The Red Wines of the 1976 Paris Tasting

A wine produced by Warren Winiarski and Bob Sessions, this 1973 was the second release from Stag's Leap Cellar's SLV vineyard.  Warren Winiarski purchased this property after tasting the homemade wines of Nathan Fay. After securing the property he left Robert Mondavi Winery to focus on making his own world class estate wines.  The success of SLV cabernet sauvignon on a global scale brought new found interest to the Stag's Leap AVA which was once considered too cool for Cabernet Sauvignon.  

The wine entered into this tasting was technically a second-growth at the time of its production.  Mouton Rothschild would not be elevated to first growth status until 1973.  Baron Philippe de Rothschild had spent decades lobbying to have the property re-classified, and responded furiously to the French judges for placing his wine second.  Several years later Philippe would join Robert Mondavi in a partnership to establish Opus One using a prized plot of ToKalon as its foundation. 

Haut Brion has always been the first growth star of Pessac-Leognon, and its roots as a globally recognized fine wine date back to the 1600's. The estate was purchased in 1935 by the Dillon Family who were American Merchant Bankers.  The 1970 was critically lauded in its early days, but would be surpassed by the stellar 1975 and 1978 a few years later.   Haut Brion was the first wine to establish a Bordeaux on an international level, and still leads the region today. 

The Montrose is considered to be a often tannic and firm wine in its youth, but 1970 produced wines the critics thought would show well upon release. Montrose benefits from its deeply dark fruited Cabernet component, and is a global reference point for high quality age-worthy wines.  

Produced by Paul Draper from the now famous Monte Bello Vineyard this was  the only California wine included that was not from Napa Valley.   The Monte Bello Vineyard had been the source cooler climate cabernets as far back as the 1950's, but the work of Paul Draper to experiment and try new techniques would land this cabernet right at the top of the 30th anniversary tasting. Monte Bello is considered by many to be "the first growth of the USA". 

Leoville Las Cases has long been known for making achingly tannic wines upon release that age in the cellar for a very long time. Some vintages will last for 100-years or more.  The 1970 was perhaps not the most representative example of that reputation, but this St. Julien property is one of the jewels of the left bank and deserved its position in this flight.  Quality today has never been higher, and the wines are often cited with the First Growths as vintage benchmarks. 

Produced by Bob Sessions and  Bob Travers in only the fourth vintage under the Travers family ownership.  The wines made by Bob Sessions before he went to Hanzell would craft the rugged and tannic style that required these wines to age for decades.  The 1971 was a star in the 30th anniversary tasting.  Stylistically the team at Mayacamas still makes fresh, ageworthy and classic wines today. 

This was the first release of Clos du Val, and the fruit for this wine was not from the Stag's Leap estate it would become known for. The fruit was sourced from Park Muscatine (Howell Mountain),  Steltzner (Stags Leap) and  Wappo Hill (Stags Leap).  This wine would take first place at the 10th anniversary tasting, and provide a sentimental moment in the Somm films when Dlynn Proctor sat with Stephen Spurrier over a bottle of this wine.  

Produced by Joe Heitz from the Martha's Vineyard in Oakville.  This was the fifth release of what was quickly becoming America's most sought after wine as allocations were already necessary by the time of the Judgement of Paris Tasting.  Shortly after this Heitz would release the legendary 1974 and solidify its reputation for having made some of the best Cabernet Sauvignon's of the 1970's in California. 

Produced by Brad Webb this wine was largely comprised of fruit from the Bosche Vineyard.  This Rutherford site would solidify its place as single vineyard bottling at Freemark Abbey in 1970.  The Bosche Vineyard remains among the top tier sites on the Rutherford bench to this day, and as single vineyard bottling remains Freemark Abbey's flagship wine.