Since Robert Parker stopped reviewing Bordeaux En Primeur almost a decade ago, retiring altogether in 2019, the industry around rating wines has transformed remarkably. Whatever anyone's opinion of his methods or preferences, Robert Parker single-handedly ushered in the modern era of fine wine.  His “Parker Points” rating system was adopted as industry standard and his consistency over the years was very important for the market. The void left by Robert Parker's retirement has been filled by other wine critics, and the competitive landscape has inevitably led to the phenomenon of Ratings Inflation especially for Bordeaux En Primeur.

Consumers have always been uncomfortable with the close association between the wine producers and those that rate their wines. This is an unregulated industry. Numerous rumours have circulated over the years about doors to producers being closed, or favours not extended, to those who have rated their wines poorly. However, there are other potential conflicts of interest. Wines are sold on the basis of their ratings. For sales emails, the highest ratings with the most profuse praise by critics are often cited at the top, or exclusively. In effect, higher scores enable wine critics to increase their exposure as they are referenced by global wine merchants in communication to their client bases. Such notoriety leads to greater followers on social media and subscriptions for their bespoke rating services. In many ways, wine critics are de-incentivised to be critical.

Bordeaux En Primeur is the most important annual event of the global wine calendar. The scores handed out are also the most volatile as the wine has only just been blended in barrel. It is not a finished product. In contrast, rating the quality of the vintage is straightforward. Growing conditions can be monitored, such as "downy mildew" reported in 2023 or extreme frost in 2017. It can also be calculated from average growing season temperature and rainfall, especially at crucial times like harvest.

However, winemaking is judged with the final product. The wine critic's scores are pivotal to successful sales, and largely determine the amount of income earned throughout the ecosystem. While there is a good argument for increased investment and enhanced techniques improving the quality of the wines, this doesn't address the pace of Ratings Inflation in the last 5-10 years. It also doesn't explain how some older wines have retained such high ratings in recent tastings despite the "lack of investment" at the time of production. The enthusiasm at which ratings keep getting elevated annually ahead of the highly speculative En Primeur process has made consumers increasingly weary. 

The logical conclusion from this phenomenon of Ratings Inflation is:  If everything is special, nothing is ever special.