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Judgment of Paris (wine) facts for kids

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The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976, also known as the Judgment of Paris, was a wine competition organized in Paris on 24 May 1976 by Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant and his colleague, Patricia Gallagher, in which French judges carried out two blind tasting comparisons: one of top-quality Chardonnays and another of red wines (Bordeaux wines from France and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from Napa, California). A Napa wine rated best in each category, which caused surprise as France was generally regarded as being the foremost producer of the world's best wines. Spurrier sold only French wine and believed that the California wines would not win.

The event's informal name "Judgment of Paris" is an allusion to the ancient Greek myth.

The wines

Vineyard on Monte Bello Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon
Cabernet Sauvignon grapes from Ridge's Monte Bello vineyard.

Red wines

California Cabernet Sauvignon Vintage Bordeaux Vintage
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970
Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971 Château Montrose 1970
Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970 Château Haut-Brion 1970
Clos Du Val Winery 1972 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971
Mayacamas Vineyards 1971
Freemark Abbey Winery 1969
1973 Judgement of Paris Chateau Montelena
A bottle of 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay that won the white wine competition.

White wines

California Chardonnay Vintage Burgundies Vintage
Chateau Montelena 1973 Meursault Charmes Roulot 1973
Chalone Vineyard 1974 Beaune Clos des Mouches Joseph Drouhin 1973
Spring Mountain Vineyard 1973 Batard-Montrachet Ramonet-Prudhon 1973
Freemark Abbey Winery 1972 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles Domaine Leflaive 1972
Veedercrest Vineyards 1972
David Bruce Winery 1973

The judges

OdetteKahn
When the results were announced French judge Odette Kahn demanded her ballot back and later criticized the Paris tasting.

The eleven judges were (in alphabetical order):

  • Pierre Brejoux (French) of the Appellation d'Origine Controlee Board
  • Claude Dubois-Millot (French) (Substitute to Christian Millau)
  • Michel Dovaz (French) of the Wine Institute of France
  • Patricia Gallagher (American) of l'Academie du Vin.
  • Odette Kahn (French) Editor of La Revue du vin de France
  • Raymond Oliver (French) of the restaurant Le Grand Véfour
  • Steven Spurrier (British) Founder of L'Academie du Vin
  • Pierre Tari (French) of Chateau Giscours
  • Christian Vannequé (French) the sommelier of Tour D'Argent
  • Aubert de Villaine (French) of the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti
  • Jean-Claude Vrinat (French) of the Restaurant Taillevent

Method

Blind tasting was performed and the judges were asked to grade each wine out of 20 points. No specific grading framework was given, leaving the judges free to grade according to their own criteria.

Rankings of the wines preferred by individual judges were based on the grades they individually attributed.

An overall ranking of the wines preferred by the jury was also established in averaging the sum of each judge's individual grades (arithmetic mean). However, grades of Patricia Gallagher and Steven Spurrier were not taken into account, thus counting only grades of French judges.

The results

White wines

California Chardonnays vs. Burgundy Chardonnays

Official jury results:

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 132 Chateau Montelena 1973  USA
2. 126.5 Meursault Charmes Roulot 1973  France
3. 121 Chalone Vineyard 1974  USA
4. 104 Spring Mountain Vineyard 1973  USA
5. 101 Beaune Clos des Mouches Joseph Drouhin 1973  France
6. 100 Freemark Abbey Winery 1972  USA
7. 94 Batard-Montrachet Ramonet-Prudhon 1973  France
8. 89 Puligny-Montrachet Les Pucelles Domaine Leflaive 1972  France
9. 88 Veedercrest Vineyards 1972  USA
10. 42 David Bruce Winery 1973  USA

Red wines

California Cabernet Sauvignon vs. Bordeaux

Official jury results：

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 127.5 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
2. 126 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
3. 125.5 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
4. 122 Château Montrose 1970  France
5. 105.5 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
6. 97 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
7. 89.5 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
8. 87.5 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
9. 84.5 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
10. 78 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA

Average Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 14.14 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
2. 14.09 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
3. 13.64 Château Montrose 1970  France
4. 13.23 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
5. 12.14 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
6. 11.18 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
7. 10.36 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
8. 10.14 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
9. 9.95 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
10. 9.45 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA

Breakdown by judge

The original grades (out of 20 points) are shown, in alphabetical order by judge.

Pessac Château Haut-Brion
Château Haut-Brion was judge Pierre Brejoux's highest ranking red wine selection.

Pierre Brejoux Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 17 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
2. 16 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
3. 14 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
3. 14 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
5. 13 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
6. 12 Château Montrose 1970  France
6. 12 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
8. 10 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
9. 7 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
10. 5 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
Montrose-1986
Château Montrose was judge Claude Dubois-Millot's highest ranking red wine.

Claude Dubois-Millot Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 17 Château Montrose 1970  France
2. 16 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
2. 16 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
4. 13.5 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
5. 11 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
6. 9.5 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
7. 9 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
7. 9 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
9. 8 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
10. 7 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
Château Mouton Rothschild x
Chateau Mouton Rothschild was judge Michel Dovaz's highest ranking red wine.

Michel Dovaz Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 15 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
1. 15 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
3. 12 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
3. 12 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
5. 11 Château Montrose 1970  France
5. 11 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
5. 11 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
8. 10 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
8. 10 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
10. 8 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA

Patricia Gallagher Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 17 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
2. 16 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
3. 15 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
3. 15 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
5. 14 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
5. 14 Château Montrose 1970  France
5. 14 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
8. 13 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
9. 12 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
10. 9 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon CASK 23 1997
Stag's Leap Wine Cellars was judge Odette Kahn's highest ranking red wine.

Odette Kahn Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 15 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
2. 13 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
3. 12 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
3. 12 Château Montrose 1970  France
3. 12 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
3. 12 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
7. 7 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
8. 5 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
9. 2 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
9. 2 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA

Raymond Oliver Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 14 Château Montrose 1970  France
1. 14 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
1. 14 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
4. 12 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
4. 12 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
4. 12 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
7. 10 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
7. 10 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
7. 10 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
10. 8 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA

Steven Spurrier Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 14 Château Montrose 1970  France
1. 14 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
1. 14 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
1. 14 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
5. 13 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
5. 13 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
7. 12 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
8. 11 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
9. 9 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
10. 8 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
PaulDraper
Paul Draper was the winemaker who created the Ridge Monte Bello wine that was judge Pierre Tari's highest rated red.

Pierre Tari Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 17 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
2. 15 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
3. 14 Château Montrose 1970  France
3. 14 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
3. 14 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
6. 13 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
6. 13 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
8. 12 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
8. 12 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
10. 11 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
Rue Card-Lemoine-Rest Tour d'argent-1
Judge Christian Vanneque was head sommelier at the Paris restaurant La Tour d'Argent when he participated in the tasting.

Christian Vanneque Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 17 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
2. 16.5 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA
2. 16.5 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
4. 16 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
5. 15.5 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
6. 11 Château Montrose 1970  France
7. 10 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
8. 8 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
9. 6 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
10. 3 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
Haut Brion exterior
Château Haut-Brion was judge Aubert de Villaine's second highest red after Chateau Montrose.

Aubert de Villaine Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 16 Château Montrose 1970  France
2. 15 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
2. 15 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
4. 14 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
5. 12 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
6. 10 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
7. 9 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
8. 7 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
8. 7 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
10. 5 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA

Jean-Claude Vrinat Original grades: out of 20 points.

Rank Grade Wine Vintage Origin
1. 15 Château Montrose 1970  France
1. 15 Château Haut-Brion 1970  France
3. 14 Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970  France
3. 14 Stag's Leap Wine Cellars 1973  USA
5. 13 Mayacamas Vineyards 1971  USA
6. 12 Château Leoville Las Cases 1971  France
7. 11 Ridge Vineyards Monte Bello 1971  USA
8. 9 Heitz Wine Cellars Martha's Vineyard 1970  USA
9. 7 Freemark Abbey Winery 1969  USA
9. 7 Clos Du Val Winery 1972  USA

Implications in the wine industry

Although Spurrier had invited many reporters to the original 1976 tasting, the only reporter to attend was George M. Taber from Time, who promptly revealed the results to the world. The horrified and enraged leaders of the French wine industry then banned Spurrier from the nation's prestigious wine-tasting tour for a year, apparently as punishment for the damage his tasting had done to its former image of superiority. The tasting was not covered by the French press, who almost ignored the story. After nearly three months, Le Figaro published an article titled "Did the war of the cru take place?" describing the results as "laughable", and said they "cannot be taken seriously". Six months after the tasting, Le Monde wrote a similarly toned article.

The New York Times reported that several earlier tastings had occurred in the U.S., with American chardonnays judged ahead of their French rivals. One such tasting occurred in New York just six months before the Paris tasting, but "champions of the French wines argued that the tasters were Americans with possible bias toward American wines. What is more, they said, there was always the possibility that the Burgundies had been mistreated during the long trip from the (French) wineries." The Paris Wine Tasting of 1976 had a revolutionary impact on expanding the production and prestige of wine in the New World. It also "gave the French a valuable incentive to review traditions that were sometimes more accumulations of habit and expediency, and to reexamine convictions that were little more than myths taken on trust."

In the media

  • Bottle Shock, a feature film starring Alan Rickman and Chris Pine, dramatized the 1976 wine tasting and debuted at the 2008 Sundance Film Festival. A second film (Judgment of Paris, based on George Taber's book of the same name) was in production, and there has been controversy between the makers of the two films with allegations of defamation and misrepresentation.
  • Modern Marvels (S:13, E:54 – "How Wine is Made".) Discussion of the event is summarized in this History channel show.
  • Hollywood screenwriter Robert Mark Kamen is filming the movie Judgment of Paris based on George Taber's book.
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