I do agree with Robert Whitley’s statement that Robert Parker has influenced quite a few Bordeaux Chateaux, such as Lafite-Rothschild, to perform better.
And for that, Parker should be commended. The other side of the so-called “Parker effect,” which I and many of the British press are not in accord with, is that many Bordeaux properties, in an effort to gain high Parker ratings, are now producing over-the-top, overly extracted, over-oaked, high alcohol wines that completely obscure the elegance, balance, and finesse for which Bordeaux wines have always been renowned.
This is especially true in St. Emilion, a fact that has been pointed out many times, not only by the British press, but by wine writers in the U.S. and France as well.
Lafite-Rothschild, Latour and Leoville las Cases, to name just three superstars, have the terroir and financial resources to make great wines practically every year. Many other properties do not, and are trying to force the issue in their quest for Parker points. As a result, they no longer taste like wines from Bordeaux. The Parker effect cuts both ways.
Publisher’s note: I don’t disagree with any of my good friend Ed McCarthy’s points. But I still believe Parker’s overall impact on the wines of Bordeaux has been positive rather than negative — Robert Whitley.
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