Forget 2007 CdP; Bob P falls for 2009 Bordeaux

[Neal.Mollen]

Apparently his ratings are in some hands in hard copy. It appears he has bestowed 100 points on 16 wines:

Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse

Bellevue Mondotte

Clinet

Clos Fourtet

Cos D'Estournel

Haut Brion

Latour

Leoville Poyferre

La Mission Haut Brion

Mondotte

Montrose

Pavie

Petrus

Le Pin

Pontet Canet

Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge

[K John Joseph]

Time to head to the store and see if I can't mass purchase some of those to help fund my kids' college education 10 years from now.

Congratulations to effing Clos Fourtet for joining the ranks of Latour, La Miss, Le Pin, and Ho Bryan.

[Bill Tex Landreth]

Best to go out swinging...I guess.

[John Morris]

Apparently his ratings are in some hands in hard copy. It appears he has bestowed 100 points on 16 wines:

But only in magnum. They go well with fish, I'm sure Keith Levenberg will tell you.

[Mike Reff]

Is this an all time high??

[loren.grossman]

No asterisk? Shame...

[Bill Tex Landreth]

Is this an all time high??

By (buy) a substantial margin.

[Chris Seiber]

Smith Haut Laffite. Wow. I like their wines (and they seem to overachieve and provide good value in off vintages), but I would have never thought they'd be anywhere near a 100 point wine. I guess that's another Bordeaux I can scratch off my list.

[Neal.Mollen]

Smith Haut Laffite. Wow. I like their wines (and they seem to overachieve and provide good value in off vintages), but I would have never thought they'd be anywhere near a 100 point wine. I guess that's another Bordeaux I can scratch off my list.

Clos Fourtet too. Shocking

[Kevin Shin]

I have preached to everyone about the 09 Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse. Now I delivered once again!

[Nathan Smyth]

Beausejour Duffau Lagarrosse
Bellevue Mondotte
Clinet
Clos Fourtet
Cos D'Estournel
Haut Brion
Latour
Leoville Poyferre
La Mission Haut Brion
Mondotte
Montrose
Pavie
Petrus
Le Pin
Pontet Canet
Smith Haut Lafitte Rouge

It's only March 1st - not April 1st.

Is this serious?!?

[Byron Hewett]

Clos Fourtet has just been getting better and better since the 1998 vintage. Same thing with Smith Haut Lafitte. And they aren't $200+ per bottle, at least not yet! YMMV.

Byron

[Bob Wood]

When does Mouton Cadet make this list?

[Cris Whetstone]

It will be interesting see what prices these start trading at. There could be a few hundred dollars between 100 pointers.

[Faryan Amir-Ghassem¡]

Smith Haut Laffite. Wow. I like their wines (and they seem to overachieve and provide good value in off vintages), but I would have never thought they'd be anywhere near a 100 point wine. I guess that's another Bordeaux I can scratch off my list.

It's not a 100 point wine. Quite the reach imo.

[Chris S p i k e s]

Clos Fourtet has just been getting better and better since the 1998 vintage. Same thing with Smith Haut Lafitte. And they aren't $200+ per bottle, at least not yet! YMMV.

Byron

Well, they weren't this morning. This afternoon.....

Chris

[K John Joseph]

When does Mouton Cadet make this list?

Interesting, @fakebobwood tweeted something similar about an hour and a half ago...

[Bob Wood]

Hmmm . . . seems that Twitter account actually exists. Real Bob Wood is not amused.

[Keith Levenberg]

Apparently his ratings are in some hands in hard copy. It appears he has bestowed 100 points on 16 wines:

But only in magnum. They go well with fish, I'm sure Keith Levenberg will tell you.

Dear Mr. Parker,
My friend Dwayne came over the other day and I was all excited about showing him my collection of 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Papes (in magnum), but he started laughing and said, "Ha ha ha, haven't you heard? Parker says the 2009 Bordeaux vintage is at least 2.873419 times more perfect than the 2007 Southern Rhone vintage!" I was so embarrassed! Is it true? What should I do?
Sincerely,
Betrayed in Biloxi

Dear Betrayed,
Don't worry, the 2009 Bordeaux I'm recommending will taste exactly like 2007 Chateauneuf-du-Papes.
Best,
Bob

[Nick Gangas]

Guess who has two thumbs, a case of 2009 Pontet Canet and doesn't even like Bordeaux ? This guy !!!

[b hudak]

Guess who has two thumbs, a case of 2009 Pontet Canet and doesn't even like Bordeaux ? This guy !!!

I am curious as to why you bought this wine if you don't like Bordeaux? Curiosity, want to try, what? I have had the oppurtunity to buy 100 point wines from regions I don't like in the past- even at great prices, and I pass them up. I didn't used to when I first got into wine, and discovered quickly that 100 points of suck still sucks (for the record, I scored the 09 PC 97+ points, and I think it is a fabulous wine).

[AAgrawal]

I've now tried a couple "100 point wines", and I think it's foolish/impossible to predict perfection at maturity based on how things taste now. As an example, the 09 Leoville Poyferre was one of my absolute favorites from the UGC tasting and I rated it very highly, and I wouldn't be surprised if it approached perfection decades from now... but I wouldn't rate it that way today.

[K John Joseph]

By the way, I'll confirm that the wines in the OP got 100 points. I think I actually counted 17, not 16, so its a touch more absurd even.

[K John Joseph]

Guess who has two thumbs, a case of 2009 Pontet Canet and doesn't even like Bordeaux ? This guy !!!

I am curious as to why you bought this wine if you don't like Bordeaux? Curiosity, want to try, what? I have had the oppurtunity to buy 100 point wines from regions I don't like in the past- even at great prices, and I pass them up. I didn't used to when I first got into wine, and discovered quickly that 100 points of suck still sucks (for the record, I scored the 09 PC 97+ points, and I think it is a fabulous wine).

There is something called a "wise financial decisions."

[b hudak]

Guess who has two thumbs, a case of 2009 Pontet Canet and doesn't even like Bordeaux ? This guy !!!

I am curious as to why you bought this wine if you don't like Bordeaux? Curiosity, want to try, what? I have had the oppurtunity to buy 100 point wines from regions I don't like in the past- even at great prices, and I pass them up. I didn't used to when I first got into wine, and discovered quickly that 100 points of suck still sucks (for the record, I scored the 09 PC 97+ points, and I think it is a fabulous wine).

There is something called a "wise financial decisions."

If you are saying he was buying to make a profit, I don't know, but I would say that that is not wise at all- investing in wine is like anything else- a big crapshoot. As soon as you have the mentality that this is a bubble that will never burst- watch out. In addition, as a wine lover, I find buying for profit rather than buying to enjoy more than a little bizarre.
I can also say that I have a number of 100 point wines from regions all of the world that are very difficult to sell or trade, including some big names. Sure, Screagle 'sells' for $1200 a bottle or more, but you still have to find a buyer, not always easy at all.

[Faryan Amir-Ghassem¡]

I have to say, I sought some validation and direction from Parker's scores for the last few years. Now that I largely do my own dilligence rather than outsourcing it, this is the first BDX report where I derive utility from him bashing the wines I like, increasing the likelihood that they don't appreciate in value. RP100 means nothing to me, unless it makes a financial impact on my holdings.

[K John Joseph]

I am curious as to why you bought this wine if you don't like Bordeaux? Curiosity, want to try, what? I have had the oppurtunity to buy 100 point wines from regions I don't like in the past- even at great prices, and I pass them up. I didn't used to when I first got into wine, and discovered quickly that 100 points of suck still sucks (for the record, I scored the 09 PC 97+ points, and I think it is a fabulous wine).

There is something called a "wise financial decisions."

If you are saying he was buying to make a profit, I don't know, but I would say that that is not wise at all- investing in wine is like anything else- a big crapshoot. As soon as you have the mentality that this is a bubble that will never burst- watch out. In addition, as a wine lover, I find buying for profit rather than buying to enjoy more than a little bizarre.
I can also say that I have a number of 100 point wines from regions all of the world that are very difficult to sell or trade, including some big names. Sure, Screagle 'sells' for $1200 a bottle or more, but you still have to find a buyer, not always easy at all.

Of course it is a crapshoot. But buying 2009 Pontent Canet is fairly low risk, since it isn't particularly expensive relative to Scarecrow, Sloan, Latour, etc., and it was tossed a big barrell score. It's also a great vintage, and its RP giving the rating. Try to move various Jay Miller 100 pointers, Suckling 100 pointers, etc. and you'll run into issues making a profit. It also is varietal specific. From my observations, it is really hard to make a killing re-selling anything RP 100 for a profit from southern Rhone, non-cab cali wines, etc. But, in Bordeaux and in Napa Cabs, 100 points almost always means significant profit.

Also, as a big fan of breakfast, and more specifically orange juice and bacon, I find speculating on pork bellies and OJ futures rather than buying to enjoy more than a little bizarre.

*wink*

[Lewis Dawson]

That is a pretty amazing list, and many of the entries speak volumes about the critera for "perfection" being employed currently.

[Chris Seiber]

I've never been one to engage in the WB vs. eBob forum sniping, but it's pretty startling to read the thread on this over there. Everyone peppering the people who got the print copy for numerical Bordeaux ratings, and hooting and high fiving each other for high scores (mostly on things they bought already -- not sure if they just are stoked over the validation of their purchase or if they are hoping to profit on flipping, but I think mostly the former).

I actually (harkening back to the Wine Geek Confessional thread) think that professional ratings and reviews can be helpful in finding wines to try in some circumstances, and I've never accused people of being "score whores" or any such thing, but if there were ever a case where that shoe fits, you'd find it in that thread.

[Mike J ewesson]

I've never been one to engage in the WB vs. eBob forum sniping, but it's pretty startling to read the thread on this over there. Everyone peppering the people who got the print copy for numerical Bordeaux ratings, and hooting and high fiving each other for high scores (mostly on things they bought already -- not sure if they just are stoked over the validation of their purchase or if they are hoping to profit on flipping, but I think mostly the former).

I actually (harkening back to the Wine Geek Confessional thread) think that professional ratings and reviews can be helpful in finding wines to try in some circumstances, and I've never accused people of being "score whores" or any such thing, but if there were ever a case where that shoe fits, you'd find it in that thread.

I think your being a little harsh in your assessment. I did not take a large 2009 position, but if I did, I would be extremely happy to know that my decision to buy before the scores came out was a wise one (assuming that buying 2009 BDX at all is wise). I think there was a lot of doubt about whether the 2009 prices would hold up or whether they would immediately drop after the scores came out. If they go up, you just saved yourself a ton of money. If they were to go down, you just overpaid. I am sure there are a few pure point whores and flippers, but scores have an impact on those that are not also.

[Paul Jaouen]

In what world could Fourtet and Smith ever produce a 100 point wine?

[Joe Galewski]

In what world could Fourtet and Smith ever produce a 100 point wine?

The same world that Carlisle's Sonoma syrah gets a 97. :)

(disclosure - I like Carlisle wines)

[Paul Jaouen]

I will gladly trade my 09 Smith Haut Lafite and Clos Fourtet 100 point wines for any of your Latour, Margaux, Haut Brion in any vintage where those wines got only say a measly 95 points. Come on point whores! Bring it on!

[Roberto Rogness]

bob, @FakeBobWood has some pretty toney followers.....

[Bob Wood]

Given what he/she is Tweeting I remain unamused no matter who is following.