Does Robert Parker know what he is tasting?
Posted: Sun Dec 11, 2005 12:07 am
Just did a tasting with Wayne Dutschke yesterday and the conversation got around to Parker and how he had recently been unimpressed with the Dutschke wines. Needless to say Wayne is not happy with the comments that Parker made but what Wayne pointed out was that Parker seems confused about the wines. The following quote is from Parker's comments on the Dutschke wines.
"Offerings that did not make the grade because of a lack of texture and monolithic, unexpressive personalities include the 2004 Shiraz Brick Road, 2003 WillowBend Proprietary Red, and the 2003 Shiraz St. Jakobi."
Dutschke Wines does not make a Shiraz Brick Road! So one must ask the questions. What wines was Parker tasting? Were they even Dutschke wines?
Having tasted the 2003 St Jakobi and Oscar Semmler yesterday and having a glass of each here with me now as I write I can say that, while they are not of the quality of the 2002s, they are certainly not wines that should be ignored. Wine Spectator gave them 91 and 92 respectively, Tyson Stelzer gave them 92 and 94, and Mattinson gave them both 89. FWIW I'm at about 89 and about 92, respectively. More importantly these wines, especially the Oscar Semmler are not generic Barossa Shiraz.
Wayne Dutschke can make generic shiraz - I tasted it from one of his American oak barrels yesterday. But I also tasted shiraz from the same block, picked a week later, in Frech oak that was sublime - or as Halliday would now have us use - a wine that had "line", in spades.
Mike
"Offerings that did not make the grade because of a lack of texture and monolithic, unexpressive personalities include the 2004 Shiraz Brick Road, 2003 WillowBend Proprietary Red, and the 2003 Shiraz St. Jakobi."
Dutschke Wines does not make a Shiraz Brick Road! So one must ask the questions. What wines was Parker tasting? Were they even Dutschke wines?
Having tasted the 2003 St Jakobi and Oscar Semmler yesterday and having a glass of each here with me now as I write I can say that, while they are not of the quality of the 2002s, they are certainly not wines that should be ignored. Wine Spectator gave them 91 and 92 respectively, Tyson Stelzer gave them 92 and 94, and Mattinson gave them both 89. FWIW I'm at about 89 and about 92, respectively. More importantly these wines, especially the Oscar Semmler are not generic Barossa Shiraz.
Wayne Dutschke can make generic shiraz - I tasted it from one of his American oak barrels yesterday. But I also tasted shiraz from the same block, picked a week later, in Frech oak that was sublime - or as Halliday would now have us use - a wine that had "line", in spades.
Mike