Judgment in Paris took place in 1976. A wine merchant named Steven Spurrier created the event to draw attention to his store and wine academy. This event pitted some of the best French wines against some of the best of California. The wines were tasted blind by some of the better palate's of the day, including trade people and Sommeliers. The results sent shockwaves through the wine world as Stag's Leap Cabernet got the top nod for red and Chateau Montelena beat out some of the best French Burgundies for favorite white.
Most recently Steven Spurrier partnered with a independent importer who works with some top Chilean wines to attempt the same type of blind tasting. This time there would be a mix of Chilean, Californian, Italian and French wines to taste blind and evaluate.
The original tasting arranged in this fashion took place in Berlin, Germany in 2004. Once again the results were shocking to the wine world as the Chiliean wines performed well beyond expectation. This event became known as the Berlin Tasting and just recently a similar event was held in Los Angeles.
A collection 50+ wine people were invited to blind taste 10 top wines from the 2006 vintage. The results again were shocking. We evaluated these wines in a pristine setting. Arriving to the tasting room we were greeted by 10 pre-poured glasses, all numbered 1 through 10 and papers for notes. We were told to pick our top 3 wines out of the 10 to garner the final results.
Blind tastings are always highly educational. There are no label influence or prejudice, just what is in the glass.
The wines tasted: 2006 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, France 2006 Sassicaia, Italy 2006 Errazuriz Don Maximiano, Chile 2006 Stags Leap SLV, California 2006 Errazuriz La Cumbre, Chile 2006 Opus One, California 2006 Chateau Haut Brion, France 2006 Vinedo Chadwick, Chile 2006 Sena, Chile 2006 Errazuriz Kai, Chile
The top 3 wines chosen by me: 1) 2006 Stags Leap SLV, California 2) 2006 Chateau Haut Brion, France 3) 2006 Opus One, California *a very close 4th was 2006 Sassacaia
The top 3 wines chosen by the group: 1) 2006 Stags Leap SLV, California 2) 2006 Chateau Haut Brion, France 3) 2006 Opus One, California
The rest: 4) 2006 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, France 5) 2006 ErrazurizKai, Chile 6) 2006 Vinedo Chadwick, Chile 7) 2006 Sassicaia, Italy 8) 2006 Errazuriz La Cumbre, Chile 9) 2006 Sena, Chile 10) 2006 Errazuriz Don Maximiano, Chile
So again, as in 1976, the Stags Leap Cabernet took the top spot. And the much maligned Opus One (recently making a comeback of sorts) ended up as the third favorite of the entire group. The Haut Brion was a real pleasure as well, coming in at number two.
Make this dish. It rocks! Pair with old school Rioja.
Ingredients
9 ounces dried garbanzos (chickpeas)
Pinch bicarbonate of soda
6 garlic cloves, peeled and whole
1/4 cup Spanish extra-virgin olive oil
2 ounces white sliced bread, with the crusts removed
2 tablespoons pimenton (Spanish sweet paprika)
1 pinch Spanish saffron
2 tablespoons Spanish sherry vinegar
1/2 pound spinach, washed and cleaned
1 teaspoon ground cumin
Salt and white pepper to taste
Method
The day before you cook, soak the chickpeas in cold water with a pinch of bicarbonate of soda. The next day, drain and rinse the chickpeas.In a big saucepan, combine the chickpeas with 2 1/2 quarts of water. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low and simmer for two hours, until the chickpeas are tender. Every 10 minutes or so, add 1/2 cup of cold water to slow down the simmering. By the end, the water should have reduced so it is barely covering the chickpeas. Turn off the heat and let sit.
In a small saute pan over medium to low heat, brown the garlic in 1/4 cup of the olive oil. When the garlic is browned, after about 3 minutes, remove from the pan and set aside. Add the bread and brown on both sides, about one minute each side.
Remove the bread and set aside. Remove the pan from the heat and allow to cool for a few minutes. Add the pimenton and saffron to the saute pan, and the sherry vinegar immediately afterward to prevent the pimenton from burning.In a mortar, smash the reserved garlic and the browned bread to make a very thick paste. Bring the chickpeas back to a low boil and add the spinach. Simmer for 5 minutes. Add the pimenton mixture along with the garlic and bread paste, to create a thick, stewy sauce. Simmer for another 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste, and serve immediately.
Jose Andres Tips
When the chickpeas are soft and cooked, only about one finger's depth of water should remain in the bottom of the pan. If there is more, remove some water from the pan before adding the rest of the ingredients. By the way, if you're in a rush and want to make a successful dish without cooking for two or three hours, you can use good quality chickpeas from a can or jar.
Plenty of serious deals out there! If I were you I would stop by regularly to see what has turned up. Here are a few to get you going:
Suggested retail $20 -- New price $12.99
NV Collabrigo Brut Prosecco Rosé Ti Amo $12.99 Italy
A perfect Spring rosé sparkler made with 95% Prosecco and 5% Pinot Nero. Produced from 25-year-old vines in the region of Conegliano, Veneto. Bright pink color with orange shades. Ripe small fruit perfumed with cherries and rasperries as well as citrus. On the palate, round red fruit, a subtle mousse and a fresh finish. Pairs well with shellfish, oysters and various appetizers.
Suggested retail $18 -- New price $9.99
2004 Bodega Vinas Zamorans Los Zorros $9.99 Spain(89 Points: International Wine Cellar) 100% Tempranillo. Ruby-red. Intensely perfumed aromas of fresh red berries and flowers. Polished red and dark berry flavors are unencumbered by tannins, offering a seductively silky texture. Bright acids add energy to the juicy finish. A pretty amazing bargain here.
Suggested retail $20 -- New price $9.99
2001 Chateau Pesquie Quintessence Rouge $9.99 France
From the Cotes du Ventoux in the Southern Rhone. A blend of Grenache and Syrah. A great value with some bottle age, this wine is full of dark fruit qualities and soft tannins. Notes of blackberries and licorice fill the glass. This is a great bottle that is drinking well right now for a steal of a price (normally $20).
Suggested retail $22 -- New price $14.99
2007 Dorigo Ribolla Gialla, Friuli $14.99 Italy
Native to Friuli, Ribolla Gialla, is cultivated almost exclusively in the hillsides of the country (as far as Istria). Straw yellow in color. Floral notes in the nose, complemented by background notes of tropical fruit. The palate is savory with balanced acidity. Crisp texture and floral notes lead to a fresh, minerally finish.
Chez Panisse, Berkeley
Classic.
Fresh.
Well executed.
Lunch
Baked Andante Dairy Goat cheese with garden lettuces $10
Wood over-roasted squid with cannellini beans, kale, rosemary, and toasted breadcrumbs $19
My wine pick:
2008 Domaine Tempier Bandol Rosé
Fantastic.
The kitchen in action between service.
We like them a lot. It is always a pleasure to support small production, high quality wine made by great people. In other words, the name of the game.
The first two Spring releases are in.
2008 Eric Kent Pinot Noir Russin River Valley
Retail: $35.99
The first “appellation” Pinot Noir from Eric Kent and a wonderful house wine that delivers loads of drinking pleasure. Light ruby in color, with aromas of bing cherry and pomegranate. Offering up notes of cherry, raspberry, plum, and cola. Medium bodied and fruit forward with gentle but present tannins. The final blend consists of 93% Windsor Oaks, 4% Cleary and 3% Stiling Vineyard.
2007 Eric Kent Syrah Dry Stack Vineyard
Retail: $39.99
2007 hearkens back to a cooler vintage like ‘05, but what a different wine! A clonal mix of 877, 174 and 470 – no Estrella River in this one – plus 1/3 whole-cluster fermentation and more time on the skins has made a wine with layers of complexity, wonderful depth, a medium to full body and great structure. Classy Syrah.
The 2008 Carlisle Spring releases are in this week.
2008 Carlisle Winery Zinfandel Sonoma County $22.99
A blend of various old-vine vineyards such as Taylor in Dry Creek, Tin Cross in Alexander Valley, and Rossi in Sonoma Valley. A little Dry Creek Petite Sirah from Teldeschi Vineyard seemed to bring the components together, rounding out the palate nicely. Aged in French oak, 20% new, and based upon the success of our experiment last year, bottled completely in screw cap. Tasting Note: Medium-dark ruby-garnet. Red cherries, berry compote, and notes of bittersweet chocolate and brown spices greet the nose. Fresh and juicy on the palate with red and black berry fruits highlighted by hints of licorice, smoked meat, and earth. Finishes with great energy and thrust. Once again, an absolute steal for the price. 481 cases produced.
2008 Carlisle Winery Zinfandel Dry Creek Valley $33.99
Predominantly from Teldeschi Ranch (planted in 1885) and Mounts Ranch (planted in 1952), yields were generally in the range of 1.5 to 2.5 tons per acre. An 11% mix of petite sirah and carignane completed the palate, adding just the right amount of tannin and acidity. Aged in French oak, 23% new. Bottled unfined and unfiltered. Tasting Note: Medium to medium-dark garnet-ruby. Classic Dry Creek zin aromas of red cherries, minerals, and dusty, red earth. Bright and lively in the mouth with plenty of cherry-laced fruit flowing into the persistent, sappy finish. Strikes a lovely balance between ripeness and freshness. 292 cases produced.
Small production. Artisan wine. Reliably great. Realistically priced.
Wine Advocate says: The proprietor of the Uccelliera estate, Andrea Cortonesi, embodies the finest of the artisan tradition in Montalcino. Cortonesi’s wines have always been bold and exciting but with the newest vintages Cortonesi has arrived at a new level of elegance.
Wine Spectator says: ... a sweet little winery with about 16 acres of prime vineyards near some of the top vineyards in the region. Uccelliera, which in recent years has been making top wines, has some outstanding to great reds in the works. And if it's any indication for Montalcino as a whole, it means plenty of excellent Sangioveses in the future.
We say: we like ‘em. These three wines represent the very latest releases from Uccelliera. Some are in very limited supply.
2008 Uccelliera Rosso di Montalcino $29.99 Italy
2005 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino $59.99 Italy
2004 Uccelliera Brunello di Montalcino Riserva $141.99 Italy *very limited
Our best advice regarding wine buying in general is always, find a producer you like, and buy them in all vintages. You will discover that not only does the winemaker find a way to make the best wine possible under all conditions, but you will also experience the singular place where that wine comes. Uccelliera is one such producer to follow.
The charming estate is located in the Montalcino countryside just below the town of Castelnuovo dell’Abate, where the beautiful Sant’Antimo abbey is.
Judgment in Paris took place in 1976. A wine merchant named Steven Spurrier created the event to draw attention to his store and wine academy. This event pitted some of the best French wines against some of the best of California. The wines were tasted blind by some of the better palate's of the day, including trade people and Sommeliers. The results sent shockwaves through the wine world as Stag's Leap Cabernet got the top nod for red and Chateau Montelena beat out some of the best French Burgundies for favorite white. 
The wines tasted: 2006 Chateau Lafite Rothschild, France 2006 Sassicaia, Italy 2006 Errazuriz Don Maximiano, Chile 2006 Stags Leap SLV, California 2006 Errazuriz La Cumbre, Chile 2006 Opus One, California 2006 Chateau Haut Brion, France 2006 Vinedo Chadwick, Chile 2006 Sena, Chile 2006 Errazuriz Kai, Chile 
