Perrotti-Brown taking over Bordeaux at Wine Advocate

[Robin Garr]

For all I know, this is old news, but it was new to me. It seems like a signal moment, given RMP's history in Bordeaux and the key importance of the 1982 to his ascendancy. Interesting that they put it second in the news release.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate Announces New Reviewers and Increased Coverage & Events for 2018
Napa, California (November 27, 2017) – Robert Parker Wine Advocate and RobertParker.com, the world’s most widely read independent consumers’ guide to fine wine, announces the appointment of William Kelley, who will join the reviewer team on January 1, covering the regions of Burgundy, Chablis, Beaujolais, California Central Coast and Washington State.
During his time at Oxford University, studying history at St. John's College, Kelley served for four years as the president of the Oxford University Wine Circle, the world’s oldest tasting group of its kind. In addition to tastings with the Old World's greatest producers, he brought many of California's most celebrated and exciting wineries to Oxford for the first time. Kelley cut his teeth as a taster on many of the great wines of Burgundy of the 1940s, ’50s and ’60s, providing him with a grounding in the classics. Having worked harvests in California and Burgundy, Kelley noted, “I feel my first-hand experiences further inform my writing and criticism with a deeper understanding of viticulture and winemaking.” A former correspondent for the wines of Burgundy for the UK’s Decanter magazine and a contributor for The Robb Report and Noble Rot, William was short-listed for the Louis Roederer Emerging Wine Writer of the Year Award. “I couldn’t be more thrilled to be assuming this position as a critic for the world’s foremost fine wine guide,” commented Kelley. “To stand alongside the world’s greatest wine critics, led by Robert Parker, is truly an honor and a milestone for me.”

Robert Parker Wine Advocate is equally excited to announce that the coverage of Bordeaux for The Wine Advocate will be assumed by Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW. A Master of Wine with more than 25 years’ experience working in the UK, Japan, Singapore and USA wine industries, Perrotti-Brown brings incredible experience, knowledge and expertise to The Wine Advocate’s reviews of the wines of Bordeaux. “Both as a longstanding lover of the wines of Bordeaux and as a professional who spent the first half of my career devoted to professionally selling, marketing and purchasing Bordeaux wines, taking on the coverage of this incredible region is without doubt the most exciting moment of my wine journey.”
Robert Parker Wine Advocate’s Editor-in-Chief Perrotti-Brown went on to comment, “In 2018, Robert Parker Wine Advocate will be dedicating even more energy and resources to increasing our coverage of wines from throughout the world. Not only will we be producing more tasting notes and articles than ever before, we will be producing them with even greater frequency and timeliness.”

For all I know, this is old news, but it was new to me. It seems like a signal moment, given RMP's history in Bordeaux and the key importance of the 1982 to his ascendancy. Interesting that they put it second in the news release.

Robert Parker Wine Advocate Announces New Reviewers and Increased Coverage & Events for 2018 (etc)

Exciting.....enough to make me want to sign up for TWA....not!!

Lots of florid prose there.
Tom

The whole affair there is a sinking ship.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zqb3YQCvbeU

[David M. Bueker]

Lisa is getting Bordeaux because Martin left. Parker was not the reviewer for the last several years.

I am no longer a subscriber (have not been for 10+ years), but it’s good to see that the crew round here can keep up the snarky, faux-superior attitude. (Not)

You guys are WAY to negative. RMP turned wine evaluation writing ( no advertising or free samples) around and I would still be getting my paper copy every two months if it were not so expensive and available as shelf-talkers in most wine stores and internet outlets. My palate and his are well matched so I have been very happy following his notes. It is too bad he will not be doing Bordeaux reviews as I think this was one of his strong areas. Comparing his reviews to Decanter is an exercise in the absurd.

Comparing his reviews to Decanter is an exercise in the absurd.

I like Decanter, so I am just curious as to what you mean here? Not being snarky, just curious.

[David M. Bueker]

Especially since the new Burgundy reviewer at TWA comes from Decanter.

Have never been impressed with Decanter's reviews and stopped reading Decanter a while back..I hit the do not renew button re WA and bailed out before the announcement re Neal..

I too dumped Decanter 2 yrs ago, not worth the money anymore.

Brian, the few Decanters that I have read strongly favor "elegant" wines that I often find thin and sometimes green also. They hate Pavie, for example, and I love it on the few occasions I was able to try it.

[David M. Bueker]

Hence why if one is going to follow a critic, then one needs to understand that critic’s preferences. I happen to despise Pavie. I also find Decanter reviews, especially from their old school reviewers, to align quite well with my taste.

The issue with Decanter is that it is (not surprising) slanted towards wines that are more available in Europe (emphasis on UK) and also Australia.

[Jenise]

Ditto what David said. I love acidity and tannins, and know that what tastes balanced and correct to me often strikes friends who drink almost nothing but Washington wine as ungiving.

Jenise, I do not understand your comments. From them I would assume that young Bordeaux are far more appealing to you than 20-30 year old Bordeaux that have lost most of their tannins but still retain acid balance. I bought a case of 1986 Bordeaux (Gruaud Larose) in 1990 and only in the last few years has this wine delivered any pleasure. I would think that astringency would be universally unpleasant but different strokes for different folks.

Jenise, also when do you think I should open a Sorella 2007 as I have a few but would like to cattch them at peak?

[Jenise]

Jim, it's just a style thing when talking about young wines. I opened a Soos Creek red blend a few weeks ago that I thought was beautiful--great aromatics and lithe on the palate. Got a great score for same from Steve Tanzer. But a friend who loves "big, robust, bold" Washington wines found it a bit too acidic, and I sometimes find wines she likes too high in alcohol and RS. (She loves Mollydooker, and I don't.) There IS overlap--we like and agree on many wines, but we have some different tolerances.

And I do love mature Bordeaux. Love mature reds period. I was just talking about my idea of balance in young wines, which is what Decanter (which reviews and rates young wine) is mostly about, especially compared with the Wine Spectator at the other end. I'm a huge fan of the '86 Gruaud.

I'm with Jenise and David, Decanter aligns well with my palate. In fact, an enthusiastic review of Bordeaux by just about any British critic holds weight with me. I'll go even farther and say that if a Bordeaux received a lukewarm review from American critics and an enthusiastic review from British critics, that is a wine for me!