As we left the inimitable Mr. Robert Parker in our last column, we noted his ascendance to become the first truly influential wine critic and commentator to offer unbiased and fair wine information. Many also know that he is the father of the now gold-standard, 100-point rating system. But what has been forgotten is that he has always been adamant the points are only a part of his wine ratings. I will address this in detail in a minute, but first I want to address the seminal moment in not only Parker’s career, but in the direction of wine styles since that moment.
“Scores, however, do not reveal the important facts about a wine. The written commentary that accompanies the ratings is a better source of information regarding the wine’s style and personality, its relative quality vis-à-vis its peers, and its value and aging potential.” —Robert Parker
It is 1983 and although he now held some status as a wine expert, Parker was far from the top dog. It was time for wine critics to taste the 1982 Bordeaux from the barrel and forecast its present and future quality and therefore its pricing. To a person, all of the top poseurs — I mean experts — rated the 1982s as average at best. The Wine Advocate, however, declared one of the finest vintages ever for Red Bordeaux. Most considered this quite a folly and possibly the end of Parker being taken seriously as an influencer in the wine world. Well, the rest is history because when these wines were released they were, and still are, universally lauded — and a star was born.
READ Part I
Back to The Wine Advocate rating system, in the words of Parker, “Scores, however, do not reveal the important facts about a wine. The written commentary that accompanies the ratings is a better source of information regarding the wine’s style and personality, its relative quality vis-à-vis its peers, and its value and aging potential.”
I can attest, after decades as a sommelier, wine director and writer, that very few either read or pay heed to any of that. When wine reviews are discussed by consumers, points are the only thing that counts. Even wine professionals mostly lean on a wine’s point rating when deciding to buy or when giving recommendations.
This is most impactful in the case of the most expensive wines. Consider top Bordeaux, Burgundy and Napa Cabernets. Especially with high-end Bordeaux, not understanding the taste profile differences between them and other top Cabernet-based wines, such as Napa’s best, is a recipe for buyer dissatisfaction. Most top Red Bordeaux also have fickle time windows where they show well, so the commentary that accompanies a point score is absolutely essential information if one really cares how the wine tastes as opposed to just impressing one’s self and others.
All that being said, a high RP rating is gold, and 100 points, well as Pink Floyd sang, “We call it riding the gravy train.”
I’ll conclude Parker’s influence on the wine world in the next edition and at TheTahoeWeekly.com.
