For The Love Of Port

In his own words: http://www.harpers.co.uk/news/news-head ... waneq.html


Love to discuss what you all think of past, present and future ... and even his legacy?

Well, RP has certainly influenced the entire world of wine, changing both what wine-drinkers think about wines AND what wine-makers think about wine. In many cases the changes have not been all to the good (IMHO). No industry should revolve around the OPINION of a single person.

Spot on article to me. Not one person outside of an actual wine maker has had as much impact on wine, wine preferences, and the wine market than Robert Parker. Whether you like him or not, the way he describes (not judges) is pretty darn good; almost like sending it to a lab.

Peter W. Meek wrote:Well, RP has certainly influenced the entire world of wine, changing both what wine-drinkers think about wines AND what wine-makers think about wine. In many cases the changes have not been all to the good (IMHO). No industry should revolve around the OPINION of a single person.

Agree 100%.

I feel the end of an era is coming soon and even RP himself realizes he's among the last of a dying breed. Regardless of what you think of RP, it's kinda sad when you think about it. The internet sure has changed things and like he mentioned, the generalist wine reviewer is also a dying breed. Now it's far more about those who specialize in a specific region. As he mentions, mainly due to the shear volume of wines from all corners of the globe.

Do you pay any attention to the Wine Advocate's ratings on Port?

Roy Hersh wrote:Do you pay any attention to the Wine Advocate's ratings on Port?

Not even the slightest consideration in my buying choice.

Roy Hersh wrote:Do you pay any attention to the Wine Advocate's ratings on Port?

Not at all. And to be honest, even if FTLOP was out of the picture, I'd still not look to WA for Port reviews. They have always seemed to do a rather poor job in reviewing Port and they always seem to be "compelled" to review only when a Classic Declaration is made. Has anyone ever seen Port reviews from them outside a Classic Declaration (barring the odd note here and there from a dinner)?

Roy Hersh wrote:Do you pay any attention to the Wine Advocate's ratings on Port?

Nope, not at all. The few times that I've seen WA Port ratings I've thought that they were off.

Do you pay any attention to the Wine Advocate's ratings on Port?

Only when he rated the 92 Taylors 100 points. I could then brag about owning some of it!

Eric Ifune wrote:

Do you pay any attention to the Wine Advocate's ratings on Port?

Only when he rated the 92 Taylors 100 points. I could then brag about owning some of it!

Nice!

The producers of Bordeaux continue to wait until his barrel sample tasting scores are published before pricing their offerings en primeur, whether the individual consumer likes it or not, and whether he agrees with his observations. More often than not, when a wine receives a score of 95 or higher, that almost automatically put it out of reach. On the flip side though, one occasionally delights in a bottle rated 88 or 89 points, the proverbial wine seller's "kiss of death", and usually discounted due to lack of interest. Such wines by today's standards, thanks to RP, can be great bargains, although my heart goes out to the sellers. They win some, they lose some.

Again there is no substitute for one's own personal preference and experience. I've been privileged to drink a WA 100 point wine, the Taylor 03 VP (the score given by RP himself in his Hedonist's Gazette). While I respect his opinion, speaking for myself, I have had other wines before and since that gave equal or greater pleasure, which were either given a lower score or not even rated by him.

In light of recent experiences, the world of wine, of which the great offerings of Portugal can match those of anywhere else whether the WA feels that way or not, presents a great microcosm of all of life, and engaging in wine requires a tremendous amount of self-discipline, observance, and openness of mind. It is a very mysterious experience. If one relies too heavily on the reputation of others, not just Mr. Parker, one can miss enormous personal opportunities for development, using wine as a conduit.

The answer to the subject's question, paradoxically, is yes and no. This comes down to how one approaches life, and the role that wine plays in it.

Upon rereading my earlier remarks, it looks like I went off on a short tangent that did not directly address the question in the context in which it was asked.

From a wine seller's perspective, I think it is fair to say that any wine critic or publication that uses a star rating or 20 or 100 point scoring system is very relevant as a means for charging a higher price for wines with very high ratings. In my local shops, these wine ratings are prominently featured. I almost find this a little crass, as a consumer, but can understand why they do it.

From a buyer's perspective, assuming RP's newsletter is literally intended to advocate which wines are superior regardless of price, and which supposedly offer good value for money at their market segment, I find these ratings significantly less relevant, but not irrelevant either. I will consider an extant review but make a final decision based on personal preference and/or experience. I would feel happier if the price of top-end wines was less influenced by these ratings.

In my limited experience with buying Portugese wines, I find this site far more useful than RP or any other reference - especially with the underappreciated table wines, which are proving to be a revelation.

Regarding the whole issue of relevance from an esoteric, spiritual approach, which the mainstream wine press ignores altogether, that is worth exploring too, but not in this thread of discussion.