Sierra Carche - Jay Miller - and the latest black eye

WINE TALK
1

After multiple calls today and yesterday from Rob Kenney (a good friend of mine, and the biggest suck up EVER to Jay Miller), it seems that even Kenney has been working his head out of Jay’s ass.

Now, Jay may be the nicest guy in the world, I make NO personal opinions of him here at all.

Here are the facts, although brief due to lack of strength.

Sierra Carche 2005 (96 pts- Jay Miller) Bodegas y Vinedos Murcia - Marcial Martinez Cruz (winemaker)

Pico Madama 2005 (95+ pts Jay Miller) Bodegas y Vinedos Murcia - Marcial Martinez Cruz (winemaker)

Well Oiled Wine Company (Importer/distributor?): Having been recently notified of suspicion of the highest order with this wine, have been nothing but forthcoming and trying to do the right thing.

Having bought the Sierra Carche last year on Kenney’s rec due to his LOVE and trust of Jay Miller, I tasted the wine before Kenney opened his, and told him it was THE worst wine I have EVER tasted, that I bought on a recommendation, and might be one of the WORST wines I have ever put in my mouth that was not corked or cooked or whatever.


Kenney tried it soon after, and admits it sucks, but due to his LOVE of Jay, he says it needs time. I tell him that NO time will help that wine, and that it just plain sucks.

Kenney opens several more with same results over next month or so (slow learner, stubborn…and cmon, the guy is in love)- So, he SENDS a bottle OVERNIGHT (around August/September 2008) ALL at his expense.

Jay is made aware of this situation, and sits on it for how long???

NOT tasted until July 14th of 2009! TEN months later!!!

Confirms that it sucks, but INSISTED that it was the 2006 that he sent him…impossible, since it hasn’t even been released, and also I baby stepped myself downstairs and using a maginifying glass, proved it was 2005.

There is a bit more to story, but Kenney asked me to hold off until Jay has a chance to do something.

There were, I believe, thousands of cases sold of this wine, purely on that score. The score is NOT from the bottles we own and drank. Jay, or any other taster, could never be off that much. This is a 60pt wine at best. It does not seem to be an isolated bottle, case or cases. NOT when you have thousands of cases like this.

Something is VERY wrong here. And furthermore, for Jay, after all the heat he has taken in the last few months (much of it justified, some not) he was so disgustingly slow in getting to this 96 pt wonder that he tasted that his BIGGEST supporter called him on and sent him a bottle to RE-try, that it just boggles the mind…even Kenney’s.

To start, I would love for anyone to chime in that has tasted this wine, and would LOVE to hear if anyone has had ONE great bottle, or even one that they thought was tasty.

Things could be SO rotten in Denmark, that this could end up huge news. Btw, same winery/winemaker, and the Pico Madama 2005 has apparently had similar issues.

Kenney and I could have easily gone back to the store we bought this from and received a refund, but we wanted to go this route because, I really really believe something is VERY wrong here.

That’s all for now…I am tired just from typing all that. [thankyou.gif]

2

Finally some of this crap is coming to light. Gee, I wonder how many of these “doctored” samples are put together to please a critic, get a high score, and then what ends up in the bottle is basically shit or at the very least not the same wine at all. It happens all the time and it can only stop when critics stop taking these samples at face value from wineries, importers etc, and it is not the finished product from a box that’s already on the market and for sale.

3

Never had it. FWIW gets a median of 90 points with 44 TNs on Cellar Tracker. (See HERE). Not 96 points, but people seem satisfied with it generally. (Jeb Dunnuck gave it a 92).

4

You know that tonnes of wines get Parkerized or Millerized before they are tasted.

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Steve

Thank you for chiming in. I hope you are doing better physically.

I am glad to see you post the truth on this story. You could sense Robert Kenney biting his tongue very hard lately, as he was very quiet for the last few months.

He sent the sample last September and without Bob Hudak’s recent TN, Miller would have continued to ignore Robert Kenney, who is Miller’s biggest fan. Any retailer who would have ignored someone like this would have been put through the guillotine (sp?) twice already. Once with their head, then their testicles! I guess that is why Miller no longer works retail.

My personal take is that Miller tasted the 2006 the other night. He reaffirmed it a few hours after posting his original “tasting” note. Probably had a leftover sample from his lunch with Marc, from the Well Oiled Wine Company. He has rated the 2006, so it is possible he has a leftover btl from his tasting session with him

Bloggers will be all over this one. I would hope Parker finally says goodbye to his friend. This should be the final black eye. Pissing off your #1 fan is not a good idea. And being this unprofessional is just horrendous. But none of us can be surprised by this latest embarassment. If Jay stays on, there will be more to come.

Robert Kenney, if you are out there, steaks at my house, with some good Argentine wines! Jaouen is in! You my boy, Blue! [dance-clap.gif]

6

This is what happens when you choose not to taste blind and you let the importers control your tasting conditions.

7

[winner.gif]

8

Jay miller confirmed that the wine he tasted was indeed the 2005. he mis-read it as the 2006.

I was contacted by the importer, and they will be giving me instructions on what I should do. The wine may not be returnable as I do not have a recepit, so I hope that the importer will help in this regard.

and eh gads I hope that this is not going to blow up all over the blogosphere, because my name will be all over that, and that is something I do nto want. [shock.gif]

9

But he needs someone to spoon feed him info, because even at home, he cannot read a wine label. Is this guy a doctor?


http://dat.erobertparker.com/bboard/showthread.php?t=206266" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Bob,

Miller has never confirmed tasting the 2005, he has confirmed that he cannot read. Why not look at the btl again? He never did that. People reported immediately that he had the vintage wrong.

I think he tasted the 2006 again.

Col Mustard, in the study, with the candlestick.

10

Steve;

First and foremost, glad to see you back posting, I hope you’re doing well my friend.

I bought a six pack from the Wine Library last July based on the score and Gary’s email blast that hyped it up.I’ve had the wine twice since then, both have been near undrinkable. I sold two bottles to a friend (below cost), because he wanted them. I still have two bottles left that I want to return. I emailed the importer, but haven’t heard back from him as of yet.

I think this is and should be the last straw for those out there that were on the fence whether or not they believe doctored bottles are presented to critics. I for one will never again buy again solely on a critics score, but will continue to purchase based on notes written by friends and compatriots whose palates I trust. I think my chances of success will be much higher that way.

11

I believe it’s already known as “The Hudak Syndrome”. Good luck.

12

As I read that link to eBob, he is both admitting that he tasted the 2005 AND that the wine he rated was “fraudulent”. This is sort of a big deal, no?

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Hey all,
Just so you know, if you bought the wine from us, we will gladly take it back and credit you for the wine.

Mark- If you can get the wine back from your buddy too, I will glad credit you for it.

It does appear there are good bottles of this, but there are enough bad ones too. If any one needs a contact here, just email me directly at ian@winelibrary.com.
If you aren’t an email guy, just email me a number to call you at.

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Ian, thanks. I’ll get in touch with my friend. I don’t think he drank them yet, I haven’t heard any loud shrill screams from his house lately.

15

No Roberto. It’s not a big deal. It’s about context and the fallacy that blind tasting is somehow a good idea. You see, if you taste blind, you lose so much of the important contextual information that it impairs your judgment.

And in this case it is perforce blind in a literal sense too. He said that the five can look very much like a six, depending on the angle of the bottle. That’s a bigger deal to me!

16

Maybe he did try the wine and decided not to talk to you anymore neener

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17

Isn’t this exactly the same thing that happened a few years ago with Parker and Castano Solanera?

18

I don’t think the 06 has even been released yet, which is why everyone was insisting that it was the 2005. Regardless, what a mess…

19

I think some are a bit too quick to jump the gun on Jay Miller. If it is indeed the case that there are bad batch samples of this wine, how is it Jay’s fault that he rated what he drank objectively? Apparently some (not saying all) of this wine which has hit shelves has been good. Cellartracker says 90 pts which equates to 95pts JM…

20

Solanera, Las Rocas, the list could go on…even Miller just said Las Rocas for Parker may have been altered. las Rocas was owned by importer Eric Solomon.

Miller just said that the winery and/or importer (presumably the importer is the owner of the brand as they have indicated) have committed fraud.

If Mark Squires owned the winery, he would be in federal court, filing lawsuit papers already.

A “staggering plus” big deal!

Greg Tatar posted a picture of the label, not hard to read.