Oh, the irony...I just subscribed to Wine Advocate!! (and here's why...)

WINE TALK
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Yes, it is true! I have paid for a subscription to Wine Advocate - I am now a WA subscriber! [cheers.gif]

After the big breakaway nearly 14 years ago, and the creation of this big and wonderful community of wine dorks, (those who have been here a while know the story) the many changes at WA (changes of ownership, loss of some of the ‘key’ players with whom I had issues, etc) including the most significant, that of adding William Kelley as the reviewer for not only Burgundy and Champagne but now (finally!) Bordeaux, then seeing the review of Le Bon Pasteur (shown below), I knew I was ready to invest in a subscription!

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For those who were on the most recent Zoom Q&A session with William and the Berserkers (available here if you haven’t seen it yet), I’m quite confident this is one of the wines to which he was specifically referring after reading the following:

followed by a full-bodied, bitter and astringent palate that assaults the tongue and gums with vigor

That combined with ‘creamy new oak’ shows quite clearly that it is NOT in my wheelhouse for Bordeaux - literally quite the opposite - and the fact that William had the balls to give it a score of 82-84 just sealed the deal.

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BTW, I used a promo code that I’m making available to all Monopole Crü members in the very near future as well, and it is ongoing, for the life of the MC membership, or until Michelin gets pissed at me/us and pulls it newhere

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WOW. Arguably the most earth shattering news in the wine world in a long time!

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Ha, jerk. [wow.gif]

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Fire Todd.

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On it!




oh, wait…

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So Todd’s no longer a [berserker.gif]???

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In order to get the discount, did Todd agree that Parker and Squires would become new WB moderators? newhere

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Hmmmm, Todd…did you get a personal e-mail from Mark Squires welcoming you??
Tom

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Todd is straight up provoking his own insurrection [stirthepothal.gif] neener

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A foolish consistency is the hobgoblin of little minds :slight_smile:

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What’s Squires up to?

[stirthepothal.gif]

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I’m waiting for WK to go out on his own.

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I might subscribe! Wish he was on his own, and I agree with note( in general) as I have not tasted the wine but am super frustrated with the homogeneity of everything under the Rolland name.

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You are Monopole Crü, so wait until I share the discount code to the group!

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Is this the best thread topic to start on a Friday the 13th? Mods, please flag.

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Would be cool in the future, but still seems to me that TWA has an incredible reach and name brand that he can potentially maximize to its and his advantage. You can see how he is shifting the style, substance and criticism.

This note and commentary on the 2021 Le Bon Pasteur is notable, and in the world of wine, quite important.

Rolland has been the scourge to classic Bordeaux for quite some time. You can make the case that he has single-handedly ruined the once-vaunted St. Emilion. I own, at this point, almost no wines from St. Emilion from 2000 to the present, other than a lot of Magdelaine and some Figeac. I have jettisoned pretty much anything Rolland’s hand touches.

Rolland is an icon. A brand. A wielder of influence. His modern, glossy, ubiquitous style apparently sells to the modern critics, that fawn all over him like he is Bacchanalia himself. He garners points and points sell.

So what makes this criticism so notable?

ROLLAND OWNS THIS WINERY, BEEN IN THE FAMILY NAME FOR MANY DECADES.

He took over in the late 1970s, I think. If any winery has his imprimatur, it is this. The fawning critics cannot say he only works in the field, consultants on the blend, others have input, et al. He owns the winery! If the wine sucks, which it does, he is fully responsible.

I love love love Pomerol. Pomerol has seemed to avoid, generally, the modern movements that have hit St ‘Em and some left bank estates like an insidious Phylloxera louse. But not this house. This is HIM. I do not buy this Chateau. I do not like this Chateau. Pardon the poor Suessisms. William’s note on 2021 is exactly why.

Or better yet, my little buddy MarcF’s most wonderful note on the 1998:

I wonder if Rolland has issued any public commentary?

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I’m a bit puzzled by describing it as “an old fashioned style of winemaking,” but otherwise, I agree that it’s nice to see William calling his shots like that.

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I assumed what he meant by that was the +/- 2000 to 2010 (2015) or so style of bigger, riper, etc., as many Chateau have been starting to walk things back over the last five years or so.

William?

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I’m going to ban todd

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One week time out….