Paul Draper on California Wine, Winemakers He Admires, and The Wine That Changed His Life

As part of a feature in the UK publication, Noble Rot, Paul Draper shares his insights on the following six questions:

1. What was the wine that changed your life?
The 1864 Laffite, purchased through Christie’s in the early 1970’s in perfect condition from the Queen Mother’s collection at Glamis Castle. Quite feminine and incredibly complex – enjoyed with friends in 1975 when it was more than one hundred years old.

2. What wine have you been most proud of making and why?
Despite the quality and future of the great 1970, it would be the 1971 Monte Bello that came in first in the combined London/California results in the 30 year repeat of the Paris Tasting, 18 points ahead of the second place wine. It surpassed the other Californian’s and the 1970 Haut-Brion, Mouton and Montrose. The ’71 was from a cool vintage that fully ripened the grapes…