Thought this post from Parker rather interesting:
"Want this job?..Just got back from France…while I never have given
specific info out(no one ever asked), here is a taste of what I do, and have
done for over 30 years, keeping in mind some very simple rules:
- it is obligatory to taste every possible style from modern to
traditional(most are a combination of both) - taste as much as possible in a 12 hour day( rarely except any
dinners-too tired basically) - structure a trip that tries to visit most reference point properties
supplemented by large peer group tastings with syndicates-taste light
vintages before richer vintages - pay your own way-stay and pay for a hotel, rent your own car, and have
a state-of-the-art blood /alcohol device as close to you as your
notebook-never drive after a big tasting if you are .05 or higher - drink 2-4 liters of water per day
6.get at least 8-9 hours of sleep per night-have no more than a salad or
fruit for dinner-my biggest meal(only meal usually) is a hefty breafast at
6h30 AM-lots of eggs! - one rule is fundamental-if you can’t focus 100% of your energy on the
wines in front of you, you don’t have sufficient passion to be a serious
wine critic
8.listen,be polite(it is a priviledge to taste),but make your own mind
up…which is actually quite easy if you taste several thousand wines from a
given vintage over two+ weeks…
Day one-land in Paris-take tram at DeGaulle to terminal 2-the TGV station
to catch the train to Avignon-delayed by two hours-have to reschedule the
afternoon apt…get there…pop an ambien at 19h00-sleep to 6h00
Day two-wake up refreshed, super-charged up…appt #1 at La Nerthe
8h00-then a tasting with the big federation in Chateauneuf-go through 155
wines,leave for appts at Vieille Julienne and Vieux Telegraphe…get back to the
hotel at 19h30…eat an apple,read for approx 90 minutes…sleep
Day three-up at 6h00…go back to the Federation at 8h30…finish another
170 wines and leave for appts. at Beaucastel and Pierre Usseglio…get
back at 20h00…eat two apples,go to bed by 21h30
Day four- up at 6h00…tasting with the other Chateauneuf syndicate at
8h30…finish about 165 wines at 16h00,receive lots of bad news-Luc Perrin (of
Domaine Roger Perrin) is on his death bed-45 years old,great guy, love his
wines(he dies two days later…also Philippe Cambie is in the hospital…go
to Brotte for a 16H15 appt, then to Pegau to finish the day…back at
19h30…eat nothing…asleep by 21h00
Day five-appt at 8h30 at Yves Gras(Santa Duc in Gigondas) with 5-6 other
producers, then to Ste Cosme for another large tasting…at 15h00 have a
tasting with the Vacqueyras syndicate(94 wines)…then rush back to CNDP to
taste at Henri Bonneau…he invites me to dinner–I tell him I can’t
-already late…insists I have a bowl of his famous “boeuf aux carottes”…what
the hell…haven’t had a warm meal other than scrambled eggs and I love this
stuff…eat quickly…apologize for bad manners in skipping out, but get
back at 22h00…pop an ambien and sleep like a baby
Day six- early morning tasting with the syndicate of Gigondas…taste 100
or so wines,then drive to Philippe Cambie’s office to taste all his
clients’ wines…he is still in the hospital,but doing well…has a who’s who of
estates loaded with great values in the Cotes du Rhones…leave at 16h30
for Marcoux back in CNDP…am told Luc Perrin has died…taste and then
finish the day at Clos St. Jean…get back to the hotel late…around
20h30…to bed
Day seven-up very early as I head north to Hermitage to taste at
Chapoutier,and later in the day several estates…about 125 wines tasted
Saturday…hotel is right in Tain l’Hermitage…the AC actually works, but weather has
cooled off…fall asleep at 21h00
Day eight-drive 35 minutes north to Ampuis to taste most of the day at
Guigal and Vidal Fleury…hope to finish by 17h00…and recharge the dwindling
battery…great day of tasting,especially 2009s…get to the hotel at
18h00…no meal…read for 2-3 hours and feel renewed the next morning
Day nine-start at 9h30(latest start of the trip…spend all day in
Hermitage visiting small producers like Sorrel, Chave and the ressurrected Paul
Jaboulet…finish at 18h00…my wife has arrived…we drive to Anne Sophie
Pic’s three star restaurant in Valence…I rarely find 3 star eateries all
that special these days…but she is incredible…
Day ten-leave my wife to putz around Tournon and Tain, and I return to
Cote Rotie to see some of my favorites, most notably Ogier and
Rostaing…return to Tain, pick-her up, and we stop for lunch at Beaugraviere in
Mondragon…then she accompanies me on visits to Janasse and Clos des
Papes…dinner at Alonzo in Sorgues…so so
Day eleven- I have a three small appointments in CNDP, Rayas, Xavier Vins,
and then off to Lourmarin,one of the prettiest villages in France to see
Michel Tardieu…eat and stay at La Feniere in the same village-great
meal…get amazing news from my office back in the states that the King of Spain
is giving me Spain’s highest honor-a trifecta(France in 1992, 1999, 2005,
Italy in 2002, and now Spain)…very humbling…and just a sense of
unreality…
Day twelve- some small Luberon tastings in the morning, 25 or so
wines…then catch the TGV to Paris for three days of vacation…dinner…where
else?..L’Ami Louis…about the only half-way affordable wines on the list that
don’t cost a king’s randsom are Rhones and I see 8-9 of my favorite 2007
CNDPs on the list, but without prices…I call Louis and ask what’s up?..the
bad news…all sold out…they do have a 2007 magnum Cuvee Reservee from
Pegau…too much wine for two…but what the hell…I have been sober for
nearly 13 days…it is glorious…and yes…2007 is the greatest vintage EVER
for the southern Rhone…readers will love 2009, but it is NO 2007…not
even close…short story…we don’t finish the magnum…but leave in a
blur…
Day thirteen…sleep in…much needed…off to our favorite seafood
joint…the mythical Le Dome…life is great…spend time looking at shops after
lunch then to Chez L’Ami Jean for dinner…very warm folks…good bistro
food
Day fourteen…I am not a formal religious person per se,but I am a person
of very strong faith…don’t know if that makes sense…but I never fail to
go to Notre Dame in Paris, and I have been there…at least 100+ times in
my life…something about this cathedral just reinforces the beauty of
life…the good fortune to actually be alive and have the ability to appreciate
my good luck as well as the scary fragility of it all… in short, Notre
Dame reinforces all of this with such vivid clarity…I rarely can leave
that place without a tear or two…and I am not catholic
Day fifteen…sleep in again…go to a salon of decorative arts…skip
lunch…and get charged up for a finale at L’Ami Louis…my favorite
restaurant in the world…have awesome cepes,snails(the best in the world, confit
of duck, their pommes bearnaise(the best potato dish in the world)…all
washed down with Deutz rose Champagne and a perfect bottle of 1982
Latour…so that is it…as for the Rhone’s two most recent vintages…lots of
details in the next TWAs…but 2009 in the North is easily the best since
1999, and probably since 1990…2008 is OK for the whites…but at
best…mediocre for the reds…in the south…2008 is adequate, but no
better…2009 is at least excellent…somewhat a blend of a very forward fleshy year
such as 2000 and a more structured and tannic vintage as 2005…2009 shines
very brightly in the Cotes du Rhones and villages such as
Vacqueyras…over and out!..2010 looks potentially superb…but the harvest is
late…and there is a long,long way to go…they need rain …"