Rolland's rant

There are some poor translations of Michel Rolland’s tirade against wine journalists, due to his liberal use of old-school French idioms, so thought I’d contribute my own translation, with my (French) wife’s help. The full monty is here Michel Rolland s Bordeaux bashing rant | Wine Owners.

Here’s the essence of it.

“There’s no cure for imbecility - it’s reaching colossal proportions. For me, 2015 is a truly great vintage. There are too many idiots to notice…we live in a world…with people without balls…There isn’t a wine writer with any substance in the world today…Not that they’ll become intelligent - that will be difficult - but maybe they’ll learn to think differently.”

How many of those Chateaux where Rolland consults will be getting 100 points this time around I wonder?

Who are the imbeciles, idiots and people without balls against whom he is railing? Is there some anti-2015 Bordeaux movement out there or something? I don’t get who is the object of this hissy fit.

More importantly, who cares what he has to say?

The target of the tirade was wine journalists/ critics who’ve been ‘Bordeaux Bashers’ apparently.

I think he and James Suckling got into a whole thing redramatized below.

[video]Tuscany - YouTube

When did Rolland let Trump start ghost writing for him?

Honestly, this sounds a bit like some of Parker’s “I’m still relevant” rants in recent years.

Yawn. If he consults, I don’t buy. Wish he would go into the sunset. Along with Cambie.

I know him as the Great Satan.

That’s an anagram of his name.

I thought it sounded Parkeresque too. I’ll give this much to Rolland - he’s made some good wines. (Cambie is a different story.) But it seems that he’s gone the same way Bob has. Once these guys start believing their press and each starts thinking he’s the fount of wisdom, they get touchy if their words aren’t accepted as some revealed truth.

Probably helps if they’ve just downed a few bottles too.

Note: I was going to say “font” but decided to check the OED and it said “fount” is the older usage.

Hi Greg -

Some examples? Curious. I’m am critical of him, but have to admit, it’s more so the wines he’s been involved in making these past 10-12 released vintages.

His favourite vintage is 666.

How much longer is this ‘Parker/Rolland/etc guys only make/like one style’ crap going to continue? This is as low information, superficial an argument as a campaign talking point.

Agree, I too find it immensely tiring.

Peter

Robert - I expect some disagreement, but there’s Dalla Valle and Staglin in CA, Clos de Siete in Argentina, Casa Lapostolle, Ornellaia, and the one I really like, L’Evangile. He’s also done a lot that I don’t like all that much.

Blake - which post implied that anyone only makes one style?

His livelihood depends on journalists being cheerleaders.

His livelihood depends on consumers buying wines he is involved with.

Well there is certainly the common scenario where he is the consultant, and a winery still makes the wine taking as much of his advice as they wish. This will certainly lead to some variation in approach.

What Dalla Valle vintages? I did not know that. If he was involved in 1991-94, then brilliant work on those vintages.

If you cannot find a wine you can enjoy then, as Goldmember said - “Well, then there ish no pleashing you”

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