The 1976 Judgement of Paris has almost become a part of history. This was the event where French wines and American wines came face to face to prove their metal. The then upstart Napa wines were considered nowhere close to the classic French wines, But this event changed it all. Bottle Shock is the movie that captured this historic wine tasting.
Since it was such a special occasion, it is not surprising that wines from the 1976 Judgement of Paris are very hard to find. But according to reports by Decanter, a rare bottle of 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay will be auctioned off by Spectrum Auctions in order to raise funds for the Friends of the Orphans Haitian Initiative. This wine beat all the other white wines, and was adjudged the best wine at the Judgement of Paris tasting.
These bottles come in specially carved wooden cases that have the history of the wine engraved on it and also pictures of Jim Barret who is the owner of Chateau Montelena. Online bidding has already started and the last bid was at $1,700. But it could go much higher as there is no limit to the price range in such cases.
