Comments on: Wallace: “Broadbent has chosen to blame the messenger”

By: tranmere

tranmere — Mon, 18 Jun 2012 12:22:06 +0000

It is the USA that has a “notoriously plaintiff-friendly” legal system.
If you have any friends who are doctors, just ask them about the problems this gives them in the practice of medicine.

By: Broadbent: victim of a tarnished industry? « Senel Wine

Broadbent: victim of a tarnished industry? « Senel Wine — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 19:08:49 +0000

[...] text following is accredited to the popular wine blog DrVino (aka Tyler [...]

By: Guus

Guus — Sun, 16 May 2010 08:30:23 +0000

I’m reading the book (not finished yet) and am amazed of the reaction of Broadbent as until now I did not find anything bad faith regarding him in the book.

By: Mark Golodetz

Mark Golodetz — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 04:15:52 +0000

This has been a really sad chapter, when Michael Broadbent, one of the great establishment figures, was so taken in by a plausible rogue.

I think it is obvious that he was never accused of bad faith, just bad judgement. I read the book, and it never accused Broadbent of any wrongdoing, but he did appear credulous and wanting very badly to believe. No doubt this affected his judgement. All in all, a very sad chapter for someone whose work and palate I have long admired.

By: Owen Edwards

Owen Edwards — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 22:48:05 +0000

I’ll “bluster” here (to quote N. Groundwater) and say that the way this has panned out on the Broadbent end, regardless of the justice or injustice of the judgement, has been absolutely disgraceful. The real blow to Broadbent’s reputation has been the pursuit of this case, and the later pursuit of Internet forumites and the like. Cowardly and dishonourable. Also calling it a victory is to live somewhere near reality but a little out of town.

By: Erol Senel

Erol Senel — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 20:49:41 +0000

Ted and Mule,

I read about the German case and the excerpts you quoted. It’s funny how there is so much out there to support the claims that they so vehemently deny.

The truth is that there was a certain level of professional negligence that transpired and that is all I would like them to admit to. This is also what I feel that Benjamin Wallace was attempting to convey. They won’t however, because that would lead to an avalanche of issues that they would have to address.

When it is all said and done, I feel that most opinions are based on a little more than just one book at this point (regardless of what they wish to believe).

And he is not the only one to blame, but the only ones choosing this recourse to defend himself.

No matter what this is amazingly interesting fodder.

(Ted, thanks for the support on my post).

By: The Wine Mule

The Wine Mule — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 16:38:45 +0000

Hah! Thanks, Ted! (I was thinking of Rodenstock being proved a fraud in the US, but this will do, yes, indeed.)

By: Ted Simon

Ted Simon — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 15:32:49 +0000

“A German collector, Hans-Peter Frericks, accused Mr. Rodenstock in a Munich state court, which found in favor of Mr. Frericks on Dec. 14, 1992, saying ‘the defendant adulterated the wine or knowingly offered adulterated wine.’” –The Wall Street Journal, September 1, 2006

By: The Wine Mule

The Wine Mule — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 12:14:24 +0000

Erol: From your commentary–
“Why he doesn’t simply admit that he got caught up in the excitement and it may have skewed his judgment is beyond me.”

At first, I felt the same way as you. Why doesn’t he just shrug it off? He got caught up in events, it could happen to anybody.

Then I remembered an article called “The Jefferson Bottles” that appeared in The New Yorker in 2007. Written by Patrick Keefe, it includes this fascinating passage:

“In his book ‘Vintage Wine: Fifty Years of Tasting Three Centuries of Wines,’ Broadbent acknowledges that it was through Rodenstock’s ‘immense generosity’ that he was able to taste many of the rarest entries. Much of his section on eighteenth-century wines consists of notes from Rodenstock tastings.”

If it were ever demonstrated in a court of law (and for the record, it has not) that Rodenstock was a purveyor of counterfeit wines, then where would that leave Broadbent, as a receipient of Rodenstock’s “immense generosity”?

Keefe’s article is still on line. You can read it here:

http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2007/09/03/070903fa_fact_keefe

By: Erol Senel

Erol Senel — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:17:16 +0000

I feel I have gotten under his skin although I was trying to shed light on a different angle.

http://senelwine.blogspot.com/2009/10/broadbent-tarnished-legend.html

I think I am correct in this matter.

By: J. Boyce

J. Boyce — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 17:13:26 +0000

For someone like me, living in China, this case is interesting because of how much money people here are spending on the finest of fine wines – through private sales or auctions in Hong Kong. The more coverage of possible counterfeit wines, the better. I’m sure the father of one of my friends would agree: he has four of the Thomas Jefferson bottles.

Cheers, J. Boyce

By: Cositas y cosotas: 16.10.2009 « La otra botella

Cositas y cosotas: 16.10.2009 « La otra botella — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 12:34:37 +0000

[...] su parte, Benjamis Wallace, autor del libro, publicó en exclusiva en Dr. Vino una carta explicando su posición sobre el caso. “Nunca fuí demandado personalmente por el Sr. Broadbent y no tomé parte del [...]

By: The Other Side of the Broadbent Settlement – Louisville Juice

The Other Side of the Broadbent Settlement – Louisville Juice — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:13:30 +0000

[...] the rest of the statement here. This entry was posted on Thursday, October 15th, 2009 at 4:13 pm and is filed under Feuds. You [...]

By: The Wine Mule

The Wine Mule — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 11:31:12 +0000

Amen, Dylan!

By: Andy

Andy — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 04:59:45 +0000

Mr Wallace’s book is brilliant. It is a great historical read. I loved it and could not wait to get back to it every night after work.
Never once did I think Michael Broadbent acted in bad faith. I always think there are two sides to such controversies.
It seems like a well-written, well-researched project and I recommend it to everyone I can.
ps – I am a Broadbent fan as well. Love his Decanter column