As promised in my last posting, we'll cover Emperor parker. I am sitting here with two recently acquired books. One is Hugh Johnson A Life Uncorked. The second one is Elin McCoy's The Emperor of Wine. Lets start with a well known fact that drinking and tasting wine is all very subjective. What Parker likes is not necessarily your or my cup of tea (or in this case ....glass of wine). The recent transAtlantic battle between Parker and Jancis Robinson proves that point once again. Jancis Robinson called the 2003 Château Pavie "a ridiculous wine". Parker loved the wine and thereby questioned her integrity. It is Parker's rating system that is creating all the buzz. Quoting from Hugh Johnson's " A Life Un corked, "If I missed the point of what Robert Parker was trying to do with his percentages of perfection, I made a mistake. To me his numbers game was simply irrelevant. He could score away as he liked, and I could enjoy my wine untroubled. It took years for the realization to dawn that his scoring was influencing the way wines were being made. He, of course, would say for the better. We have different tastes."
Parker has thoroughly ruffled the British wine press' feathers.
Sommeliers in all the finest restaurants do not have a great love for Parker Points. Says Eugenenio Jardin of San Francisco's "Jardiniere" ... "I tell a customer who says, 'Why don't you carry this Parker 100-point wine?' that if I serve you a wine you don't like, I'll be right here to talk about it. But if I serve a wine that Parker loves and you don't like it, I won't be able to get him on the phone for you." The power of Parker points are demonstrated in this slighlly altered Bob Johnson's cartoon shown above.
And how about Parker's recent sojourn into judging "star" wines. "Parker insists that when he used “opulent and luscious”, he was referring to the wine, not the star. OK,what about that Italian winemaker Roberto Cipresso. A very respected winemaker going into business with Savanna Samson. Formerly a papal vintner and now making wine with an American pornstar. Now let me see 1.1 billion Catholics or Parker Points porn star. I think I would stick with the papal crowd. I think the "Emperor" is slipping in the ratings. My favourite all time Emperor is still Moet & Chandon's biggest fan, The Emperor Napoleon himself. And you wondered what that picture at the top of this entry was all about? Well now you know. Empires come and go. Good luck Mr. Parker.
4 comments:
Wilf,
Good article, and great pictures!
I drink wines that I enjoy, and many times I am sure that wine critics would be appalled at my tastes. Frankly I dont give a hang what some famous wine critic says about a wine, if it doesnt taste good on my palate.
In any case, a wine recommended with high points is quickly bid up to ridiculous prices that I am unwilling to pay (call me cheap if you wish). Fortunately most wine shop owners and personnel are knowledgeable enough to recommend equivalent wines at a fraction of the cost.
So here's to the no-points wines...kampai!
Sanjoy
Hi Sanjoy!
Of course they are great pictures. You fixed them up for me.
Sanjoy is my California buddy who on a recent trip to France was my picture taker, chief taster, chauffeur, etc. We had a blast.
Points are for posers.
Palates are for pros.
Parker sells image and status. Buy his rated wines if you intend on putting wines on parade.
First rule of wine: Drink what you like.
Good post, Wilf.
Parker has made his contribution, with, as can be easily seen, both good and bad consequences, but the number of wineries in Washington state has increased exponentially in recent years just as it has here in the Wine Islands of B.C., and I would be more inclined to give credit to the united initiative of the dozens of farmgate wineries in the Pacific northwest, for bringing their wines to the notice of the world.
I'd also give kudos to Andy Purdue and the rest at "Wine Press Northwest" magazine.
I believe that it is a case of "the emperor's new clothes" that makes people afraid to trust their own palate - as if they would be mocked if they were at a party and said they liked the wine and everyone else else would sneer loudly and throw them out into the gutter .... hopefully time and education will help the "average person" to overcome the intimidation factor while retaining the elegance and ritual of wine appreciation.
Post a Comment