Impact on the supply: the "Parkerization" of wine[edit]
Parker's impact on the style of fine wines has generated controversy.
Parker is highly critical of "those who make 'industrial wines with
little flavor and no authenticity'"[27] and he believes that there are
still undiscovered regions and wines that can successfully challenge the
wine establishment. Critics such as Golo Weber claim that Parker likes
less-acidic, riper wines with significant amounts of oak, alcohol, and
extract. This supposed "Parker taste" may be less the result of Parker's
own preferences than of a trend initiated by Émile Peynaud, the French
oenologist and father of the so-called "international wines."[28] In the
1970s, winemakers avoided the late harvests, when the grapes were
mature, in order to avoid the risks of end-of-season rains. Peynaud
proposed that winemakers should wait to harvest until the grape was
fully mature, or even over-mature. He also insisted on control of
malolactic fermentation through the use of stainless steel vessels.
This new approach led to changes in viticulture and winemaking
practices, such as reducing yield by green harvesting, harvesting grapes
as late as possible for maximum ripeness, not filtering the wine, and
using new techniques—such as microoxygenation—to soften tannins.[29]
These widespread changes in technique have been called "Parkerization,"
also sometimes known as "The International Style," and have led to fear
of a homogenization of wine styles around the world as Parker's "tastes
are irrevocably changing the way some French wines are made,"[30]
according to the BBC's Caroline Wyatt. Indeed, certain low-producing
"boutique" wineries, among others, have received high scores from Parker
for wines made in this style. Parker disputes the notion of growing
homogeneity and argues for the opposite: "When I started tasting wines,
in the 1970s, we were on a slippery slope. There was a standardization
of wines, where you couldn't tell a Chianti from a cabernet. That's
pretty much stopped now.".[9]
Because of his powerful influence, Parker has had two château owners
offer him the sexual favors of their daughters, and has received death
threats.[31] Jacques Hebrard, the manager of Château Cheval Blanc, was
once outraged at Parker's evaluation and asked Parker to re-taste the
wine. Upon his return, Hebrard's dog attacked Parker as the manager
stood by idly and watched. Parker says that when he asked for a bandage
to stop the bleeding from his leg, Hebrard instead gave him a copy of
the offending newsletter. Hebrard denies that Parker was bleeding.[31]
Wine critic Prial says "The Bordeaux wine establishment feels threatened
by these new-style wines... and is engaged in an increasingly bitter
fight against Parker and his influence." [8]