Judgement of Paris 50th anniversary masterclass with Château Montelena and the Institute of Masters of Wine

Information courtesy of Regine Lee MW

On 2 March 2026, the Institute of Masters of Wine and Bancroft Wines hosted a tasting with Château Montelena to mark the 50th anniversary of the Judgement of Paris. The setting was London’s historic Vintners’ Hall, and the audience – Masters of Wine, MW students and devoted collectors – gathered to hear from Bo Barrett, owner and winemaker of the family-run estate, alongside Matt Crafton, president and head winemaker.

For many, the highlight was the rare opportunity to taste the 1973 Château Montelena Chardonnay, the wine that triumphed over its illustrious French and Californian peers to take first place for white wines at Steven Spurrier’s landmark Judgement of Paris tasting in 1976. We tasted it alongside more recent and mature vintages of the estate’s Chardonnay and Cabernet Sauvignon, offering a broader perspective on Montelena’s enduring style and philosophy.

Anniversaries naturally invite reflection: both on the moment itself and on what followed. In recalling the Paris tasting, Bo described himself as a “young cellar rat” at the time. The 1970s, he said, were a singular period in Napa Valley. Emerging from the long shadow of Prohibition, the region saw a wave of investment spurred by agricultural tax incentives. At the same time, there was growing confidence that Napa could produce world-class wines in its own right, inspired by, but not beholden to, the Old World grands crus.

Yet it was Spurrier’s tasting, and George Taber’s subsequent article covering it in Time magazine, that accelerated Napa’s global reputation. “We had the land, light, people and technology,” Bo reflected. “But what would have taken 100 years for California to get to where it is today, only took 50. It took two generations instead of three. The best word for it is ‘catalytic’.”

Perhaps most striking was Bo’s comment about the 1973 vintage itself: “There wasn’t anything special about that year, and at the time we were super-focused on making red wine. What I remember is that we were lucky we picked before it rained.” It struck me that rather than vintage brilliance, it was a steadfast commitment to quality, even amid clunky destemmers and only a few years under its belt as an estate led by Mike Grgich, that propelled Château Montelena into the top ranks.

Matt emphasised that this quality-first philosophy remains the estate’s throughline today. “Our priority is to express a sense of place and be stewards of the land — and reflect that in the bottle. We taste every tank and barrel, every day.” The proof of this dedicated focus on quality rather than volume lies in the numbers: in 1982 total production stood at 35,000 cases. Today, it remains the same.

In the glass, Montelena’s style was unmistakable: smooth, composed, gliding effortlessly between opulent Californian fruit and precise acidity, with restrained oak (no more than 10–15% new oak in any cuvée). Bo aptly described it as “neoclassical”, a term that captured both its poise and structure. Technically, the team aims to harvest with balanced malic acid levels – low enough to avoid malolactic fermentation in order to preserve brightness and freshness. Replanting decisions, harvest timing and vineyard acquisitions are all made with this long-term vision in mind.

And the 1973? The audience noted there was noticeable bottle variation between the two opened. The first showed deep golden hues, with aromas of sweet hay and chrysanthemum tea. On the mid-palate, savoury tertiary notes of brown butter and toasted almond emerged, carried by a taut line of acidity through the finish. It was still tasting relatively sprightly showing strong bones. I did not taste the second bottle, but those who did described it as significantly more maderised.

As much as wine transports us across time, it can also bridge generations. Tasting the 1973, I found myself thinking of my father. In that same year, he had just arrived in the United States from Taiwan with not much in his pocket, to study engineering at UC Berkeley, just an hour’s drive from Napa. California was a place of opportunity and optimism. Over the decades, he built his life in the San Francisco Bay Area and cultivated a love of wine that he passed on to me. As his eldest daughter, I grew up visiting Napa on day trips, gradually falling in love with wine myself. That journey eventually led me to London, to becoming a Master of Wine and, fatefully, to sitting in Vintners’ Hall tasting a wine that had changed the course of Californian history.

The event was held in collaboration with Château Montelena’s UK agent, Bancroft Wines, whose portfolio is led by Lenka Sedlackova MW, and was moderated by Peter Marks MW, Partner and Vice President of Education at the Napa Valley Wine Academy.

Wine list:
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 1973
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2013
Chateau Montelena Chardonnay, 2022
Chateau Montelena Cabernet Sauvignon1977
Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1986
Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 1993
Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2007
Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2013
Chateau Montelena Estate Cabernet Sauvignon 2021

Information courtesy of Regine Lee MW