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

ToddFrench · May 13, 2022, 5:06pm

Yeah, given he’s basically a kid, ‘old fashioned’ to him is different than ‘old fashioned’ to us!!

Marc_Frontario · May 13, 2022, 5:13pm

Yes, it is true! I have paid for a subscription to Wine Advocate - I am now a WA subscriber!

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!

image0.png

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.

Screen Shot 2022-05-13 at 7.57.34 AM.png

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

Yessss…Will Kelley is a God for putting this review out there…not many critics have the Nuggets to ruffle the feathers like that…Now I have to find the 2009 Le Bon Pastuer note from from last yr. where I declared, “This is not bordeaux” …well done William, well done!!

ToddFrench · May 13, 2022, 5:14pm

Yes, it is true! I have paid for a subscription to Wine Advocate - I am now a WA subscriber!

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!

image0.png

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.

Screen Shot 2022-05-13 at 7.57.34 AM.png

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

Yessss…Will Kelley is a God for putting this review out there…not many critics have the Nuggets to ruffle the feathers like that…Now I have to find the 2009 Le Bon Pastuer note from from last yr. where I declared, “This is not bordeaux” …well done William, well done!!

Alfert posted it above, but, of course, he got the vintage completely wrong (referring to '98 for some reason)

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2973358#p2973358

Mike_S · May 13, 2022, 5:19pm

The end of of Berserkers! Sad to see it go. Someone will have to start a new forum. We have lost our leader. RIP Todd

Robert.A.Jr · May 13, 2022, 5:26pm

Yes, it is true! I have paid for a subscription to Wine Advocate - I am now a WA subscriber!

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!

image0.png

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:

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.

Screen Shot 2022-05-13 at 7.57.34 AM.png

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

Yessss…Will Kelley is a God for putting this review out there…not many critics have the Nuggets to ruffle the feathers like that…Now I have to find the 2009 Le Bon Pastuer note from from last yr. where I declared, “This is not bordeaux” …well done William, well done!!

Alfert posted it above, but, of course, he got the vintage completely wrong (referring to '98 for some reason)

https://www.wineberserkers.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=2973358#p2973358

This is what happens when my secretary is on vacation. She normally proofs and then hosts my posts.

Robert.A.Jr · May 13, 2022, 5:30pm

PS. I have it on good information that Todd had a coupon! Cheap bastard.

ToddFrench · May 13, 2022, 5:32pm

You sure do - very good information, as I posted that TWO TIMES IN THIS VERY THREAD

Robert.A.Jr · May 13, 2022, 5:36pm

Sigh.

See post #25.

Claus_Jeppesen · May 13, 2022, 5:38pm

Guess who might not longer be a subscriber
And the Rolland experts name is Alfret

joejolesch · May 13, 2022, 5:40pm

We have a special topic for all the other cheap bastards - make sure to post in the correct thread

Robert.A.Jr · May 13, 2022, 5:44pm

Haha. Those are LPB scores and her predecessors!

K_John_Joseph · May 13, 2022, 5:51pm

A thread unsurprisingly started and frequented by folks who use this site nearly every day but refuse to donate any $ to support it.

Chris_Crutchfield · May 13, 2022, 5:57pm

Not sure I understand the scorn. I use that thread frequently and am a Monopole Cru member. I don’t see why you would assume only freeloaders use that thread.

Howard_Cooper · May 13, 2022, 6:19pm

I started subscribing again to the WA about a year and a half ago and did so for one reason - William Kelley.

M.Kaplan · May 13, 2022, 6:23pm

Six months for me, for the same reason. I look forward to TWA’s updated website.

Anton_D · May 13, 2022, 7:10pm

Wait a minute…

“Old style wine making…”

“The results are disastrous…”

Rated above average to outstanding by the Parker rating criteria?

The fruit bombers and phony 100 point scalers have officially killed wine reviewing.

Just go to total Wine and buy Emmolo.

Anthony_C · May 13, 2022, 7:19pm

“William and the Berserkers” sounds like a great rock band name.

Dav1d_Sawyer · May 13, 2022, 7:26pm

Complete and utter domination of wine forum world heals all wounds.

Ian_Dorin · May 13, 2022, 7:45pm

I was largely being serious!

The whole birth of WB is because of the stupidity of TWA. Amazing how times have changed.

I agree that Kelley is awesome too. Great reason to go back.

Neal.Mollen · May 13, 2022, 7:52pm

Yes, it is true! I have paid for a subscription to Wine Advocate - I am now a WA subscriber!

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!

image0.png

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.

Screen Shot 2022-05-13 at 7.57.34 AM.png

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

Cheers to you!