We Spent $15,000 to Restage Wine's Most Famous Tasting

Fifty years ago, in a single afternoon in Paris, the wine world got turned upside down. A British wine merchant named Steven Spurrier pitched a handful of Californian wines against the best of France in a blind tasting. The French were humiliated — and the Americans took the gold in both reds and whites. Australia wasn't invited. For the 50th anniversary, we spent $15,000 flying to California to ask the question we've never been able to answer: what if Spurrier had come south in '76? What would the Aussie line-up have looked like? And how would it have gone? We asked Brian Croser, Andrew Caillard MW, and Max Allen — three of the most respected voices in Australian wine — to independently tell us which Aussie wines would've made the tasting. We tracked down the original Californian wines that beat France. And we sat them down in front of three completely independent palates: Rajat Parr, one of America's most influential sommeliers; Peter Koff MW, the cult blind taster; and ourselves. This is what happened. Wines Tasted: 1. 2023 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay 2. 2021 Leeuwin Estate Art Series Chardonnay 3. 2023 Chalone Vineyards Chardonnay 4. 2023 Stag's Leap Cellars SLV Cabernet Sauvignon 5. 2022 Mosswood Cabernet Sauvignon 6. 2018 Gustavo Cabernet Sauvignon 7. 2021 Penfold's Grange — The Australian Shortlist Brian Croser 1973 Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay 1973 Leo Buring Aged Riesling 1973 Tyrrell’s Vat 1 Semillon 1975 Moss Wood Cabernet 1975 Penfold's Grange 1975 Metala Cabernet Shiraz 1970 Eileen Hardy Cabernet Sauvignon 1969 Redman Cabernet Sauvignon 1972 Leasingham Bin 56 Cabernet Malbec Andrew Caillard MW 1971 Penfolds Grange. 1971 Penfolds St Henri Claret. 1975 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1974 Moss Wood Cabernet Sauvignon (just) 1975 Stonyfell Metala Shiraz Cabernet 1973 Tyrrell’s Vat 47 Chardonnay Max Allen 1973 Tyrell's Vat 47 Chardonnay 1976 Mount Mary Charonnay 1978 Leeuwin Estate Chardonnay 1971 Wynns Coonawarra Cabernet Sauvignon 1971 Redman Cabernet Sauvignon 1967 Vasse Felix Cabernet Sauvignon 1973 Balgownie Cabernet Sauvignon — Massive thanks to Bo Barrett at Chateau Montelena — the man who was in the cellar in 1976. To Rajat Parr at Phelan Farm for tasting wines that weren't his style and telling the truth about all of them. And to Peter Koff MW for blind-tasting with us on 45 minutes' notice in his own home, on a weekend! Thanks to Penfolds, Chateau Montelena, Chalone Vineyards, Leeuwin Estate, Stag's Leap Wine Cellars, Mosswood, and Beaulieu Vineyard for opening their cellars (and their generosity). And to Brian Croser, Andrew Caillard MW, and Max Allen — for treating an Australian's hypothetical question with the seriousness of three historians who'd clearly been thinking about it themselves. — If you want the next round — current Aussie icons vs current Californian icons, no history, no nostalgia, just the wine — tell us in the comments which line-up you'd want to see. Most-requested wins. We'll fly to America again. We'll empty our bank accounts. We'll knock on more strangers' doors. #WineTasting #JudgementOfParis #BottleShock #AustralianWine #CaliforniaWine Learn More About Us: https://bottleshock.tv/ We're Thirsty! Buy Us A Glass Of Wine!: https://ko-fi.com/wineforthepeople We're Thirsty! Buy Us A Glass Of Wine!: https://buymeacoffee.com/wineforthepe... WHAT WINE GLASSES DO WE USE? 🍷 Our FAVORITE Tasting Glass: https://geni.us/rYhO4 🍷 The ULTIMATE Blind Tasting Glass: https://geni.us/AEiBRj 🍷 The CHAMPAGNE Glass: https://geni.us/bO3uH4 🍷 The RIESLING Glass: https://geni.us/Y6ic 🍷 The SAUVIGNON BLANC Glass: https://geni.us/bSQ5S 🍷 The DECANTER In The Background: https://geni.us/srA2IL Hit That Subscribe & Thumbs Up Button! 👍 JOIN THE GROWING WINE COMMUNITY ON DISCORD:   / discord   Want To Send In Some Wine For Review? (Our Address) : 24 Victoria St, Gumeracha SA 5233 Instagram: @bottleshocktv   / bottleshocktv