Parker agrees with Berrys on Bordeaux 2009!
Author: Simon Staples
The mighty Parker has released his scores for Bordeaux’s 2009s – possibly the most important document in wine history since the 1855 classification – and guess what? He actually seems to agree with us! Many have been the years where we have read through Parker’s proclamations with a sense of bewildered wonderment – 2003/2005/2008 for example.
Well, this year he seems to have seen the light and hasn’t, like many, declared 2009 the best vintage in living history, but has sensibly informed the wine world that, although many chateaux have made the best wines in memory, it is not a blanket vintage and many wines are too alcoholic and lack definition.
However, as we have always maintained, Parker, although a great critic and undoubtedly one of the most influential men of our times, is simply one man. One man who’s opinion affects an entire industry, so when he gives the brilliant 09 Ch. Latour 98-100 points but, in the next breath, awards the same status to certain Right Bank wines which were, in our (team’s!) opinion, over-extracted, over-alcoholic and stand-your-spoon-up-in-them thick, we can’t help but wonder whether being all things to all men is simply not a sensible tactic (the wines we are talking about shall remain nameless). The sad fact is that most people don’t read Parker’s notes, they just care about the score, so if they enjoy the classy, subtle elegance of Ch. Latour and then decide to try another of his more “exotic” 100-pointers, they are bound to be disappointed, and vice versa of course. To me it would seem very helpful to the reader that he identifies the “pea soupers” (PS?) as Modern Style (MS) perhaps. Anyway, enough rambling on, the report will only add fuel to the 2009 fire. Message to Chateaux….Come on ….let’s get on with it!
Hi Simon
Couldn’t agree more. I remember reading Hugh Johnson once saying one needs to find a wine writer whose tastes are aligned with one’s own, and never were more sensible words written. I often find wines which are highly rated by Parker far less enjoyable than many which he awards more modest scores
Sadly I’ll have to take your word on the ’09 Latour as my pockets are not that deep!
“The mighty Parker” & “most important document” – ROFL. So he would choose us to believe. Thank god there was awakening at seeing his 2005 scores and now he seems to have learnt to copy&paste what the REAL oenophile/Critics say!
I do find it a bit depressing that so much is placed on parker’s rating – how did it ever get to this point? The title of your blog worried me a little….as if agreement with Parker is somehow a vindication of your own palate / views – this is not how it should be and I wouldn’t not buy from BBR just because you happen not to be in line with Parker – if people do, that’s just crazy! I am pleased therefore to see a little balance further down where you highlight areas on which you and parker differ!
I look at all the scores and then try to determine what to buy. However, I still believed and no one can argue that whatever you like is your personal preference. So however you or RP rate the vintage is only from your experience and preference as well. There’s always bias involved.
Hi Bobby,
I totally agree with you. This is one of the reasons we buy as a group. Six of us taste and score the wines out of 20. Anything where we have an average score of 15 or more we look at again and determine wether we buy it or not. We also try not to taste too many wines in one flight, as over 20 and your mind and palate are challenged too much. I’m astonished at the stories you hear about Parker, on his own, tasting hundreds in one go. He must be immune to tannin, alcohol and acidity. Really remarkable. It’s definitely the best way if you cant taste the wine yourself to triangulate opinions.
Whilst it’s annoying that RP’s ratings hold so much sway on release prices, they’re also a useful guide for people investing in wine, applying the normal “prices can go down as well as up” caveat of course.
That’s why i like to see that AND all the other wine critics’ ratings in the one place, gives you an overall picture. Seems to me that this year, you’ve added more of these scores on the notes pages – thumbs up.
Also, looks like that despite the hype, exchange rates and “interest from the far east” we’ll be able to get some bargains this year after all – excellent stuff