Decanter World Wine AwardsCritics see red over early Brunello previews
- Tuesday 21 February 2012
*Suckling says he will continue to provide tasting notes early
It has been revealed that a number of wine publications and critics have been allowed to taste the 2007 vintage before the official presentation at Benvenuto Brunello during the third week of February.
An open letter to the president of the Brunello Consorzio penned by Polish wine critic, Wojciech Bonkowski, expresses their 'discontent and indignation' at the previews.
The latest outburst follows the lead of French wine critic Michel Bettane, who published an open letter to the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux (UGC) in March 2011, describing as ‘ridiculous’ and ‘disrespectful’ the practice of allowing selected journalists to taste and publish wine scores before the official start of the Bordeaux en primeur week.
Wine critic James Suckling was one of the select few to preview both the 2010 Bordeaux vintage and the 2007 Brunello vintage before the rest of the wine trade. He told decanter.com: 'I have always tasted the new vintage of Brunellos the week they are legally available in bottle and with their DOCG seals.
'I don't understand why other wine critics are upset about people tasting earlier than organised press tastings or events.'
Despite recent attacks, Suckling will again taste the 2011 Bordeaux vintage before the official en primeur week. 'I have been going the same time for the last 15 years. My readers have grown accustomed to me providing tasting notes early to them over the past 30 years as a wine critic. So I am continuing that as always,' he added.
Decanter's consultant editor Steven Spurrier said: 'I would have thought that the wine writing community can be indignant when James Suckling tastes all the Bordeaux vintage a week before anyone else, as these wines are sold en primeur. This is not the case for Brunello 2007, so if there is a storm, it should be, in my view, in a tea cup.'
Have your say!
TARA TAN KITAOKA
December 12 04:47
So much fuss over just one critic early actions ???.
Does the Italian wine world has nothing better to do???.
Wojciech Bo?kowski
February 22 23:04
May I just say Mr. Spurrier misses the point.
It is not about Suckling or anybody else tasting a few weeks before. It is about the Consorzio - essentially a public institution - favouring some wine publications over others by offering full logistic support and organising samples. Including from those estates who choose, impudently, to pull out of the official presentation.
THOMAS B. ABRUZZINI
February 22 22:44
Chateaux that pick in advance their favorite wine critics over other wine writers is done for obvious reasons- one of which is to get favorable ratings =those get preferential treatment and then some. It
should be stopped.
For 7 years I purchased chateaux in barrique arriving at the Splendide Hotel in
Bordeaux April 1st staying a
month till the big boys showed
their hand -Lafite always was
last -end of April.In those days there was the telephone and telex only.
You had to be there to get the
best price and to taste the
chateaux of the previous year.
Today as the Broadway musical
dictates "Anything Goes!"
As for Brunello the DOC (1966)
and DOCG "Guaranteed by GOD"
(1980)was wrong from the start -4 years in wood dictated by 13
producers (59 growers in 1964-66).It took more than 30 years to reduce the required ageing in wood to two full years -but stupidly a Brunello still today
cannot be sold till the FIFTH
YEAR -let alone presented for
tasting -the 2007 vintage-
Anyone wanting to know the
real Brunello saga or what I think of James Suckling, Robert
Parker (especially Italian wines) and Eric Asimov (my favorite punching bag) just
-E Mail @
ABRUZZINI64@aol.com
Thomas B. ABRUZZINI
Exporter of Fine Italian wines
since 1976 -Gaja, Monsanto, Hofstatter, Allegrini just to name a few of SIXTY !
LALAU
February 22 15:23
I don't see why the fact that there is a primeur sale or not is relevant; as a wine journalist, I do feel that what is presented in "première", be it at the Vino Nobile Anteprima, Benvenuto Brunello or Bordeaux Primeurs, should be revealed at the same time for all. Anyway, I don't go tho primeurs, because I prefer wines to be tasted when they are finished.