Dr_Tannin
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2498
 | | 01/29/2006 3:27 PM |
| | I judge a person by what they think of the New York Mets. | | | |
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skwid
Wine Connoisseur
Posts:5452
| | 01/29/2006 4:58 PM |
| The Mets suck and the Oakland Athletics rule! So how do I rate Dr. T | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 01/29/2006 5:56 PM |
| | Actually, the Mets should be very good this year and should finally displace the Braves atop the NL East. | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15701
| | 01/29/2006 8:00 PM |
| Jeez, I really don't mind that much when someone goes "off topic" even if it isn't that much wine-related... but baseball? I don't like baseball. Baseball is boring. All it is is statistics. Anything but baseball.
I always judge a person on how "kookie/nuts" they are. The kookier the beterrer (that's why I like skwid so much  ) But I gotta say that I can't go by that standard when it comes to wine critics. If I used kookieness judging wine critics I would absolutely love Jim Laube. But that isn't the case. I go along with the laid-back straight-face almost-shy Mr. P.
I will say I like JonesWine#1's reviews and he is really kookie. I guess I am all confused and kookie  . | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Puncher
Posts:886
| | 01/30/2006 5:10 PM |
| David, not that your others aren't, but your long post above in reply to nikonf100 is so clear and well written that there really isn't much else that anyone can say.
So they all said something else. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 01/30/2006 5:23 PM |
| | Yeah, that's the ticket! | | | |
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Dr_Tannin
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2498
| | 01/31/2006 6:30 PM |
| Davidn-
You're kookie. You like the underdog working hard to rise to the top, eccentric like Pedro, w integrity like Willie Randolph.
So deny as you will, deep down you're a Mets fan.
...just like skwid ster  | | | |
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David Niederauer
Los Gatos, CA
Master Sommelier
Posts:15701
| | 01/31/2006 9:36 PM |
| Quote:
So deny as you will, deep down you're a Mets fan.
You're right. I do enjoy the opera. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Sorter
Posts:261
| | 02/28/2006 7:40 PM |
| Hey Nikon,
Just one other thing that I would like to mention about ratings given by WS and/or Parker. JimmyV mentioned that you should try out a few wines that have scores from Spectator and Parker which differ by 5 or more points ( which happens quite often ) and see which source's palate agrees more with your own preferences. However, keep in mind that Parker tastes and rates wines from all over the world. Wine Spectator, on the other hand, uses different tasters for different regions.............James Laube for Cali, James Suckling for Bordeaux, Harvey Steiman for Aussie...........along with James Molesworth, Bruce Sanderson, and a few others. So, just keep in mind that if you happen to not agree with Wine Spectator's reviews and ratings of a particular varietal or region, don't completely count them out until you have checked out the information and ratings provided by the other tasters, as well. I, personally, find that my palate is very much is sync with a few of WS's tasters, but there are a few, < cough > Laube < cough > who make me wonder if Spectator spices up the tasting sessions with large doses of hallucinogens. Good luck to you and just have fun. This is one of the greatest hobbies / leisure activites that you could have found. Welcome!
Jester | | | |
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Dave Mci
Hudson, OH
Grape Fermenter
Posts:689
| | 03/01/2006 10:42 AM |
| | Parker also uses other tasters (i.e. Rovani) for certain regions as well. | | | |
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DJ Hombre
Napa Valley, California
Barrel Filler
Posts:1355
| | 03/01/2006 2:38 PM |
| actually I find that Laube carries more weight than Parker when it comes to California Cab or Pinot.
The only regions where I've seen Parker have the most effect are Bordeaux and the Rhone. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Master of Wine
Posts:11169
| | 03/01/2006 2:41 PM |
| | I think his greatest strength is in predicting the evolution of young Rhones, something that I find exceedingly difficult due to the fact that they often are accessible in their youth, but greatly improve with age. | | | |
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Dick W.
Barrel Filler
Posts:1081
| | 03/01/2006 3:06 PM |
| parker has also turned over itals to daniel thomases, who coincidentally, used to do some tastings for IWC.
tanzer is also a good source if you're looking to calibrate against a taster. | | | |
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JimmyV
Central Connecticut
Wine Lover
Posts:4982
| | 03/01/2006 4:45 PM |
| Quote:
actually I find that Laube carries more weight than Parker when it comes to California Cab or Pinot.
DJ: I hear where you are coming from, and I too sometimes think that Laube's influence gets marginalized by certain Parker-philes. But then I take a look at what happened to Sloan and I re-think the whole thing. It wasn't Laube's 99 points that started the frenzy. It was Parker's 100. Take a look at California Cabs being sold on the auction sites and see what the ratio of Parker cited scores is to Laube cited scores. The secondary market is clearly being driven more by the former. | |
Beta testing a new signature. | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 03/01/2006 4:50 PM |
| | One only needs to glance through current auction catalogs to realize that Parker's influence on the collectibles market for California wines far outweighs Laubes. | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Sorter
Posts:261
| | 03/01/2006 6:45 PM |
| DJ,
I'm not trying to play down the significance of Laube's ratings on the market. What I was trying to say is that at least with most of Parker's ratings.........if I have had the wine before I read the review and rating, I can generally predict within a point or so of what Parker gives to the wine. I find that Laube's ratings, on the other hand, bounce around without any rhyme or reason that I can seem to adjust my bearings to. Many times, after drinking a wine and then reading his rating, I wonder if he drank the same wine that I did or if somehow the numbers and bags got mixed up at that Mad Tea Party that Wine Spectator calls a wine tasting. The only word that I can think of to describe Laube's ratings is Bipolar. He'll have 96-97 point wines rated 88 on one day and then mid 80's wines rated 93 or 94 points the next. Now, thats not to say that some people might not be able calibrate their palate to Laube, but regardless of his vast knowledge, I don't think that I will ever be able to. Thats not to say that I don't disagree with Parker occassionally. In fact, I think he was WAAAYYY off on the 2004 Amon-Ra, which I had the pleasure to taste yesterday. But, for the most part, I know that when he says a wine is great, I will usually agree.
Jester | | | |
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ChangeMe
Grape Sorter
Posts:218
| | 03/02/2006 1:00 AM |
| | Yes, regardless of what each individual thinks of Parker or Laube's scores for California wines, the auction market clearly values Parker's opinion more highly. | | | |
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GATC
Barrel Sampler
Posts:2420
| | 03/02/2006 6:59 PM |
| When the WS issue on the 97 California Cabs came out, I took the day off and drove to Napa and bought a ton of wines. I also went to stores and bought as many of Laube's highly rated wines as I could.
Five years later, I can look back and say that if I were to do it over again, I would not buy most of the wines that I bought based on Laube's recommendations. I would say that 1/2 of the wines turned out close to what was expected, but there are better wines for the price. Then there are about 1/2 that I regretted buying and I sold off most of those using the WS rating as a reference. I probably broke even on those.
I used to think that Laube overrated wines that show well early, but he is so erratic that his ratings are worthless IMHO. | | | |
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JonesWineNo1
Sommelier
Posts:8568
| | 03/02/2006 7:01 PM |
| | I completely agree with your take GATC. | | | |
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Lakersguy
Orange County, CA
Grape Fermenter
Posts:523
| | 03/02/2006 8:07 PM |
| | GATC, I agree as well on the 97's. It's why I stop reading WS. | | | |
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