Bordeaux 2017: Who will be the influential critics?
Of Neal Martin, Antonio Galloni, James Suckling, James Molesworth, Michel Bettane, Jancis Robinson, Jane Anson, Jean-Marc Quarin, Who should we follow to analyze and understand the secrets of the 2017 Bordeaux wines? Castles of Bordeaux organized tastings of their 2017 vintage As a special preview for professionals, we are now awaiting the full review scores, which we will publish on our website. The time when Robert Parker The era of the quasi-official rating agency is behind us. Let's now analyze the criticisms that need to be addressed.
Robert Parker and his legacy
For several years, Robert Parker's ratings had a decisive influence on prices and their potential fluctuations. The entire industry hung on the critic's every word, and the release of his ratings was almost a minor ritual.
Since then, we have been awaiting the succession and therefore the reviews from the various critics, who are all vying for a share of the Master's legacy. It seems to us that some are more generous than others.
The Vinous group
Founded by Antonio Galloni, who was once designated by Robert Parker as his successor, the Vinous agency has grown considerably in recent times. Antonio Galloni has implemented a governance structure similar to that of lawyers or accountants, based on partnership and profit-sharing: he was thus able to poach Neal Martin from the Wine Advocate group, especially since Neal Martin was Robert Parker's designated successor. Regarding the 2017 Bordeaux vintage, Neal Martin will be followed very closely, and Antonio Galloni will also publish his notes. Both are discerning tasters and take the time to observe what is happening at the châteaux.
Wine Advocate
It's Lisa Perrotti, the editor-in-chief, who's taking on the task. She's known for giving wines harsher ratings. It's as if she has to buy her name in the wine arena!
The James
James Suckling rates wines relatively easily and can award scores between 96 and 100. James Molesworth of Wine Spectator is a seasoned critic who knows Bordeaux well.
Jean-Marc Quarin
For us, he is the most knowledgeable expert on Bordeaux. Living locally, he easily gains access to the châteaux (just like Jane Anson from Decanter, incidentally). What we admire about Jean-Marc Quarin is his ability to spot hidden gems, analyze aging potential, appreciate refined and elegant wines, and, above all, assess their drinkability. His palate seems perfectly attuned to French tastes: he appreciates balance, concentration, and above all, emotion!
Bettane and Desseauve
Like true marathon runners, Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve do a Herculean job when it comes to discovering new vintages.
RVF – The Review of Vin de France
The tasting of the Bordeaux wines was entrusted this year to Pierre Citerne and Olivier Poels. This is a rejuvenated technical team that is both highly competent and much appreciated by Bordeaux producers. Their opinion should be taken very seriously.
To arbitrate all of this, in the future we will indicate the average of the critics' scores, which we will call the WineDecider Average Score, simply because we have entrusted this company with the task of providing us with an arithmetic average.
What's certain is that, in the world of wine, the post-Robert Parker era has been quite relaxed: the Châteaux have certainly retained their competitive spirit and cultivated a taste for excellence. They make the wine they like and now strive to offer the quintessence of their terroir. Finally, in 2018, biodynamic farming was being discussed openly and without taboo in many Châteaux: the word was no longer considered taboo. It has almost become a given in the age of climate change and the pursuit of continuous quality. We'll discuss this further in another article.