2012 Clos De L'Oratoire St. Emilion 750 ml

Robert Parker’s 94pt St. Emilion Upgrade: “A Hedonist’s Dream Wine”

When Robert Parker announced last February that he would not be attending the en primeur tasting of the ballyhooed 2014s, there was plenty of consternation in the Gironde. With no clear heir apparent on the Wine Advocate staff — and recognizable heir to his throne — several prominent château owners confided that Parker’s decision could destabilize the entire market in the years to come.

But as has often been the case over the last three decades, as hordes of professional tasters descended on Bordeaux for the 2014 tastings, once again, Parker stole the show! The critic many have come to call “The King” quietly announced that he’d be revisiting the 2012s and that based on early tasting notes, in Pomerol, St.-Émilion and Pessac-Léognan, the vintage was far more impressive than first thought. Even in his ABSENCE, the creator of The Wine Advocate and the 100-point scoring system had the Place de Bordeaux in the palm of his hand.

On April 30th, the revised 2012 vintage report hit the web. As is always the case, Parker painstakingly explained why the top wines of St.-Émilion are now showing so magnificently. The spring of 2012 was cold and wet, making for a small, irregular fruit set. By July, Clos de l’Oratoire was two full weeks behind. Any thought of a vintage that matched the richness and structure of 2009 and 2010 seemed to have been erased.

Then, in mid-July, le meteo did an about face. The weather turned warm and dry right up until the fall equinox. When the rain finally began to fall in September, The Wine Advocate wrote “The initial rains were ideal for serving as a catalyst for photosynthesis… By the end of September, it was clear that much of Pomerol, along Pessac-Léognan and St.-Emilion, had already been harvested under relatively fine conditions.”

If you’re scratching your head, wondering why collectors are plopping down $100-150/bottle on 92- to 93-point Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignons, we’re in your camp — particularly when one of St.-Émilion’s richest and most beautifully structured 2012s can be had this morning for HALF that price.

Parker famously called the 2012 Clos de L’Oratoire “a Hedonist’s dream wine,” adding that one of the Right Bank’s most irresistible bargains will age gracefully for the next 12-15 years. $55. 240 bottles are up for grabs, all shipped directly from the cellars in Bordeaux. Shipping included on 4.