[The New Blood of Napa]
May 24, 2006. The early summer air in Napa Valley was warm, yet it carried a strange, palpable tension. A massive banner hanging at the main entrance of COPIA shimmered in the sunlight, exuding an air of grandeur.
[Judgment of Paris 30th Anniversary Retasting 1976–2006]
Golden lettering etched onto a white background. For anyone familiar with the history of the wine industry, that single sentence was enough to send a shiver down their spine.
Christopher White was no exception. He adjusted his tie and slowly climbed the stairs. In front of the main entrance, journalists and industry figures from various countries were gathered in small groups, snapping photos. Inside the hall, preparations to recreate "history" were already underway.
"Mr. White, please, this way."
Following the guidance of an NVV association official, he walked forward, and the grand auditorium of COPIA slowly revealed itself. In the center of the hall, long tables were arranged in a 'U' shape, with wine bottles marked by blind tasting numbers lined up in order.
Each glass held an identical amount of wine, and the lighting was maintained at a precise, uniform brightness. It was a preparation as meticulous as a laboratory experiment.
Soft music flowed from the ceiling speakers. The classical melody, a blend of piano and cello, seemed to ease the tension in the space, yet none of the judges wore a relaxed expression.
Just then, a woman with calm, steady movements took the microphone and stepped to the center of the stage. Margaret Dury, the president of the NVV. She was dressed in a gray suit, holding an old wine glass in one hand.
Her voice resonated throughout the hall via the speakers.
"Dear guests. Thirty years ago, what happened in a small hotel in Paris changed our lives forever. That day, French tradition and the youthful courage of California met on one table, and the world was made anew."
The atmosphere in the hall grew heavy and focused. Margaret raised her glass and swirled it quietly.
"Today, we will open those bottles once again. The wine that conquered time, and the dreams of the people who made it, will be poured into these glasses once more."
She paused for a moment and bowed her head toward an elderly man sitting in the front row. It was Robert Mondavi.
With his white hair neatly combed back, he slowly rose from his seat, leaning on his cane, and a burst of applause erupted.
He waited for the applause to die down before he began to speak.
"Time has passed, and the wines of that day are greeting us with even deeper aromas. Today's event is also a place to ask how much we have grown since then, and where we must go from here. However, we must recognize our reality with a cool head, and if we are lacking, we must strive harder to move forward. That is the mindset that those who love wine should possess."
Applause rippled through the room once more. Margaret raised her hand, signaling calmly.
"We will now begin the judging. Judges, all the wines before you are provided via blind tasting. France and California, the vintages of the 1970s, have been prepared under identical conditions. Please remember only one principle for today's evaluation: Wine is not evaluated by the name of a country, but by the philosophy of a generation."
The lights dimmed slowly, and servers appeared in a line from the back of the stage. They carried bottles with numbered tags and wine decanters. As the red liquid was poured into each glass, the sound of glass clinking and the rising aroma created a subtle silence that enveloped the entire hall.
Christopher closed his eyes.
His heart was beating a little faster. He could feel it. In this very moment, he felt as if he could see that day from thirty years ago.
The retasting, held simultaneously in the United States and France, had concluded. The results were shocking enough to stun the world.
Every single wine from first to fifth place was American. For France, it was an undeniable shock. The term "The Second Judgment of Paris" began to circulate naturally.
The next day, the morning in Napa Valley was still buzzing with the aftershocks of the previous day, and the lobby of COPIA was filled with endless conversation.
"To think the result was exactly the same as thirty years ago!"
"I can't believe it. Stag's Leap took first place again."
"French wine was excellent, but America has done it again."
Some were moved, others were surprised. Everyone was excited, and amidst the laughter and murmurs, the phrase "a recreation of history" floated in the air.
A new banner hung on the stage in the center of the hall.
[New Blood of Napa, The Future Beyond Judgment]
Now, the protagonists of the day were not the masters of the past, but the rising young winemakers. Christopher White stood in a corner of the audience, holding a glass.
The excitement of the previous night hadn't faded, but today's stage held a different kind of tension.
He muttered quietly to himself.
"Now, the generation is changing."
Behind the stage, three young winemakers were waiting for their turn. I was standing by, arms crossed, when Elena Elowen, representing Silveroak Hills, stood next to me, organizing her notes.
'She's a different person.'
I was quite surprised to see her. While she still wore her thick glasses, the sharp, anxious edge that used to prick at everyone around her was gone, replaced by an expression of haughty confidence.
It seemed that going through the massive disaster of the wildfire had broken something within her. She checked her tasks with calm eyes; in the past, it wouldn't have been strange for her to pick a fight with me for no reason, but instead, she gave me a slight nod and focused on her preparations.
After the panel talk concluded, the moderator's voice rang out.
"Now, the first winery to take the stage today is Silveroak, and Elena Elowen!"
As the spotlight hit her, the audience went quiet. Elena walked slowly to the center of the stage. The sound of her long dress brushing against the floor was picked up by the microphone.
"Hello."
After a brief greeting, she pulled out a bottle of wine.
Silver Oak Revival Cabernet 2004.
"This wine was made from grapes grown on land that was scorched by fire. In 2004, the flames swallowed half of our farm. But the land remained, and the roots remained. This wine is the first sprout that has emerged from those ashes."
Her voice was quiet, yet firm and compelling.
"The fire took the grapes, but it could not change the soil. This is not a record of despair, but a record of survival. That is why Silver Oak Revival Cabernet 2004 possesses a firmer structure and complex flavors. I hope you will all remember this wine today."
People tasted the wine she brought, nodding or engaging in conversation. Her time soon ended, and as Elena came off the back of the stage, she met my eyes again.
"I heard you got two double golds? Congratulations."
"Uh... thanks."
She was even greeting me pleasantly now. At this point, I started to wonder if she had regressed like me.
"Things will probably be different starting this year."
"Huh?"
"We recruited an incredible winemaker last year. Just you wait and see."
As expected, people don't change easily. But I was curious about this winemaker she had recruited. I wondered just how skilled they were.
The second to step up was Duckhorn Estate, which could hardly be called a mere startup. It seemed they thought it would be difficult to hold people's interest if only new wineries appeared.
And then, as the lights dimmed, the moderator spoke.
"Next is winemaker Brian Choi of Redwood Winery."
Brian stepped onto the podium with a calm gait. Two bottles were placed on the table.
Echelon 2004, Sylphide 2004.
"Hello, I am Brian Choi of Redwood Winery. The two wines I will show you today were made in the same year, by the same hands. However, they have completely different 'directions'."
I lifted the first bottle.
"Echelon is a Cabernet Sauvignon-based blended wine. The reason it achieved such deep structure and concentration despite a short aging period is because I adjusted the bonding structure of the tannins during the fermentation process. Thanks to that, it was able to have a fully matured balance within the short span of one year."
I set the bottle down and picked up the second.
"Sylphide is a Russian River Valley Pinot Noir. This wine was intended to capture the 'time of light and air' exactly as it is. The morning fog of the Russian River makes the grape skins thinner, allowing them to hold onto subtle aromatic components for longer. I call this wine the 'wine of air'."
I used the kind of expression wine enthusiasts love. As expected, the enthusiasts in attendance smiled contentedly as they tasted Echelon and Sylphide.
These were wines already hard to find on the market, so for them, this was a golden opportunity to have a sip.
"When is the release date next year?"
"Is there any stock left at the winery?"
A barrage of questions poured in. Especially those who had tasted it for the first time were stepping forward as if they wanted to buy the wine immediately.
And among those watching this situation were the three friends, including Chloe, but there were also two people I hadn't expected.
They were Michael Lowell and Richard Spencer, the chairman of Apex Creative Holdings, the largest entertainment group in the U.S.
"So, that Echelon is the next representative Napa Valley wine you've picked?"
Since Michael Lowell was a senior editor at Wine Enthusiast, one of the two major wine magazines in the U.S., it was natural for him to attend yesterday's and today's events. But it was unusual for Richard Spencer, who absolutely worshipped French wine, to stay for an extra day. I had thought it wouldn't have been strange for him to leave for New York immediately, his mood completely soured.
"By my standards, yes."
"Besides Echelon, Sylphide from Redwood spread throughout the social circles centered in New York late last year. Honestly, I found Sylphide more impressive than Echelon when I tasted it."
"Sylphide... it certainly is a fine wine."
"I don't believe yesterday's results mean that America has surpassed France. However... I can at least admit that American wine has reached a position where it can challenge French tradition."
"Even though American wines took first through fifth place?"
"Ahem... life always has unexpected rules. In that sense, while this second Judgment of Paris is surprising, it cannot overturn the reputation built up over all this time."
Michael looked at him, wondering what on earth he was trying to say, but Richard Spencer lifted one corner of his lip and said.
"But I am a businessman. Money follows what people are interested in."
"Pardon?"
"How about we pit the two wineries that appeared in 'New Blood of Napa' against some up-and-coming French wineries? Doesn't that sound interesting?"
"So, since 30-year-old wines had their showdown, you want to have a showdown between rising young wineries?"
Michael Lowell's expression suggested he thought that was a bizarre idea. It made sense; while such blind tasting events garner worldwide attention, they are ultimately only famous among wine enthusiasts. He hadn't thought it was something Richard Spencer would get involved in.
"I'm not talking about some mere blind tasting. We'll judge the winemakers' skills one by one, through a TV show."
"A TV show? Ah..."
Reading Richard Spencer's intent, Michael was secretly impressed. His combative business sense, finding a way to connect this event to money, was truly remarkable.
"What do you think? Doesn't it sound fun?"
"But why only those two wineries?"
He glanced at the Asian man standing on the podium, speaking, and said.
"On a day when we Americans should be enjoying ourselves, an Asian is at the center of the conversation. Isn't it funny? People who have never even made wine... If this continues, the leadership of American culture won't be Napa Valley, but that Asian's winery. So, I intend to proceed without including that place."
Michael's jaw dropped. In other words, he couldn't stand seeing that Asian man become the center of attention, so he intended to create an additional event to ensure white people remained the center of the conversation.
"Haha... You praised Sylphide, so I naturally thought you would include Redwood in the event."
"I am a cold man. I have no intention of disparaging the quality of Sylphide. I just have no intention of making it stand out."
He then took a sip of the Sylphide wine provided by Redwood Winery for tasting and wore a satisfied smile.