Customer Reviews

Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide 6th Edition : The Complete, Easy-to-Use Reference on Recent Vintages, Prices, and Ratings for More Than 8,000 Wines from All the Major Wine Regions

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

This sixth edition of Parker's wine-buying guide is the result of Robert Parker and his accomplice, Pierre Rovani, tasting their way through more than 8,000 wines. Parker introduces the book as a "consumer's guide to wine." Although Parker and Rovani both write very well, this book is not an effort at creative writing. My review focuses on the utilitarian aspects of the book -- look to others for analysis of character development, plot devices, etc.

My paperback copy of the book has 1635 numbered pages (not 1696 as the Amazon web blurb indicates). About 40 pages (2.5% of the book) are devoted to introductory material ranging from tasting glasses to notions of terroir. The index takes up another 2.3%. The rest (over 95%) is about the wines; these are covered by geographic region. Each region is briefly introduced (several with maps) with a summary of the kinds of wine produced (and grape varietals employed), recent vintages are characterized, and wine producers of the region are ranked from 5 stars (outstanding) to 2 stars (average).

Breaking the geographic coverage down in terms of page volume, Europe takes up 69.5% of the book, North America 19.8%, and the rest of the world the remaining 5.9%. France alone takes up 53% of the book. Six major wine regions consume over 75% of the pages: Bordeaux, 16%; the Rhone, Provence & Languedoc 16%; Burgundy (& Beaujolais) 14.5%; Italy 12.5%; and California 16.7%. Australia and New Zealand weigh in together at 5.6%. South Africa and South America get 2 and 3 pages, respectively. Previous editions of the book have been criticized for this seemingly "undemocratic" coverage.

The vast bulk of the book is tasting notes and numeric ratings for individual wines, organized by producer and vintage year. Parker or Rovani assign a numeric rating or score to each wine; these range from 100 points down to 50 points. A wine rated 90-100 points is excellent to outstanding (grade A), 80-89 points good to very good (grade B), and so on. Tasting notes describe each wine in terms of nose, flavor, body, etc., and these really are the crux of the review: the numeric score attempts to rate the wine relative to its peers, but you still want to know what it tastes like. Reviews for most producers cover the most recent two or three vintages that have been released; some have up to five or six vintages covered (e.g., many Bordeaux chateaux).

Very few wines included in the book are rated at less than 85 points; apparently many wines that were tasted by the pair (and described in Parker's bimonthly *Wine Advocate*) did not make it into the book. By not devoting space to describe lesser wines, the authors are able to point us toward more of the very good and excellent wines. The other side of this coin is that they do not often explicitly steer us away from not-so-good wines. Moreover, if a wine is not included in the book, we don't know if it didn't measure up or simply was not tasted. But many unreviewed producers are at least rated in a general way in the 2- to 5-star tiers for each region/varietal.

Wine prices are indicated by a letter code, from A (inexpensive) to E (expensive) to EEE ("luxury"). Bargain hunters may be dismayed upon randomly scanning the pages to see that A and B priced wines are relatively uncommon. But a closer look reveals a few regions that do have reviews of many reasonably priced wines (the south of France, for example).

So how good is the book? It is not difficult to find fault with it. Some will find the geographic coverage uneven ("Not a single wine from Texas!"). Some will gripe that inexpensive wines are inadequately covered. But Parker and Rovani did not set out to give us a random, representative sample of all the world's wines. They chose to tell us about 8,000+ mostly very good to outstanding wines. The amount of useful information in this book is just incredible -- hundreds of pages of informed tasting notes on good to great current wines. It would be churlish to even think about downgrading the book by a star because of anything it omits. It is an amazing value and most wine consumers will benefit greatly from owning it.

As has been alluded to in other reviews, the usefulness of this book varies with Parker's commitment to any given wine region. For Bordeaux, Rhone and Languedoc I believe he is excellent. For California and NW United States wines, the book is helpful but also frustrating because so many of the entries are "cult" wines with 500 or so case production. I noticed that some of the more widely available California producers that were included in the fifth edition are left off of this one. While many of the French wines are available in a good wineshop--good luck finding any of the Calfornia ones he raves about. If you start now, you may be able to get on some of the winery mailing lists in five or ten years. In many cases the amount of wine produced is not mentioned, which can be a cause for frustration.

I think this book is an invaluable resource used in connection with other guidebooks and a trustworthy retailer. It's a truism that Parker is the most influential wine critic in the world. Many would argue that wineries are crafting their wines to win his high ratings. That being said, it's helpful to read his views as they give a clear snapshot of the state of winemaking in our era.

I find myself very much in agreement with other reviewers, and I am relieved to discover that I was not alone in this. On the one hand, when one reads Parker's chapters (on Bordeaux and the Rhone Valley in particular), one recognizes the invaluable nature of the guide.

On the other hand, one then turns to the incomprehensible gobbledygook that is the chapter on Burgundy. Proceeding on, one encounters the appalling 11-page chapter on Germany, written by someone who evidently despises most german wines on principle, and which includes absolutely no tasting notes whatsoever. One also gets to enjoy complete howlers like the Loire chapter, which starts with the question "Why are the Loire's wines so little known?" Gee, maybe it is because of 12-page chapters that offer no useful information. All of this is thanks to the rather inept contributions of Pierre-Antoine Rovani.

The result is a wildly uneven guide that should be used with some caution. Parker's chapters for the most part are quite informative. For the reviewer that complained that most of these wines are long since off the market, one only has to read the Bordeaux chapter in regards to the 2000 vintage, which is still available in abundance. If one is looking for good sleeper wines among the 2000 Bordeaux, this guide is worth the price. However, reading Rovani should be regarded as complete waste of time. Like someone else said, he is just deadweight.

The reason the "sheep" (word used in negative rating postings) follow Parker's guidance, and the reason Robert Parker's are the only reviews that influence price fluctuations for Bordeaux, is that Robert Parker combines impeccable taste with a relentless dedication to objectivity. Parker's 100-point Wine rating system has been near-universally adopted. Parker was the first Wine critic to seriously denounce Filtration practices that destroy Wines for merchant/commercial utility (ability to ship without regard to horridly high temperatures) -- Many other tasters (shills?) throughout the 1970's and 1980's insisted that filtering had no impact, or even influence, on taste. This pre or non-Parker view is now universally rejected, to the great benefit of Red Wine consumers.

Criticisms that Parker spends too much time focusing on French wines (esp. Bordeaux) are true but largely miss-the-point. If you want a comprehensive guide to California Wineries, you should definitely look elsewhere. Specialty books abound on California Wines, especially here in the States, and to fault a Wine book containing 1,596 pages of Text for lack of comprehensiveness is near absurdity. Parker includes some "cult" California producers for, I think, obvious reasons: The "cult" offerings are far superior to overcropped, overpriced-even-at-$10-$12 California Wines that have saturated the US Market (does this really need to be stated?!). Parker ignores cheap, insipid California offerings just as he largely ignores cheap, insipid Italian Whites (again, note that I agree). You might just as well question why he doesn't rate jugs of Carlo Rossi. There's no conspiracy there.

It is certainly true that Parker prefers full, tannic, flavorful Red Bordeaux (and Bordeaux-like) Wines. He is a Bordeaux specialist who has received 2 knighthoods from the nation of France for his Bordeaux tasting ability: Can you blame Wine Producers for courting his taste, or Wine Consumers for buying his selections?? Still, I don't think his preference is as all-encompassing as some critics suggest: I am personally a huge fan of Rieslings, and I have very rarely disagreed with Parker's ratings of Alsace and German producers.

The biggest issue with this work is that it is getting out-of-date (though the superb quality of 2005 Bordeaux's may force Parker to pen a new version quickly). Also do take note if you do not have access to New York or California Wine stores you will only have access to most Parker-reviewed wines through online outlets.

Some specific viewpoints also beguile some consumers who take insufferable offense: Parker loves Champagne and largely disparages 'Sparkling Wines' (a view I happen to share), Parker likes/loves Gewurztraminer which is not a crowd-pleaser, Parker hates Italian Whites, and Parker prefers the finest Red Bordeaux over the finest Red Burgundies (note that co-author Rovani penned the Burgundy section).

For those interested in Value -- Best French values are generally found through trying Wines from Parker's noted producers in Alsace, Languedoc/Roussillon, the Loire valley and the Rhone appellations. Many of these Wines are under-appreciated and generally under-valued. Further, though Parker's sections on Spain, Australia and N.Z. are anything but comprehensive, his noted 'outstanding' and 'great' Producers are trustworthy for all but the worst vintages.

Could not believe the amazing amount of information about 8,000 wines available on the shelf. At a high level, wine types from all over the world are discussed in local context, the important and less important producers are identified, and specific wines are reviewed. This book not only tells me what the wine in the bottle tastes like, it gives me the Wine Advocate's quality judgement. (The Wine Advocate is widely acknowledged to be the single best authority on wine criticism. My own experience agrees with that judgement).

The best part is that tons of the reviewed wines (same vintage even) are on the shelves at the shop for sale. So I can read about exactly what's in the bottle before spending my money. I got a coupon mailer from Total Beverage in my area and loaded up on great wines (all with 90+ scores) at big discounts! Avoided the losers; why buy losers when great stuff is on sale, too? Any way, this book is really useful to me as I'm stocking up the cellar for the holidays and beyond. BTW, saved in coupons on an order - so the book paid for itself twice over the first time I used it.

IMHO, this is a great research tool for anyone who wants current information to help them buy wine now. I don't know how they can publish this much, this timely, at such a reasonable price. Kudos to the authors for a superb buying guide. After tasting the wines I just bought, their reviews get my top marks.

the reviewer who said Parker is a dictator who has greatly damaged or destroyed the wonderful diversity of wine in the market is right, but that is not a criticism of this book. it is a criticism of the market who try to cater to the lowest denominator.

parkers book contains a huge amount of useful information for the beginner, and even my connoisseur friends find it invaluable. When you go to a restaurant or store without information on a given wine, it helps greatly to have his opinion.

Sadly his opinion has begun to be the criterion for winemakers to try to meet. I personally like lower alcohol wines, and generally subtler wines than he favors and brags on. Thus his criticism and scores are a direct cause of my favorite wines disappearing from the marketplace.

I.e. Robert parker is both a useful source of education and a tremendously harmful influence in the world of wine. people increasingly buy what robert likes rather than what they themselves like. This is idiocy, but it is not his fault. This is a very good and useful book, but if you compare it to one of his older books, say from 1989, you will see that the older one was more candid and hence better.

I recommend this book, but do not read it as a bible, rather a well written and fairly comprehensive source of information. But make up your own mind, and remember that how your head feels the next day is also a relevant criterion for enjoying wine. I personally recommend Hugh Johnsons and michael Broadbents books as more reliable and honest.

This book is simultaneously most useful to beginners and most dangerous. It has a lot of information beginners need in the general discussion sections, but in the recommendations, it helps to know a bit about wine before listening to his imperious opinions about what is good and what isn't.

I personally think it ludicrous to even consider buying most of the highly rated cALIFORNIA WINES WHICH ARE to my palate, very overpriced high alcohol bombs, which can be bested easily with many many French wines costing at most 40-50 dollars.

E.g he gives scores above 90 to recent Silver Oak wines, costing $50-$120, but which I and most people I know consider very artificially flavored products in which one tastes mainly wood, and not grapes. If you are ignorant of wine, this is impressive at first, but eventually you begin to notice you are not tasting the wine.

I agree that 1985 Silver Oak was a fine wine, but 2001 for over $100? That should be a joke, but because of the influx of moneyed novices to the wine market it is not.

Compare a 1998 Chateau le Gay ($40+), Parker 89, to a 2001 Silver oak ($100+) and see if you identify with what I am saying. Those who think the more powerful a wine is, the better it is, will nonetheless disagree.

Or if you like like rich tastes and can find them, compare a 1997 Heights Bella Oaks ($65, Parker unrated), to a 1995 Chateau laTour ($300, Parker 96+).

I am just saying, learn from parker, but follow your own taste buds.

note added in 2009: Parker's scores and world economics and demand have recently driven many bordeaux prices out of reach to all ordinary wine drinkers. The 1995 latour mentioned above now costs over $900 in my market, and even many young Bordeaux wines of top reputation but entirely unproven merit are already over $1000. I suggest you will be very sorry if you pay these prices hoping for some kind of miracle. The 1995 latour I drank in 2007 was not as good as the 1970 I had in 1981, but cost 5 times as much. Today the best deals are on 2004 Bordeaux, since they have not been reviewed especially favorably. Haut Batailley 2004 is sometimes only $26, if you can find it, and try recorking it for a day after opening it.

This exhaustive work contains enormous information for the novice and expert as well. Written in a straightforward manner, it teaches all the little things important to know about wine, from the kinds of grapes used in given regions to how and when to decant. The reviews are spot-on, as we've come to expect from the Parker-Rovani team. Unbeholden to producers or the wine industry, they call it like it is. For example, they were the only critics to accurately announce the 1993 and 1998 Burgundies as being hard and dry, saving countless consumers from buying those expensive wines. My quality of life is better because I follow their advice!

This is a good book, but note that it is a advanced wine buyers guide, do not really expect this guide to be of much help at your local grocery store wine section.
If you are just starting out there are better books to start with, get this book when you have caught the wine bug and are ready to invest more in your wines.
If you are serious about your wines and willing to spend $25 and up wards for your wine then this is a must have. I would suggest this as a third or later wine book in your collection.

1/2 star taken away for outdated coverage, most wines reviewed here are of vintages really hard to find in 2005.

1/2 star for spotty coverage of regions like South Africa, New Zealand and Australia.

Look, many of you will be familiar with the criticisms Parker received, but let's face it, who can say they have sampled as many wines as this man? Few at all. His obvious drive for quality and affordability are admirable and essential qualities in the modern wine world. Many of you reading this will be insufferable wine snobs who have ruined the buying of wine for the plebeians among us, especially wines from the fine wine regions of the world. Parker does all of us a great service and he should be applauded. The price of the book alone is justified merely for his superb insights into the Rhone and Languedoc regions. Being a budget wine buyer for the most part and thus a fan of wines from Chile, New Zealand, and South Africa I would have appreciated some reviews, but you can't have it all. The lack of reviews for Germany is a serious omission, especially as Riesling is the world's greatest white varietal, bar none. All that said however, it's a fine book, just horribly imcomplete.

Parker Parker Parker, yes we cannot do away with him, but it is useful to know that you don't have to read ONLY Parker, and in fact it is neccessary not to use this book as the be all and end all of buying decisions. Over the past few years Parker's palate has repeatedly being called to question and the flaws of his preferences are being brought to light. This book however is useful for novices and beginner winedrinkers (rich and poor alike) and will appeal to young and innexperienced palates. Be particurly careful about his projected maturity notes and completely disregard anything written by his "co-author" Rovani. Burgundy is a complete disaster so disregard the whole chapter, and the team does not understand Alsace or Germany either. Coverage is good in regions like Spain, italy, California and Bordeaux, but piss poor in hot new regions like New Zealand for example. Nothing has been updated about New Zealand as long as the book has been published (6 editions now) and the man obviously hasn't bothered to taste anything from a country that is universally heralded as a great new source of fine wine. No other writer has been able to ignore the region but Parker still has the same four paragraphs about it that he wrote almost a decade ago. Laziness? Or do the region's wine throw him off balance and he has to dismiss them so single-mindedly? Either way, this should not be the only book you buy. For buying decisions, it is fine to start off with but as soon as you can afford to, PLEASE get a subscription to one of the other critics too, especially Clive Coates, Jancis Robinson and Stephen Tanzer, to save from being dissapointed years down the line when you realise that your palate has matured and outgrown Parker.