Bordeaux: A Consumer's Guide to the World's Finest Wines

A thoroughly comprehensive work, seemingly the definitive current description of all Bordeaux's. More than just a frank rating by one of the world's wine experts, as Parker shares facts and opinions about the various chateaus and their progress, ups and downs, in producing fine wines. This is certainly an encyclopedic effort, and one truly feels that each and every chateau and its wine have been described in considerable detail. Someone not familiar with Parker might find it interesting that his ratings are often quoted in wine publications and at auctions to give readers somewhat of a guide as to the quality of an individual wine. This is not a book that rates all old wines. Parker tends to rate still drinkable old wines, and does go back, in many cases to the 60's, in a chronological order. He also has notes about "superb" ancient vintages, that goes beyond the chronological listings.

This book is the result of the most extensive bordeaux wine ( claret, white and sweet) tasting in record. All of the important chateaux are described in an objective and professional way. The 100 point system is the best aproach to evaluating wine. A few small properties should be included, but nothing is perfect anyway.I have over ten books covering this subject and not even all of them would equal the information contained in this book.

As a recent student of Bordeaux wines, I have bought and read over 20 books on the region,the chateaux and its wines. After spending over $1500 on books, for a mere $50 more I bought Parker's new edition of Bordeaux: A Comprehensive Guide to the Wines Produced from 1961 to 1997. It was so rich in detail and so interesting to read, I read it almost cover-to-cover, and I read some parts several times. For the wines I knew, Parker's great scoring approach, and detailed and dated tasting notes were "spot on." I became so confident in his judgement that I used his book to build a spreadsheet of the chateaux and wines, with year-by-year scores. From this spreadsheet and the book, I researched eight excellent wines and held a professionally led wine-tasting party with outstanding results. There, Parker's tasting notes came screaming out of the book and jumped into my glass as I joyfully smelled, tasted and experienced them. Since then I have acted on his advice by buying and drinking many of his recommended wines--all with similarly terrific results. I have become a real Parker fan and intend to buy everything he ever publishes, sight unseen. If, like me,you are a lover of great wines, especially Bordeaux, or want to be, you will simply adore this book.

This is as comprehensive as any wine compendium comes. References can be found to just about anything you will come across, and certainly helps those who collect wine.The only complaint I have is that the old texts generally aren't updated. When a note dates from 1990 and says "should be cellared for 3 more years", does that mean 1993? Or should I take it as 3 years from the published edition date?Otherwise this is a great book and has helped me a lot as a novice.

Parker strenghtens his position as the number one author on Bordeaux. This book is a must for those interested in fine wine. Six stars.