Wine

Robert Parker, in what was called “a rare interview with the French magazine Terre du Vins,” denied “the idea of the ‘Parkerisation’ of wines and the emergence of a richer, riper style made to please the critic’s palate.”  Now, the information I cited above comes from an article about the Terre du Vins interview that was in the drinks business publication. I felt the need to read the original Terre du Vins story, so I Googled it and asked for a translation. Here is the relevant RMP quote: “is there a Parker taste? Even my wife thinks it is, but I’ve never subscribed to this belief. I think my taste is too complex and varied to be defined and placed in a small black or white category. I love too many wine styles, finesse and elegance of Pope Clement the creamy richness of Petrus or Trotanoy, through the extraordinary majesty, the fullness and aging potential of Latour or Pontet -Canet. The same goes for my appreciation of wines from other regions. But I know that even if I live another 25 to 35 years, and when I leave my obituary you read, there will be a reference to wine ‘parkerized’ or to taste ‘Parker’. There is nothing I can do against it.” Even allowing for the eccentricities of automatic online translation, these remarks ring true. So let me accept them as words Parker actually spoke, and tell you what I think. I think Mrs. Parker got it right, bless her soul. Of course there’s a Parkerized style. Everybody in the industry knows what that means. The topic has been endlessly discussed for decades, with worldwide agreement, that, yes, the era of Robert Parker has resulted in wines of higher alcohol, greater fruity extract, stronger oak influence, and a sweeter finish. For RMP not to see this clearly is a bit of a mystery. He may feel that, since he also has an appreciation for lighter, drier wines such as, for example, the Chenin Blancs of the Savennieres (which he described as “among the potentially most profound and ageworthy” of the world’s wines), he has immunized himself against allegations of Parkerization. As much as RMP himself may see things that way, surely the rest of us realize that it isn’t so: Parker may like a broad range of wines, but the high scores he has consistently given to the richest and most extracted of them is precisely what has caused the world to become Parkerized since the 1980s. Parker need not apologize for it. He ought to defer to his wife’s and history’s judgment and accept the verdict. He’s done nothing wrong, except to state his preferences. If the world has allowed RMP’s tastes to dictate the style of its wines, that is not Parker’s fault. It’s not something he set out to do, but happened of its own accord. Besides, I think that Parkerization has had salutary effects. You may like or dislike that style, but at least it has helped to make wine vastly more popular worldwide than it was pre-Parker, and is continuing to do so as RMP and his organization cement their hold on the Asia market. Parkerization also has stimulated a healthy conversation about wine style among critics, sommeliers, merchants, winemakers, educated consumers and others whose opinions count. This debate arouses passions on all sides, and can verge on the ideological; but it’s a good argument to have, as it forces everyone to think about wine in terms of a wider range of parameters than used to be available. I have just returned from two days of tasting the Cabernet Sauvignons of Alexander Valley with some very talented winemakers and sommeliers, and the topic of Parkerization and its associated issues–alcohol level, ripeness, food-friendliness, oak level, fruit bombiness–constantly arose. Each winemaker, facing his task, must decide where to throw down the gantlet on this spectrum, which Parker helped broaden. That, too, is healthy, I think: it may make the winemaker’s task more complicated, for a variety of reasons (including the market), but there’s no reason why winemakers (and proprietors) should n

Brotherly WineRevisiting the great debate: wine or mustard?Mustardini, sometimes I wonder if you'll ever understand. "But I do, Muscardini! I just don't see how you can compare the taste of wine to the spicy and sweet taste of mustard." Because wine is more than just a condiment. It is a mix of scent and flavor. Each drop in the glass is its own reward. It is special. "So is the spice of the yellow mustard and the unique taste of brown mustard on a fresh turkey sandwich." Once you've tried wine, though, you'll understand. Take my 2011 Sangiovese. Its complex aromas of wild berries, lavender roasted black walnuts, mountain herbs, and spicy cedar awaken your nose, and the flavors of rich cherry, boysenberry, dark chocolate, clover, and balsamic dance on your tongue. "But what is wine without a food to go with it? Like mustard." Wine accompanies many meals, not just deli sandwiches. Take the Fortuna red blend, for example. Because it's a blend, there's no limit to the amounts of food it pairs well with. "But it doesn't go on bread!" Not everything goes on bread, Mustardini. "Hmmm, I guess this wine thing is just something I'll never understand." I guess not.

Unlike Mattinson, I’m acutely conscious of keeping my reviews relevant to the Wine Front subscriber, and also up to the minute.

Well I thought I had my notes with me (replicated via iCloud), but it seems not to be the case today. Oh well, going from memory is easy here; it’s a memorable wine. Importer: Enoteca Sileno

RAW sign and part of the fair 2013 RAW mirrored the success of the Real Wine Fair in March by again attracting a large number of interesting consumers. Such was its popularity that in the early afternoon there was a short queue in the street waiting to be allowed in.One very positive sign was the number of younger people attracted come and taste wine and meet the producers. François Saint-LôFrançois Saint-Lô, who has two hectares in the Vienne towards Poitiers, was showing off three 2012 wines from his first vintage. Despite having chosen a really difficult start for his début his attractively soft and easy drinking Grolleau 2012 was a juicy charmer, his more structured, well made Cabernet Franc with red and black fruits and his Chenin showing potential. On this showing François has made a good start! Jean-Pierre Robinot: Les Vignes de l'Ange VinFrançois Blanchard: Château du Perron/Le Grand Cléré Caroline Henry models the Spring Collection Guillaume le Grand founder of TOWT whose company chartered Mil'Pat to transport the equivalent of 4000 bottles across the Channel from Fécamp plus some olive oil and tea. RAW attracts plenty of the younger generation keen to meet producers and taste their wines

Nice black cherry to garnet hue with a bouquet full of ripe blackberry with a charcoal edge, light chocolate covered cherries and dark fudge.Palate--Bold structure with ripe dark fruit, charred oak, more fruit and a finish of smokey oakey and ripe plum which hangs on a good bit.This wine has a lot going on from beginning to end. It is a blend of the Horse Heaven Hills AVA grapes with 80% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon and 7% Syrah. The Syrah really comes out even though it is the minority grape. As usual Columbia Crest makes pleasing wines at various price points and this is no exception. At $12 you get a lot and if you like the fruit forward, "fruit bomb" sorts of creations, you'll love this. Raise a glass to another CC creation!--A Review from The Wine Cask Blog. Creative Commons: Attribution - ShareAlike 2.5 applies

craig.camp posted a photo:

Another oddball wine from Domaine Lucci. I'm guessing it's an anime kitten on the label and a blend of merlot and sangiovese inside. An initial flush of cherry, milk chocolate and lavender. Later it's mostly wilted leaf and autumnal decay with a shake of pepper. Bold, frontal and firm. Mouth filling and grainy with a disconcertingly suggestion of raisin and sadly not much tail.http://feeds.feedburner.com/WinoSapien Click here for the original context

In 2004 a humble North Carolina bartender decided to make a difference. The man, Doc Hendley, had a dream to take on a huge problem that we cannot ignore, the vast and growing water epidemic that affects nearly one billion...

In the video below, I chat with Theresa, editor of Great Wine News Magazine, about The Great Canadian Wine Match, now in the last day for nominations for your favourite wines. The competition has been fierce, but so has the fun as wine lovers from coast to coast rally behind their most-loved wines. Get your final nominations and votes in today before we move to the finalist showdown phase!