Comments on: Burgundy visits – how much time does a critic take per domaine?

By: When tasting notes score 83 points | Dr Vino's wine blog

When tasting notes score 83 points | Dr Vino's wine blog — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 17:58:12 +0000

[...] of the writer. Possibly compounding the situation, or adding a new wrinkle, is the sheer quantity of tasting notes some critics produce–it’s hard to say something original when churning out dozens of [...]

By: Craig

Craig — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:59:59 +0000

Jon–I have no idea of course which domaine he would have bought these from, although the list is somewhat limited. As 2010s are not offered for sale yet I don’t see any other way he could have made this arrangement. Burgundy domaines are often willing to sell a bit of wine to people they have personal relationships with. Perhaps he asked for that wine specifically, but I don’t consider Antonio corrupt in any way so my guess is that he asked a domaine if he could buy a bit of wine for his daughter’s birthyear and the winemaker suggested that one (presumably trying to curry favor). FWIW I don’t see anything to criticize in that.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:48:58 +0000

Craig – do wine advocate critics buy direct from domaines? How does an average joe do that because i would like to?

By: Craig

Craig — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 16:04:10 +0000

Well, I assume he bought the Amoureuses direct from one of the domaines he visited, so that wouldn’t have added extra time. That’s a crazy schedule. Burghound rated 77 Jadot 2009s so that alone should take a full afternoon.

By: Jon

Jon — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:56:05 +0000

The Galloni tour countinues

AntonioGalloni
this am – Domaine de l’Arlot, Chevillon, Gouges and Lecheneaut, the pm is De Montille, Lafon, D’Angerville and Jadot #wine

http://twitter.com/antoniogalloni

Also appears he was doing some shopping while there:
AntonioGalloni
ordered some 2010 Amoureuses in mags for my baby girl = happy #wine

By: Wino

Wino — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 05:28:43 +0000

How about 15 wines in two vintages, one in barrel and one in bottle? So 30 wines in 45 minutes is “correct”? This “Hill” is a moron.

By: Craig

Craig — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 16:01:43 +0000

“Hill,” you are correct that I have not reviewed wines for any critical publications. However, I have visited estates with professional critics on visits that were being written up for their journals, and watching that made it very clear that it is not possible for a professional reviewer to taste through a lineup for review accurately in only 45 minutes, particularly if he wants to receive any information about the winemaking or the vintage.

You write that “45 minutes for a standard domaine in any region of France would be disciplined but correct.” This is not a case of visiting an estate in Bordeaux or the Rhone that might make a flagship wine, a second label and a white or two; this is Burgundy, where even a small domaine may have 15 or more wines in the lineup.

Finally, your comment “Why not do it yourself if you think you could do better?” is totally irrelevant. The question is not whether Dr. Vino could do the job better; the question is whether Galloni, with one of the most important platforms in the wine world, could do it better than his current approach allows. The answer is very clearly yes, and he does his tens of thousands of paying subscribers a disservice to pretend otherwise.

By: billnanson

billnanson — Wed, 07 Dec 2011 08:34:52 +0000

“Given that no one commenting here (or yourself) has any experience of what it is to cover a wine region, who would have the faintest idea of what it takes, in terms on time, work, or anything?”

Speak for yourself ‘hill’

By: Hill

Hill — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 22:49:30 +0000

No one covers Italy like Galloni (as of yet) in US/UK publications.

Why not do it yourself if you think you could do better?

Just have a shot at just Sicily perhaps? Or just Sardinia? Or Campania? Or just Alto Adige? Or try a region of France?

I didn’t think so. You’d prefer to do nothing. To carp from the sidelines.

Writing a few badly worded paragraphs about some faux controversy here and there is easy. But you don’t write about anything – other than those who cover wine, and the ephemera/controversies around the subject.

BTW 45 minutes for a standard domaine in any region of France would be disciplined but correct.

Given that no one commenting here (or yourself) has any experience of what it is to cover a wine region, who would have the faintest idea of what it takes, in terms on time, work, or anything?

A parade of fools. Here because some lame hack made a lame play with another lame tabloid blog.

That’s great and a lot of fun in a way. It’s entertainment.

But don’t pretend it has anything at all to do with wine.

By: Changing critic, changing styles? | Dr Vino's wine blog

Changing critic, changing styles? | Dr Vino's wine blog — Tue, 06 Dec 2011 15:30:26 +0000

[...] A couple of things to note in all this. First, Parker has not selected a regional expert for any of the new regions. While Galloni had only been to California and Burgundy twice before assuming his coverage of those areas, it’s not immediately clear if Martin, in particular, has been ever been to and tasted in the regions of his new assignment. Also, a with so much ground to cover, hopefully they manage to slow down and not feel compelled to taste at nine wineries in a day. [...]

By: Wino

Wino — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:11:01 +0000

I love how he must have given wines like Lignier’s Clos de la Roche, Rousseau’s Beze and Chambertin, Fourrier’s Griotte and CSJ 90 to 120 seconds each that day before casting judgment. Unreal. Shameful, actually. How can anybody take his notes seriously?

By: Bill

Bill — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 17:03:05 +0000

What would be REALLY interesting is if Galloni tasted the wines at a given estate BLIND.

I haven’t checked his scores but would not be surprised if his nonblind scores range was 86 – 90 points for Bourgogne, 87 – 92 for village, 90 – 94 for premier cru, 92 – 97 for gc.

And if that’s the case, what value does he provide to the consumer?

By: billnanson

billnanson — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 11:10:14 +0000

I average four visits per day, five if I get one that will stay late (7pm+). But that’s only 1-4 days per month – but pretty much every month. Sometimes the visit can be as short as 45minutes, others you are needing excuses to leave, but I count being a slow note-taker an advantage, so the best part of 3-5 minutes per wine would be the minimum – clearly no substitute for spending a night with a bottle.

The problem with 4-5 visits per day is that you need a day to transcribe those notes – probably more – I’m also a slow typist!!

By: Evan Dawson

Evan Dawson — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 01:56:11 +0000

At 30 minutes, even 45 minutes, you simply don’t have time to converse much and get a feel for a winemaker’s decision-making. I find that when I make more than three appointments in a single day, it’s difficult to keep them. Inevitably, an hour stretches into two, or longer. Philosophical discussions dominate; we also talk history and change and style. Tasting a wide range of wines and learning anything useful in 30-45 minutes is not a talent reserved for only the most stellar critics; it essentially doesn’t happen.

I’ve heard mainly glowing things about Mr. Galloni, and don’t know him. But there is plenty of talk that he (and many critics) are stretched too thin. This is only more evidence to support such a claim.

By: Wino

Wino — Thu, 01 Dec 2011 21:44:18 +0000

There’s no way that he can give proper attention to the wines on that schedule. Maybe that’s why his notes on individual wines are so short and weak on substance. Quantity over quality, simple as that.