Biggest howler in Oliver's 2012 guide?

[GraemeG]

Gee, there's a selection to pick from.
Was this book thrown together in a hurry or what?
So, is it the wine-of-the-year contenders tasting note error (of Grosset's Springvale he says "Since its first vintage in 2007, this wine has pushed the boundaries of Australian chardonnay...), the vintage report which can't decide if it's about 2010 or 2011, or the fact that a wine mentioned elsewhere in the book text apparently outscores his wine-of-the-year?
Or do you just enjoy the routine parade of typos and hastily written text, which I might say "lacks nuance, elegance and balance"?
So, which has given you the biggest chuckle?
cheers,
GG

[ross67]

He's rated the 06 Grange 91 pts.....although i have not tasted it you would have to say.... come on.... that just does not seem quite right when looking at his rating of the 06 Koonunga Hill not too far back just 2 points less at 89???

He also obviously loved what he tasted from Kilikanoon rating almost everything current vintage very strongly [92/93/94/95/96]

He has at last put Teusner in his book>.......yay

Last Gripe....why does he not put someone like Two Hands in his book??...but reviews 19 different D'Arenberg wines?

ross

[ticklenow1]

He's rated the 06 Grange 91 pts.....although i have not tasted it you would have to say.... come on.... that just does not seem quite right when looking at his rating of the 06 Koonunga Hill not too far back just 2 points less at 89???

He also obviously loved what he tasted from Kilikanoon rating almost everything current vintage very strongly [92/93/94/95/96]

He has at last put Teusner in his book>.......yay

Last Gripe....why does he not put someone like Two Hands in his book??...but reviews 19 different D'Arenberg wines?

ross

Reviewers like Halliday and Oliver only put the wines in their books that are supplied for review by the wineries. A couple of years back Oliver stated in his book that the number of wines sent to him has been reducing due to harsh reviews. This opens up a bit of a can of worms. If he gives good reviews for inferior wines then he (or any reviewer for that matter) is compromising himself. A bit of a no win situation for him really. I am not trying to defend him, but I went to a wine dinner a couple of years back that he hosted and I enjoyed his honesty immensely.

I have always noted the different ratings given to wines by different reviewers with obviously different palates. There can be some very wide gaps in the ratings given by the different critics. I also sometimes wonder about the independence of some (well mainly one) critics. I also think the silly high marks that too many wines are being given is getting beyond a joke. I hate the 100 point scoring system and the amount of 95+ wines is beyond a joke. It takes away some of the gloss from the really great wines that do deserve the really high marks.

Just my 2 cents.....

Cheers
Ian

[Mark Carrington]

In the past have successfully placed overeseas order if not visiting, over past 10 years Tried to order on line, as site flagged publication of 2012 annual. On the order page detailed as 2010, so pinged an e-mail as in view of posts here about his we site not confident to trust order would be correct. 72 hours later no reply, though appreciate there is a weekend involved. but to date.

[Polymer]

I have always noted the different ratings given to wines by different reviewers with obviously different palates. There can be some very wide gaps in the ratings given by the different critics. I also sometimes wonder about the independence of some (well mainly one) critics. I also think the silly high marks that too many wines are being given is getting beyond a joke. I hate the 100 point scoring system and the amount of 95+ wines is beyond a joke. It takes away some of the gloss from the really great wines that do deserve the really high marks.

Just my 2 cents.....

Cheers
Ian

It is because they've been escalating points...just like most reviewers really....In the case of Halliday, I basically have to take off 5 or 6 points because he gives 95's and 96's out like they're water...

[griff]

In the past have successfully placed overeseas order if not visiting, over past 10 years Tried to order on line, as site flagged publication of 2012 annual. On the order page detailed as 2010, so pinged an e-mail as in view of posts here about his we site not confident to trust order would be correct. 72 hours later no reply, though appreciate there is a weekend involved. but to date.

Therein lies the problem. JO (or should I say the brand JO?) is just not very internet savvy. A shame.

cheers

Carl

[AndrewCowley]

He is a year out with Wynns. The 2008 BL missed out on last years book and yeah great its in this years but is now well over 1 year old and of course the 2009 is now out. Bummer too that he doesn't seem to review any of the Wynns special releases, e.g. Glengyle or Davis. He sticks to only the regulars. Is this because that's all Wynns send him?

[brode]

He is a year out with Wynns. The 2008 BL missed out on last years book and yeah great its in this years but is now well over 1 year old and of course the 2009 is now out. Bummer too that he doesn't seem to review any of the Wynns special releases, e.g. Glengyle or Davis. He sticks to only the regulars. Is this because that's all Wynns send him?

He did mention the 07 glengyle in the winery notes in last years annual - (95 & drink to 2025). What makes it hard is that one of the better features in JO's book is the scores listed for previous vintages - chopping and changing labels makes it hard to keep that continuity going.

Generally I'm not a massive fan of JO's work - for a small publication the tasting notes are very long winded - is it really neccesary to write blackcurrant & cassis etc for every decent cabernet? I know its his strenth & I'm sure there's people out there who buy or try wines based on certain elements JO has picked out but personally I'd be much more interested in learning about the perculiarities of each winery or wine - techniques in the vineyard & winery, age of the vines, perculiarities of the vintage, site selection etc. It's a big ask but taking that next step and explaining why something tastes a certain way would hold a lot more interest for me.

Its hard to be overly critical given the amount of wine he has to taste & the guess work involved but I've found that I disagree pretty regularly with the scores & drinking dates.

[GraemeG]

I wasn't talking about what's in and what's out generally; those are ongoing items and matters of policy.
It was the fact that despite the book being a good six weeks later than usual hitting the shelves, it's obviously had only the most cursory (or incompetent) proof reading.
The "five-stars", for instance, according to the text are "allocated to a mere twenty wines"; which are then listed, with thumbnail sketches.
Yup - all twenty-one of them...

And I know that historically weak Bordeaux was sometimes 'strengthened' with a little discreet Hermitage to beef it up, but had no idea this was still happening at an international level. But there it is in the Henschke tasting notes; the "Mouton Edelstone".
That's a wine I want to try!

cheers,
GG

[Tom A]

What about the 99 Point Moss Wood Pinot from Mornington????

I like the book each year but this edition the editor seemed to have had a holiday.

Cheers
TA

[Mark Carrington]

No response to my e-mail enquiry & errors on latest edition seem to be symptomatic of his approach to his web site, as reported elsewhere on this Forum.
Finally a flurry of interesting new wine books in UK after a marked lull during past 3+ years, so I think I'll spend my money elsewhere.

[DJ]

What about the 99 Point Moss Wood Pinot from Mornington????

I like the book each year but this edition the editor seemed to have had a holiday.

Cheers
TA

Careful Tom - Moss Wood are making a Mornington Pinot
http://www.mosswood.com.au/home/wines/m ... _peninsula

[GraemeG]

What about the 99 Point Moss Wood Pinot from Mornington????

I like the book each year but this edition the editor seemed to have had a holiday.

Cheers
TA

Careful Tom - Moss Wood are making a Mornington Pinot
http://www.mosswood.com.au/home/wines/m ... _peninsula

True enough, but it was the fact that the given score of 99/100 was clearly an error. JO might have given 99 to the 86 Mouton, but that's about it...
GG

[DJ]

True enough, but it was the fact that the given score of 99/100 was clearly an error. JO might have given 99 to the 86 Mouton, but that's about it...
GG

I don't know, I gave up on Oliver and scores years ago - the one stuck in my mind is he consistently rated Mt Langi Cabernet Merlot very high - I never understood why, the shiraz may be but ...