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Parker: will there ever be a vintage as good as 2009?

Published:  16 March, 2012

Ahead of 2011 en-primeur tastings in Bordeaux, Robert Parker casts doubt on whether there will ever be a repeat of the 2009 vintage - to which he awarded near-perfect scores.

Ahead of 2011 en-primeur tastings in Bordeaux, Robert Parker casts doubt on whether there will ever be a repeat of the 2009 vintage - to which he awarded near-perfect scores.

Speaking to Liv-ex, Parker said Bordeaux has had "a tremendous run of good fortune" when it comes to vintages, but had also made its own luck through its commitment to quality.

But 2009 stood out as it is "like the high tide that raises all boats", the Wine Advocate founder stated.

The effect of global warming on earlier flowerings is giving growers more flexibility, he said, meaning "it is possible to have another 2009 in the next quarter century - but I wouldn't count on it".

He said for those producers, outside of First Growths, who achieved 100-points in 2009, it was a reflection of how "if you are meticulous about everything you do, from vineyard work to pruning, to crop thinning, to the selection processes, and mother-nature cooperates, it is possible to get the three digits." All of which "acts as a beacon for all of Bordeaux that you don't need to have the historic pedigree of a First Growth to get a perfect score".

But Parker is aware that the hype that accompanied his scores has a downside "it can raise prices, as it often does", as well as creating "an unrealistic expectation in the buyer that this wine is beyond anything they have ever tasted".

The world's most powerful wine critic said he found the impact his scores can have was "scary" - "no one should have that kind of influence". He added that it is also "a double-edged sword" by attracting a lot of personal criticism when "you are doing a service and trying to recognise the effort that people are putting into it".

To read Parker's full comment, visit the Liv-ex blog.

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