Judgment of Paris Tasting
The 1976 Judgment of Paris had a revolutionary effect, like a vinous shot hear round the world.
the 1976
Judgment of Paris
In 1976, Steven Spurrier, a British wine merchant and founder of Académie du Vin, and Patricia Gallagher, Académie du Vin Director, arranged an elite blind tasting between French and California wines to celebrate the American Bicentennial in Paris.
Now known as the “Judgment of Paris,” the tasting was evaluated by nine French wine experts—wine educators, winemakers, wine writers, and sommeliers—who tasted California Cabernet Sauvignons beside Bordeaux’s most prestigious Chateaux and California Chardonnay beside Premier and Grand Cru White Burgundies.
The results shocked the wine world. The Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973 S.L.V. Estate Cabernet Sauvignon was awarded the highest red wine score above the famous Château Mouton-Rothschild and Château Haut-Brion. The 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay took the highest honor among the white wines.
The incredible achievement established the illustrious fate of Napa Valley. Today, S.L.V. continues to be one of the most coveted and age-worthy wines in the Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars portfolio.
ranking of
Judgment of Paris Cabernet Sauvignon
- Stag’s Leap Wine Cellars 1973, Napa Valley
- Château Mouton-Rothschild 1970
- Château Haut-Brion 1970
- Château Montrose 1970
- Ridge Cabernet Sauvignon ’Mountain Range’ (Montebello) 1971, Santa Cruz Mountains
- Château Leoville-Las-Cases 1971
- Mayacamas 1971, Napa Valley/Mayacamas Mts. (89.5)
- Clos Du Val 1972, Napa Valley
- Heitz Cellars ’Martha’s Vineyard’ 1970, Napa Valley/St. Helena
- Freemark Abbey 1969, Napa Valley/Rutherford