Extremely low ratings for 2011 vintage from Robert Parker!

[greatbxfreak]

His ratings have just been published at erobertparker.com

Far lower than in 2008 vintage.

The king isn't king anymore.

[JonB]

Thanks for the heads up. In the lead article, while RP still has a little hyperbole such as his standard "better than expected" (without explaining what he was expecting), he balances this with other comments ("it is hard to get pumped up" about these wines).

There is a confusing sentence where he says there weren't enough great wines produced in 2009 and 2010 (should he have given even more 100 pointers?); perhaps he meant 2011.

Geez....Lafite 90-93, and Cos 90-92.....merchants who committed to these will have a hard time offloading them at initial prices.

[greatbxfreak]

JonB,

I already knew it would end like that, when he posted on Twitter before his departure for Bordeaux.

He contradicts himself several places and some ratings indicate disaster vintage, which 2011 isn't at all.

[JonoB]

Perhaps he is trying to make a statement as always...

Paranoia?????

[A_AboutBordeauxWines]

I think in general it's good for the image of the Bordeaux region. You can't have every year a good year. Last decade we had already 4 good years.

John Smits
The Bordeaux Wine Fanatic
www.allaboutbordeauxwines.com

[robertgoulet]

this means this vintage will be kick ass

[JimHow]

Exactly, Robert. I wonder if 2011 will be so bad, just as 2008 was supposedly so good.

[DavidG]

I wonder what Gilman thinks of '11. Remarkably for guys with allegedly such different palates, Gilman and Parker both liked 2008. Gilman ranked it 3d, behind '05 and '00 and just ahead of '09. Parker ranked it 4th, behind '09, '05, and '00. Same top 4, just a different order. I assume the difference in where they place '09 relates to its up front lushness and ripeness. Makes you wonder what vintage rankings mean, and which wines they like/dislike in each year.

I also wonder what GBFs take is on the '11s.

[greatbxfreak]

Certainly, after tasting app.350 barrel samples, 2011 is better than 2008 in terms of riper fruit and fatter tannins. Some properties did the impossible task and made wines close to 2010 or 2009, like f.i. Tertre Roteboeuf, Lafleur, Beausejour and Bourgneuf. Bordeaux whites are probably the best vintage in last ten years and Bordeaux stickies are that too.

I've not finished my report about Bordeaux 2011 yet - I update it daily - here's the link if you're interested - www.greatbordeauxwines.com/Bordeaux%202011.html

[DavidG]

Thank you Izak. Should be interesting to see where these all fall out once in bottle. I'm not planning on buying any en primeur, but suspect there will be plenty available on release to do a little experimenting and palate calibration if the critics are that far apart.

[Claudius2]

Izak
I've had a good read of your notes.
Many thanks
Seems that you like the vintage better than parker!

[greatbxfreak]

I've just finished first part of Bordeaux 2011 take with my verdict on the vintage, impressions from the visits and many, many pictures. Have a look at my website!

Thanks to Alex R. following me on Grand Tour de Medoc (Lafite, Latour, Margaux and Palmer) on the 4th April, then on the 11th April when we went to Mouton R., Phelan Segur, Calon Segur, de Pez, Montrose and Lamothe Cissac and finally on the 12th April when we did an unforgetable tour in Sauternes with verticals at Yquem, Raymond Lafon and Clos Haut Peyraguey, before ending at Nairac in Barsac with one more vertical.

Alex - you were as always a great company!