The judgment of Paris
The tasting that changed the wine world
At least once a week I experience a blind tasting wine event among friends. And I am often disappointed when my verdict for a simple but wonderful 2002 Claret turns out to be the Argentinean Kaiken Malbec. But I take comfort to know that way back in 1976 what one of 11 judges said was “the magnificent of France” turned out to be a Napa Cabernet. “That is definitely a California. It has no nose,” said another judge after downing a Batart-Montrachet 1973. The comments and results of the tasting indicated that the judges could not distinguish California from French wines. So what was this competition all about?
The Paris wine tasting of 1976 or ‘The judgment of Paris’ was a wine competition organised in Paris in 1976 by Steven Spurrier, then a British wine merchant, in which French judges blind tasted top quality Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon wines from France and California. California wines 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 wines and believed that the California wines would not win.
When the results were tallied and announced, several judges behaved badly, refusing to give up their notes and one even tried to change his numbers before Spurrier whipped away the scorecards. Another judge, Odette Kahn, tried to get her ballot back at the close of the event. Spurrier declined to provide it, after which she refused to speak to him, except to charge that he had falsified the results of the tasting. One of the winning winemakers, Warren Winiarski, received letters from people in the French wine business telling him that the results were a fluke. In essence their letter argued that everyone knows French wines are better than Californian wines, in principle, and always will be. As recently as 2005 some of the judges refused to discuss the tasting, saying to do so would be “too painful”.
Although Spurrier had invited many reporters, the only one to attend was George M. Taber from Time magazine, who promptly revealed the results to the world. Leaders of the French wine industry then banned Spurrier from the nation’s prestige wine-tasting tour for a year, apparently as punishment for the damage his tasting had done to its former image of superiority. The French press later described the results as “laughable” and that they “could not be taken seriously”.
Some critics have suggested that wine tastings lack scientific validity. Spurrier said “the results of a blind tasting cannot be predicted and will not even be reproduced the next day by the same panel tasting the same wines”.
A 30-year anniversary re-tasting on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean was organised by Spurrier in 2006. Despite the French tasters, many of whom had taken part in the original tasting, expecting the downfall of the American vineyards, they had to admit that the harmony of the California Cabernets had beaten them again. Judges on both continents gave top honours to a 1971 Ridge Monte Bello Cabernet. Four Californian reds occupied the next placings before the highest-ranked Bordeaux, a 1970 Chateau Mouton Rothschild, came in sixth.
This repeat performance demonstrated that, even with very different judges, a clear pattern existed in which Californian wines increased their rankings. In 1976, two Californian wines were ranked among the top half but by 2006, all five of the top wines were from California. This pattern over time does not support the hypothesis that the ranks are meaningless but that, on the contrary, they reflect a significant improvement in Californian wines compared to French wines that was recognised by experts in blind tastings.
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 re-examine convictions that were little more than myths taken on trust. The result has been the improvement of wine around the world to the benefit of consumers.
And the man responsible for that has just finished judging our own Cyprus wines.
Wine of the week
2005 Moschatos, Ayia Mavri Winery, Kilani, Lemesos Regional, abv 14.5%
An outstanding naturally sweet wine, this nectar was last year’s medal winner along with its 2004 vintage. It is bright yellow in colour and has a fine aroma that will get you sniffing for hours. Floral bouquet more violet on the nose, lychees, and figs, ripe peaches, apricots and as many more summer fruits as you can think of, followed by honey and raisins. Its rich taste yields a long aftertaste and a soft, creamy palate with floral notes, some cinnamon spice and candied citrus fruit throughout the palate. Well balanced and with a pleasant acidity, at 9° it was a joy with Cretan spicy yellow graviera cheese and Kasseri, with fruit, foie grass and on its own after a good meal.
