PARKER, BORDEAUX (3rd ed, 11/98] - Tapa dura

Who is making Bordeaux's best and worst wines? What has a specific chateau's track record been over the last 40 years? Which chateaux are overrated or underrated? These are the questions Robert Parker answers fully in the new edition of his comprehensive and authoritative guide to the wines of Bordeaux. His vintage-by-vintage reports demonstrate thoroughness and discernment; he has set uncompromising standards in assessing each vintage from 1961 to 1997 for every major chateau. Each vintage is described in detail for taste colour texture quality and anticipated maturity so you can see at a glance which wines are ready to drink now and when to enjoy those that are still maturing. For each chateau Parker also provides details of how the vineyards are planted yields annual production and style of vinification. Parker takes you through each of the famous Bordeaux regions: St.-Estephe Pauillac St.-Julien Margaux the Medoc Graves Pomerol St.-Emilion Sauternes as well as lesser-known areas like Lalande-de-Pomerol Canon-Fronsac and Barsac. The official 1855 classifications the crus classes and crus bourgeois are given for each chateau but Parker also offers his own appraisal of each one. Many chateaux long regarded as producing high-quality wines receive surprisingly low evaluation and Parker argues that many little-known chateaux ought to be upgraded on the evidence of the wines they have produced in the last 40 years. His assessment of the value of Bordeaux's top wines including second labels of major chateaux as well as hundreds of under-publicised estates makes this book indispensable for the wine buyer.