Parker moves into branded wine cases

Bordeaux négociant Bordeaux Wine Selection is to release limited edition cases of 100-point claret from the 2009 vintage signed by US wine critic Robert Parker.

US critic Robert Parker has moved into branded wine cases

Named “100/100”, Wine Searcher reports that the “Robert Parker selection” will include a bottle of Clos Fourtet from St Emilion, Smith Haut Lafitte from Graves, Leoville Poyferré from St Julien, Cos d’Estournel from St Estèphe and Pape Clément Blanc from Graves.

According to French regional newspaper Sud Ouest, Bernard Pujol, head of Bordeaux Wine Selection, will debut the quintet, housed in a specially designed wooden case, at Vinexpo in Bordeaux later this month.

Cos d’Estournel 2009: one of the wines to appear in the “Robert Parker selection” case

Inscriptions on top of and inside the cases will read: “100 points”, “Bordeaux 2009” and “Robert Parker selection”, with each bottle bearing the critic’s signature.

Cases include a USB stick featuring a video of Parker explaning how he arrived at each perfect 100-point score.

Buyers will also receive a one-year subscription to The Wine Advocate.

Six hundred of the cases are due to go on sale next month with an RRP in France of around €2,000.

“In 2009, Robert Parker gave 18 Bordeaux properties a perfect 100-point score. Why not produce a special case of the best of the best?” Pujol told Sud Ouest.

The deal was apparently struck with Parker and the new Singaporean majority owners of The Wine Advocate, and, according to Pujol, the négociant didn’t have to pay for Parker to sign the wines or for using his name on the cases.

Pujol admitted to the newspaper that he didn’t think the deal would have been possible before the recent change of ownership at the bi-monthly publication.

The new partnership signals a loosening of control over The Wine Advocate brand, which has historically prided itself on its editorial independence.