What an artist writes can impress a critic, and what a critic writes can impress everyone. ——William Faulkner
A good winemaker is like a lonely artist, a guy who is ecstatic about his work but is struggling to prove his talent to the world (you know that not every winemaker has the eloquence and business acumen of Angelo Gaja), when the critic who comes from afar is like a god, he immediately likes the brilliance in the cup and this winemaker who looks a bit like a farmer, so he pours ink on his appreciation to the fullest, This gives people from all over the world who have never visited an appellation the opportunity to get to know the unknown winemakers and their work. As wine critics who are tasting wine as a profession, they are a third-party bridge between consumers and wineries, without which the world of wine would be so bleak and closed that many Van Gogh of winemaking would have been depressed.
Just as there is a British and American tone in the English-speaking world, there is also this differentiation in the wine critics, the American school dominated by Robert Parker is good at using 100% product evaluation, while the British school led by Jancis Robinson insists on using the traditional 20-point system, of course, there are Oxford and Cambridge accents in the British tone, so the two major schools can also be divided into different styles. But don't forget that there are many other French, Italian, Australian and New Zealand factions in the world that are at odds with them... Today, let's take a look at the top ten wine critics in the world today.
1. Galeries Lafayette in wine critics: Michael Broadbent MW
Rating system: 1 to 5 stars
Since its inception in 1975 and officially discontinued in 2013, Michael Broadbent, 87, has contributed 433 monthly columns to the British magazine Alcohol. With more than 90,000 tasting notes and 140 tasting notes, Michael Broadbent is the only wine critic who uses the second hand to calculate the aftertaste when tasting wine, and he often says that the wine itself can be poured out, and he is just a narrator, which shows his humble and courteous old-school gentlemanly demeanor. Until his retirement in 1992, he held the position of director of the wine branch of the prestigious auction house Christie's, which gave him access to many of the world's rarest and most expensive wines, and his book "The Great Vintage Wine Book" lists as many as 6,000 wines, some dating back to the 17th century, becoming a precious part of the world's wine history. Broadbent uses a rating system of 1 to 5 stars, of which 5 stars are equal to 100 percent of Parker, margaux and Mouton château in 1985 have both received 5 stars, while Lafite and Latour in the same vintage have received 4.5 stars. Already known as the "Master of Wine" in 1960, he held important positions in major wine associations in the Uk.
2. A deified man: Robert Parker
Scoring system: 100 points
How influential is Robert Parker in the wine world? An American wine merchant once said bitterly: He can't sell the wine that Parker scores below ninety, and the wine that Parker gives is higher than ninety, but he can't get the goods. This one example alone may illustrate the power of Lord Parker, who is often dubbed the Emperor of Wine, the Pope, and the Dionysian, and the various secrets about his fame are spread. In addition to Parker's pioneering 100-point scoring system and bordeaux's fame in 1982, his success was inseparable from his diligence and talent. Here we're just a cliché retelling of the almost deified life of this almost deified wine critic: born on July 23, 1947 (Leo) on a farm in Maryland, USA, the son of a construction equipment salesman, majoring in history in college, minoring in art history, graduating from the University of Maryland School of Law, and spent ten years of his life as legal counsel at an agricultural credit bank in his hometown of Baltimore. Baltimore-Washington Wine Advocate was created in 1978, the predecessor of what we now know as The Wine Advocate. In 35 years, the magazine's (and its official website eRobertParker.com) has grown from its initial 600 to 50,000 people from around the world. In 2012, Parker decided to take a back seat due to health concerns, not only selling Wine Advocate to three young entrepreneurs from Singapore, but also passing on the position of editor-in-chief to Lisa Perrotti-Brown MW.
3. First Lady of The Wine Critics: Jancis Robinson MW
Scoring system: 20 points
If Parker is the big brother of the wine critics, then Ms. Robinson is definitely the big sister of the wine critics. Born on 22 April 1950 (Taurus) in Cumbria, England, she studied mathematics and philosophy at Oxford University in college, and began her wine writing career in 1975 as an assistant editor at Wine & Spirit magazine, becoming the first wine master from the non-wine trading industry in 1984. He is the author of more than 10 wine-related books, of which The Oxford to Wine is known as the "Bible of the Wine World" and the Wine Map of the World, co-authored with renowned wine author Hugh Johnson, is the best-selling wine book. Ms Robinson now runs her own JancisRobinson.com website and writes wine columns for the Financial Times, while also serving as a wine cellar consultant for the Queen.
4. The authority of French wine critics: Bettane & Desseauve
Scoring system: 20 points, the use of 5 "BD" to divide the winery, the higher the number of "BD" means the higher the quality of the winery
The partnership of Michel Bettane and Thierry Desseauve is considered Torrey Desseauve to be considered The most authoritative wine critic in France. Even Robert Parker has publicly praised Bettane as "the most influential wine critic in All of Europe". Bettane and Desseauve worked together in the prestigious wine magazine La Revue du Vins de France (Wine Review), and in 2005 founded a wine critic agency named after their surnames, insisting on publishing the annual yearbook "Bettane & Desseave French Wine Guide", which covers the best wineries and wines in the twelve appellations of France. Exposure and tasting of wines from non-popular regions is a highlight of the yearbook, and many supermarkets, bars, cellars and restaurants in France often buy wines based on their recommendations in the yearbook. In addition, Bettane, who regularly writes for newspapers such as Le Monde (Le Monde) in France, was one of the first wine critics in the wine critics to point out 1982 as a great vintage, and first proposed the concepts of "Vins du garage" and "Garagistes" (garage wine). Desseauve is the former president of the French Wine Writers and Journalists Association.
5. The patron saint of Burgundy: Allen Meadows
According to Bill Nanson's account in his book The Finest Wines of Burgundy (P.14-16), the demand for fine wines in the international market increased since the 1970s, and the demand for mono-appellation knowledge theories and tasting by wine merchants has also increased, and many wine critics, mainly American, have sprung up to publish their own magazines and evaluation agencies: Robert Parker's The Wine in 1978 Advocate, The Underground Wineletter in 1980, International Wine Cellar in Steven Tanzer in 1985, and The Vine in the British Clive Coates. But only Parker's 100-point scale has really changed people's habits of buying wine: just by looking at the score, you can decide whether you want to buy a wine. Parker was well-struck in Bordeaux, so he confidently decided to march north into Burgundy, only to lose Waterloo and finally had to return home. Clive Coats once summed up Parker's failure with "the bad critics look at Pinot through Cabernet-tinted spectacles" (incompetent wine critics comment on Pinot Noir with tinted glasses with Cabernet Sauvignon). Current events make heroes, and the American Allen Meadows' Bourghound website came into being at that time, and his knowledge of Burgundy was on par with Clives Coats, almost indistinguishable, and using the 100-point scale that consumers liked and were most accustomed to. The 2005 vintage of Burgundy was the pinnacle of Allen Meadows' career, just as bordeaux was as important to Parker as the 1982 vintage of Bordeaux was. He now has no less influence on the Burgundy wine market than Parker controls Bordeaux.
6. Rising star in the field of wine critics: Antonio Galloni
As early as 2004, when he was still a graduate student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in the United States, Galloni, who had a special love for Italian wines, had published the first English-language journal dedicated to in-depth coverage of Piedmontese wines, "Piedmont Report", which also attracted the attention of wine critic Robert Parker, and in 2006, he was invited to become a member of the "Wine Advocate", in charge of the annual tasting of Italian wines, and then the scope of his comments increased to California. Champagne and chablis in Burgundy and wines from the Golden Hills. In May 2013, the website of Vinous, a self-reliant portal, mainly published tastings and information related to Italian wines. Antonio Galloni found his favorite career at the right age, met the world's top mentors at the right age, and after accumulating just the right experience and knowledge, he set up his own website, and he will undoubtedly become a bright star in the world of tomorrow's wine critics.
7. The evergreen tree of Australian wine critics: James Halliday
Scoring system: 100 points, the use of 5 stars to divide the winery, the higher the number of stars, the higher the quality of the winery
It's said that the real eagle is never satisfied with one side of the world, and James Halliday, 76, is Australia's most reputable wine critic, having worked as a lawyer, winemaker, wine writer and judge at major wine competitions, and has been involved in many different industries throughout his life. He is the author of more than 40 professional books on wine and is the editor of the Australian section of the Larousse Encyclopedia and The Oxford Companion to Wine. The annual Australian Wine Tasting has been published since 1986 (renamed James Halliday Annual Wine Companion in 2000). Once taught by Len Evans, the godfather of Australian wine, he was called Len Evans' greatest disciple and the most senior Australian wine writer by Ms. Jancis Robinson.
8) The most business-minded wine critic: James Suckling
James Suckling is probably the most familiar wine critic for Chinese wine lovers, and in recent years, with the international market paying attention to China, he has often traveled to and from Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tuscany and major cities such as London and Paris. He was a senior editor at the prestigious American wine magazine Wine Spectator for 30 years and was the head of its European office. During the work, an average of more than 4,000 wines were tasted each year, more than half of which were Italian. A well-known wine critic, he personally prefers Bordeaux and Italian wines, considering Sangiovese, Aglianico and Nebbiolo to be the most distinctive grape varieties in the world. He is also a veteran vintage cigar connoisseur. Now the business has its own official website JamesSuckling.com.
9. The lowest-key wine critic: Stephen Tanzer
Stephen Tanzaer's International Wine Cellar (IWC) magazine is often compared to Parker's Wine Advocate, both on a 100-point scale, including Bordeaux, Piedmont, California, South Africa and Burgundy. Founded in 1985. It was distributed in 50 states and 34 countries overseas, and was the first American wine magazine to be translated into French and Japanese. In addition to being an editor and publisher of IWC magazine, he is also a wine columnist for the Forbes Guide, and in 2010 he founded the wine website Winophilia.
10. New Zealand voices in the wine critic world: Bob Campbell MW
Scoring system: 100 points plus 5-star awards
Having passed the Master Wine Exam in 2000, Bob Campbell is New Zealand's best-known wine critic and a senior judge in wine competitions in 12 different countries. He uses the same percentage product rating as Robert Parker, but the difference is that Bob Campbell will give different awards to each wine according to the score, such as five stars representing the Gold Award, which ranges from 93-95 points to 96-100 points, and the wine is regarded as the top wine; 4 stars are silver awards with scores of 85-89 and 90-92; and three stars are bronze awards, divided into 78-79 and 80-84 levels. 50% of all his ratings are above 78. (Text/Jiuhu Network, original title/World's Top Ten Wine Critics)
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