrett, Montelena’s general manager and part owner, said: “Not
bad for kids from the sticks.”
Paris Tasting • Media Coverage
from 1976 • Judges and Scores • Media
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