There are many respected wine critics.
These include Jancis Robinson OBE, Neal Martin, Lisa Perrotti-Brown, James Suckling, Allen Meadows and Antonio Galloni. However, the man whose opinion is held in higher regard than any others around the world is Robert Parker Jr. The American former lawyer owns the most highly esteemed palate in the world.
Parker’s publication The Wine Advocate launched in August 1978, and by the mid 1980’s had opened a new world to consumers. In the subsequent years that reputation has only been enhanced. During the mid-eighties Parker devised his grading system which awards points for each specific attribute of a wine such as flavour, finish, aroma, cleanliness and depth. This culminates in an overall score between 50 and 100 with the upper limit being classed as perfection.
Following many years at the top, Parker started to reduce his tasting duties in 2015 and finally announced his retirement in 2019, aged 71, leaving Lisa Perrotti-Brown as editor-in-chief of the Wine Advocate publication. The door is now wide open for one of these very well-regarded critics to step through, however it’s widely acknowledged that it will be some time before anyone holds the influence that Parker still possesses. Demand for 100 point scored Parker wines have grown since he stepped away from his role as the world’s leading wine critic.
