Rare ‘Judgment of Paris’ winner for sale

A rare bottle of ex-cellar 1973 Chateau Montelena Chardonnay is being sold to raise funds for Haitian charity Friends of the Orphans.

The wine beat all other whites – including four Burgundies – in the 1976 France vs California blind wine tasting dubbed the ‘Judgment of Paris’.

‘This wine has historical significance in the annals of winemaking, in that the event changed winemaking for the better, all over the world,’ said Chateau Montelena owner Jim Barrett.

‘I can think of no better way to use this wine than to put it up for auction with the proceeds to help alleviate the suffering of the poor people of Haiti.’

The 750ml bottle in its own wooden case is being sold by California-based Spectrum Wine Auctions in conjunction with Chateau Montelena.

Other than the few bottles left in the winery’s own cellar and one in the Smithsonian Institution in Washington DC, it is unknown whether more of this wine remains.

Online bidding has already begun for the single-lot auction, which also includes photographs signed by Jim Barrett and merchant-turned Decanter wine critic Steven Spurrier, who organised the original tasting.

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Written by Maggie Rosen