It appears quite a strange hijack of a posting.
I suppose it’s his house, so RMP can say what he likes, but it seems as if he’s undermining his new staffer David Schildknecht even before he starts, who will now (possibly) have to review the 2002 wines of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti with one arm tied behind his back – it wouldn’t do to disagree with his new boss – or would it(?)!
PS I have no concerns about the wines I bought AFTER I tasted!
There are 4 responses to “icon bashing”
Bill,
Alder Yarrow over at the “vinography” blog has the most complete info on the Cali vs. Burg “tasting” by Parker last week.
HERE
There’s feedback from various others (including those who were there)about not including Oregon, etc., but you’re the first to point out (or at least leave one to their own conclusions) just what’s beneath all this.
For the life of me this “blind tasting” displays more about the character, or lack thereof, of any business-person than just about anything I’ve ever witnessed in public. Merits and particulars of the tasting aside, it’s difficult to imagine the thought process of anyone in any business who would hire not only one of the most decent of people, and one of the most talented professionals in the wine industry, only to arrogantly and publicly strip him of virtually all of his well deserved cachet in having made the decision to work for him. Has Parker lost every single modicum of common (and business) sense? Is this some exercise for him to display that “he’s the king” when he’s already hired someone to write on Burgundy? (And not just someone!)
I personally have left the employment of others for much less overt “power-grabs” similar to this. If it is not too late, I would wholeheartedly support Schildknect if he were to renege on his part of the contract and sever his relationship with what I earlier thought was a brilliant decision by Parker to bring him on board. Schildknect deserves better. Much, much better.
John-Ohio
P.S. Thanks for all your blogging. I read religiously.
Hi John,
I’m perhaps less strident than you in terms of interpreting the behaviour of RMP, but I do see that he has shifted the sand under the feet of David.S before he even starts. What I am surprised by is his targeting only of DRC in 02 (on his own forum) using the GE as his example – yet nary a mention of the Roumier which (apparently) others from your link (thanks for this) thought marginally worse.
Strange…
Strange indeed. Maybe I should calm down a little and simply refer to it as “The Distasteful Tasting.”
John
The ripple effect:
30 Oct: Mark Fisher