When you think of the power of a critic to move markets – stimulating demand, shaping preferences, influencing collecting strategies, and directly impacting value – one name towers above the rest: Robert Parker. For decades, Parker’s scores were the final word on quality, his influence unrivalled in the wine world. A 100-point rating from him could catapult a wine’s price, sell out allocations, and permanently alter the trajectory of an estate.

Though he retired from The Wine Advocate in 2019, Parker’s legacy continues. The wines he elevated to perfection still command prestige, and the collecting world has yet to see a critic wield quite the same power, if ever.

Robert M. Parker Jr. was not born into wine. A Maryland lawyer by training, his interest was sparked by a trip to France in the 1960s. Frustrated by the opaque, often clubby world of wine criticism, he began writing independently in the late 1970s. His newsletter, The Wine Advocate, gained traction for its plainspoken style and, most importantly, his adoption of a 100-point scoring system.

The scale was intuitive, familiar from school grades, and easy for consumers to grasp. More than anything, it democratized fine wine, removing the mystery for new collectors. But it also concentrated power: Parker’s highest scores became a market-moving force.

Parker gravitated toward bold, concentrated styles – ripe Bordeaux, blockbuster Napa Cabernets, and the opulent Syrahs of the Rhône. His palate set the tone for decades, with producers chasing the so-called “Parker style.”

Wine criticism today is fragmented, with dozens of respected voices – Neal Martin, Antonio Galloni, Jeb Dunnuck, Jane Anson, James Suckling – each with followings and influence. Yet none hold the monopole of authority Parker once commanded.

As Christian Seely, managing director of AXA Millésimes, owner of Pichon-Baron, put it:
“I don’t think that we will ever again see one critic have such a completely dominant position as Robert Parker had. It was an accident of history in many ways. He just started at the right time, in 1982, when America was discovering the great wines of Bordeaux, and became accepted as the utterly reliable guide that he was.”

Owner of Château La Mondotte, Stéphane von Neipperg, supports this view: “The time of the likes of Robert Parker is completely finished. Now we will have perhaps five to ten well known wine critics for the consumer. So, it will be a much more open game. Parker was an important guy because he made what makes a good wine understandable for a lot of people. However, it is also good to have different opinions.”

Over the course of his career at The Wine Advocate, Parker awarded close to 300 wines the elusive 100-point score. More than a number, it was a stamp of greatness that wine buyers immediately understood as a signal for both quality and long-term value. Looking at the distribution of these perfect wines tells us as much about Parker as it does about the regions themselves.

• California dominates: With 177 wines, the United States accounted for more than half of Parker’s 100-point club. These were the Cabernet Sauvignons and Bordeaux-style blends of Napa and Sonoma that embodied his preference for ripeness, concentration, and bold expression. Producers like Schrader Cellars (13 perfect scores), Colgin (12), and Vérité (11) became icons in large part thanks to Parker’s unwavering praise.

• France comes second: With 103 wines, France was Parker’s other great love, with an almost even split between Bordeaux (49 perfect wines) and the Rhône (43). The last Bordeaux vintage that received 100-points from Parker was the 2009, with Smith Haut Lafitte, La Mondotte, Bellevue Mondotte, Pape Clement Blanc, Beausejour Duffau Lagarosse and L’Evangile stealing the spotlight.

• Parker’s top Bordeaux estate with six 100 points was La Mission Haut-Brion in vintages 1955, 1959, 1961, 2000, and 2005. It is followed by Haut-Brion with four perfect scores for 1945, 1961, 1989 (Haut-Brion Blanc) and 2005.

• The Rhône (43): Here Parker’s enthusiasm was especially influential. His advocacy for producers such as M. Chapoutier (17 perfect wines) and Guigal (13) helped propel Rhône wines into global collector consciousness and widen the appeal of these wines in America.

• Burgundy (5), Alsace (3), and even a lone Monbazillac filled out the French list.

• Other regions – Australia earned 10 perfect scores, Spain – 3, and Portugal – one for the 1992 Taylor Fladgate Vintage Port, which remains a landmark Parker-rated wine.

Parker’s 100-point wines spanned centuries, from the near-mythical to just bottled.

• Parker’s oldest 100-point wine was the 1811 Château d’Yquem, the famed “year of the comet” vintage. Tasted in 1995, Parker described it as “liquified crème brûlée,” marveling at its dark gold hue, pinpoint precision, and astonishing length.

• The oldest red was the 1900 Château Margaux, a wine once thought to lack longevity but which Parker called “an immortal wine.” He praised its perfume, opulence, and balance of power with elegance, giving it a drinking window up to 2030 – a winemaking tour de force that stood shoulder to shoulder with the best of the modern era.

• The youngest came from Parker’s final assignment: the 2014 California vintage. In a fitting close to his career, he awarded nine perfect scores, including the 2014 Scarecrow Cabernet Sauvignon, which he declared “utterly perfect,” and Realm Cellars The Absurd, which he called a “showcase of the best of Napa Valley.” These wines, still young enough to reside in collectors’ cellars today, form the modern bookend to his decades of tasting.

Even in retirement, Parker’s shadow looms over the market. Collectors continue to prize bottles that bear his perfect score, with auction houses and secondary markets often highlighting “Parker 100s” as a badge of provenance. For estates, having Parker perfection in their back catalogue is a permanent mark of credibility.

Just as importantly, his 100-point wines now serve as reference points. Younger critics may praise or critique differently, but Parker’s scores remain embedded in the conversation. When buyers debate the greatness of a vintage whether 1982 Bordeaux, 2007 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, or 2010 Napa Cabernet, they inevitably circle back to Parker’s verdicts.

Robert Parker reshaped the fine wine world. He democratized tasting through a scoring system anyone could understand, yet also centralized power in a way that may never be repeated. His palate favored richness, ripeness, and intensity, and producers around the world chased that style for decades.

As wine criticism splinters into a chorus of voices, Parker’s era feels almost mythic – a moment when one man’s judgment could move billions of dollars’ worth of wine. For today’s collectors, his 100-point wines remain extraordinary drinking experiences and timeless symbols of the power of taste.

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