My Round: California vs France: the great wine war

You might have read or heard a few weeks ago about "the judgement of Paris", a replay of a famous wine tasting that took place in Paris back in 1976 and caused shock waves throughout the wine world. Why? Because California wines scored better (tasted blind) than their much more famous counterparts from Bordeaux. The organiser of that tasting, Steven Spurrier, arranged a similar tasting on the 30th anniversary of the original. This one took place in London and in Napa.

Last month's tasting was different in crucial respects from the original, but the headline result was clear: when the same red wines from the same vintages were tasted 40 years on, the top four rankings were all of Californian wines, with Ridge Monte Bello 1971 in first place.

Another tasting, much less heavily publicised, took place on the same evening, and I was lucky enough to attend. This one was of younger wines divided into two groups: claret side by side with Californian Cabernet, and white Burgundy with Californian Chardonnay. Served at perfect tasting temperatures, they gave me the opportunity to taste wines at a level to which I rarely have the opportunity to access.

The most fascinating thing about this tasting, for a relative ignoramus like me, was the way the best wines evolved in the glass from minute to minute. This undoubtedly affected my assessments. In the Bordeaux reds, for instance, I made a last-second switch of number-one choice from Château Margaux 2000 (first choice of both panels) to Château Haut Brion 2000 (joint second with Château Latour 2000). Given another 30 seconds, I might well have preferred something else. And in both the Bordeaux and the Californian Cabernet sections, there often seemed little to choose between them - it was a question of preferred style, not absolute quality. Only one Californian wine seemed out of its depth here; it scored sixth on both continents. All the others were outstanding, even the Léoville-Las-Cases 2001 that came last overall in the Bordeaux section. I loved this wine, and would recommend it without hesitation at £63 from Berry Bros & Rudd (tel: 0870 900 4300, www.bbr.com). You can find it cheaper elsewhere, though buying a single bottle may be difficult.

In the Californian Cabernet Sauvignon section my own judgements also fell roughly in line with those of other tasters. Shafer Hillside Select (the 2001 vintage in this case) has long been my favourite Napa wine, and in this blind tasting I unhesitatingly placed it as my clear numero uno. It was first choice in California, second choice in London. Hillside Select will set you back around £150, which sets the price of that unloved Léoville-Las-Cases in perspective.

The most startling section of the tasting was the one that placed white Burgundy next to Californian Chardonnay. Where the reds had been closely matched in overall quality, in the whites there was no contest. Burgundy offered sublime, subtle, complex and varied tastes; California offered a lumpy mass of overoaked, overly alcoholic mediocrity. There wasn't a single US wine of which I could have drunk more than a glass. And while white Burgundy is almost a byword for vast expense, the wine that I placed third and everyone else placed second - Beaune Le Clos des Mouches 2002, Domaine Drouhin - costs £362 a case from Fine and Rare Wines (tel: 020 8960 1995, www.frw.co.uk). Not as cheap as the three everyday-ish white Burgundies highlighted here, but a lot cheaper than any of the clarets or Californians.

Wine looking like a bargain at £362 a case? Well, this is a different world from the one that you and I inhabit. When I entered it briefly, I felt I should have taken my passport.

Three affordable Burgundies

Bourgogne Blanc 2004 Domaine Fourrier (£8.95, Seckford Wines, tel: 01394 446 610) From an excellent producer with vineyards in Gevrey-Chambertin. Ample and ripe, with lots of mineral notes.

Blason de Bourgogne St Véran 2004 (£8.99, Tesco, Waitrose) The Blason brand has become hugely popular, and this St Véran shows why. Rich, vivacious, complex.

Sainsbury's Taste the Difference Chablis 2005, Cuvée Ste Céline (£7.99, Sainsbury's) This is a fine entry-level Chablis, made by Brocard, with honeyed notes nestling alongside the classic steely acidity, and lemony freshness.