Robert M Parker Jr has again proved to be as potent a critic as ever – sending the price of 2000 Calon-Ségur rocketing.
The Maryland-based wine expert didn’t get to the Bordeaux third growth when he was tasting the 2000 vintage in March last year.
As a result punters were unsure of its worth, and consigned it to the also-rans of the vintage. This was despite the fact that everyone else, including Decanter, respected merchants, and influential American journal Wine Spectator marked it highly.
But Parker has since given the wine a glowing testimonial – and prices have shot up by 50%.
In the latest issue of his journal Wine Advocate – in which he reinforces his earlier findings that this is ‘the greatest vintage ever’ – he gives Calon-Ségur a healthy 94-96 points.
‘I was not able to taste Calon-Ségur’s 2000,’ the critic writes. ‘I did not make the same mistake this year… [It is] unquestionably the greatest Calon-Ségur since 1982…this is undeniably capable of first-growth quality.’
Cases are now shooting off the shelves, with price-tags matching the wine’s improved standing.
‘It was going for around £300 (€486) per case,’ Stephen Browett of London merchants Farr Vintners told decanter.com. ‘But in the last three weeks or so, since rumours of Parker’s mark-up started, it has gone up 50%.’
Farrs are now selling Calon-Ségur for £480 (€775) per case. Browett reckons it will stick at that price, the same as a comparable wine, Gruaud-Larose.
‘It proves once again that Parker is an advocate to be reckoned with,’ Farr added.
Written by Adam Lechmere12 March 2002
