 The Parker Palate The emperor of wine cannot be ignored. On his immensely influential say so, wine markets move and shake, he has become the champion of the wine buyer. In his tasting notes on the 2005 Bordeaux, Robert Parker wrote “one thing I am sure of after 28 years of tasting Bordeaux wines every march is that 2005 cannot be compared to any previous vintage in my experience”. |
 It was, by all accounts, another Bordeaux record-breaker, with some of the best reds described as rich and opulent, with powerful Tannis and wonderful freshness. Thousands of years of wine-making traditions on the concept of terroir combine with the generally mild, Mairtime climate - warmed by the currents of the Gulf Stream – and the clement spells of long, dry weather, to give the assest class of Bordeaux wines their special, distinctly rare quality and character. Former lawyer turned critic, the American Robert M Parker, is the world authority on wine today. In 1983 he tipped Bordeaux’s 1982 vintage for greatness. A powerful player and mover in the world of fine wines, his reputation, and that of his publication, the wine advocate, remain unchallenged.. |
 Awarded the grand prix of the international academy of gastronomy - the food and drink equivalent of the Nobel Prize - Robert Parker pioneered a quality point system for rating wines, from 50-100. His scores, comments and tasting notes-on colour, flavour and finish, aroma, and bouquet, potential & quality- can make or break a vintage or a wines standing, and put an estate in utter turmoil. His ratings determine how wines will be received in the market, how they should be priced, and which wines will leap into greatness. His annual wine pilgrimage takes him to Bordeaux every spring spending three months tasting in vineyards. “When I put my nose into a glass, it’s like tunnel vision. I move into another world, where everything around me is just gone, and every bit of mental energy is focused on that wine” he said. |
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