I have some great stories from Gigondas as well. Weird how the proliferation of special cuvees is taking place over there as well. Does people think that happened all by itself.
Yes, of course, Peter, technology. Duh. 
I don’t really think that’s accurate, Jack. Those that were into CDP followed Parker I think from the '89 and '90 vintages. The real issue is that CDP didn’t take off with the masses until the '98 vintage, which was the best vintage since 1990 and came at a time when spiraling costs for California Cabernet and Bordeaux were starting to be too much for a lot of folks. 1998 was the “it” moment for CDP and with a remarkable string of terrific vintages since then, it hasn’t looked back.
Brad
The assertion seems to be that many (most?) special cuvees are made specifically to please Parker… And I strongly disagree with it.
From my viewpoint, the southern Rhone has gone through a transition period where growers have moved from primarily selling grapes, to bottling their own wines to now, realizing they have amazing vineyards and experimenting with what they have. Going back into the early '90s, domaines often produced special cuvees to celebrate special events so seeing more of them, especially at the quality level they’re at today, doesn’t strike me as odd but more of a normal progression. Are single vineyard pinots/cabs/syrahs/etc. produced solely due to Bob?
While tasting with Thierry at Usseglio, I was shown a single barrel of 100% grenache from les serres that they had put into new french oak. I don’t even know if they’re going to bottle it but I can tell you one thing, Thierry was excited about the wine. I don’t believe for a second he doesn’t like his cuvees or that he’s doing it due to Parker. Julien of Barroche is experimenting with Syrah (had a fantastic barrel of '08) as well as producing a late harvest grenache a la Bonneau’s Cuvee Special. Eric at Bastide Saint-Dominique has a new cuvee and I’m sure he’s making the best wine he can. If someone thinks Laurence and Paul are making their Capo and Cuvee Laurence to please Parker, I’d ask if you’ve met them. The region is full of talented, driven people who are making wines that they like and to chalk what they’re doing up to single source seems very short sighted.
Also, the fact that Parker likes some special cuvees doesn’t mean the special cuvees are made for him. Are some? Possibly. But I’d like to hear facts and not extrapolations, I think or maybes.
With regards to Cambie, I find the idea that he’s making wine to please critics as opposed to making wine he thinks is good absurd.
Anyway, my two cents.
Jeb, my best guess is that I have spent significantly more time in the Southern Rhone than you. I am not guessing when I say something. I think you are quite naive if you think the emergence of special cuvees has nothing to do with pleasing certain critics. One day if we meet up in the Rhone I’ll tell you some good stories.
And Jeb, maybe you’d be kind enough to explain why Clos St Jean went from producing no special cuvees to two when Cambie came in as consultant? Do you think that was a coincidence? Formula wine making. Soften up the wines, make them more forward/approachable young, step up the extraction, make a few cuvees and vupti with the help of RP you’ve achieved world fame.
First, I never said nothing… and second, lets hear it.
Sorry, you think Clos Saint Jean is making soft/approachable/formula wines?
Yes, very extracted, jammy, fruit forward wines that most people, including you I believe, find seductive when they are young. If you compare them to what Maurel produced in the past - there is a significant change of style. I am not a fan of these wines at all. I believe RP likes them no? I believe he likes every single wine where Cambie is involved.
Jeb - I know for a fact that Belle Helene was made specifically for Parker. I have had dinner with the person who help blend the first Belle Helene and the goal was to create something for Robert Parker.
I don’t doubt that some of these wines were created b/c winemakers saw an opportunity to capitalize on the favorable press (and subsequent demand for the wines) Robert Parker was heaping on them from 89/90 onward. Why not in effect Single Vineyard Designate (that’s really the analogy here) and charge 2x, 3x, 4x the price of your “basic” bottling. Do a barrel or site selection, and if Parker anoints big points and great notes, voila, you have something you can sell for a lot of cash. I suspect importers may have also pushed for more luxury cuvees as well as a way to exploit demand.
It is no different than CA SVD Pinot makers. Why spend $5000 per ton to make an appellation wine that you can sell for $30-35 when you can slap a SVD label on it and sell it for $50-60.
I still recall one winery sending out their newsletter for their Pinots. They talked about this particular vineyard, how great it was, how it formed their appellation Pinot but they liked 8 barrels (or so) so much they decided to SVD part of the production. Did they sell the wine for the same dough? Nope, $20 per bottle increase. I am not sure they realized what they implied when creating the newsletter but it did not escape me.
Thanks Tony and I appreciate the info.
Um, Tony, I luv ya but you gotta be kidding. Had dinner with a guy who helped blend the grapes who said the goal was to please Parker? First off half the wine makers in the world “want” to please one critic or another. And I’m trying to think how the whole “have dinner with some guy” equals “The owner of the winery, in an interview with such and such, admitted ‘We wanted to make a wine to please Robert Parker as we thought it would help make us some money, so we made this special cuvee, Cuvee Noodles. It’s $2,000 a bottle’”. This reminds me of a letter a dietician wrote to the NYT I read last week which said "Studies show half of all cancers are caused by a persons diet.’ Ya. I mean I know you can say something with conviction, but that does not make it fact.
Greg - with all due respect, you don’t know who it is I had dinner with (multiple times btw and will be seeing said person soon again) and what his relationship is to the winery folks. This person has or had more Ogier than just about anyone in the country and was responsible for importing it or at least getting to importers in the late 80’s early 90’s. He has spent a great deal of time with the Ogier’s and I trust him when he tells me they created the Belle Helene specifically for Parker.
Greg, fwiw, I’ve had dinner with the same person Tony is talking about and this fellow did indeed consult with Ogier with regard to creating the Belle Helene to be a critic’s darling.
Brad
Why is this surprising to anyone?
You’re kinder than I am $300 for a CDP is ludicrous IMHO
well alright then
If you look at current pricing on the 2007s, which is silly, the answer Jim is “yes”. However, that is based on an old world philosophy left over in the hearts of present day importers, wholesalers, and retailers. The world has changed and those who bought up the high end 07s on Parker’s scores will regret that, I bet. Pricing on the 07s will go nowhere.
Happy to hear Asimov’s view, too, as it reinforces my bet.
Half that is ludicrous, frankly.
The Stupids kick out the jam!