Interesting WineSearcher article by MikeSteinberger on "Looking Beyond What's In The Glass":
SteinbergerArticle
In it, he lays at the feet of RobertParker full credit for the great improvements of the quality of wine around the World because he outed famed producers who were making mediocre/underperforming wines back then. But we already knew that. Didn't we??
But he also underlines the importance of knowing the story behind the wine in order to appreciate what's in the glass. He cites Ch.Musar has not being particularly world-class wine but once you know the story behind Serge, you gain a much greater appreciation for his wine. Guess I've gotta agree w/ that. Of the dozen or so Ch.Musar wines I've had over the yrs, I could never quite understand the passion that was displayed for his wines. Say La Vee.
His story about the Alsatian vintner also rings quite true.
Tom