Those poor French. First we had the Judgment of Paris. After the Judgment of Paris we had the Re-Judgment of Paris. Then Francois Mauss declared that the dual-locale element of the Re-Judgment made the results unreliable and biased. Mauss set out to create a tasting that would even the playing field, selecting a vintage, 1995, that was acclaimed as a good one for both regions.

Well the Judgment of Sauternes, as it was dubbed, was held today and the results are in.

California wines won. Again.

While there appears to be a pattern emerging, it still isn’t evident to at least one of the French judges. Here’s what Xavier Planty had to say about the “surprising” results:

Xavier Planty of Chateau (sic) Guiraud, where the tasting was held, had one theory as to why California won yet again: ‘When tasting wines from your own area, the critical part of your brain is switched on, when tasting from another area, the pleasure part is switched on.‘

Wait…wasn’t the tasting blind? Yes, I believe it was. So then how in the name of François Frères did these judges know when to switch on and off their critical faculties?

But I sense I’m being uncouth and piling on. Let me repeat again the sentiment that should become gospel for wine lovers around the globe: France makes great wines, some of the best on earth, and California wines are their match. There should be nothing insulting in this statement, so lets just dispense with the blind tastings unless we’re going to let the Chileans and Argentinians join in on the fun as well. We’ve beaten this one about to death.

Here’s the final list ranked by preference. Notice where Screaming Eagle wound up? Right at the bottom, just below Chateaux Margeaux and Chateaux Haut Brion. So take heart my French brethren, not all is lost.

RESULTS IN FULL
(All 1995 Vintage)

1 Abreu (Madrona Ranch)
1 Beringer Private Reserve
3 Pahlmeyer Propriatory Red
3 Valandraud
5 Latour
5 Shafer Hillside Select
7 Arrowood Cabernet Sauvignon Special Reserve
7 Ausone
9 Leoville Les Cases
9 Phelps Insignia
11 Mouton Rothschild
12 Mondavi Reserve
13 Cheval Blanc
13 Palmer
15 Staglin Family Vineyard Cabernet
16 Trotonoy
17 Araujo
18 La Jota Anniversary Reserve
18 Le Bon Pasteur
20 Pride Reserve
21 Haut Condissas
22 Spring Mountain
23 Petrus
23 Rollan de By
25 Chateau Montelena
26 Mouton Rothschild
27 Monte Bello Ridge
28 Cheval Blanc
29 Dominus
30 Colgin
31 Margaux
32 Spotteswoode
33 Le Tertre Roteboeuf
34 Haut Brion
35 La Mission Haut Brion
36 Croix de Labrie
37 Screaming Eagle
38 Harlan Estate
39 Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill