The question amuses Jeb Dunnuck, the Wine Advocate’s new face and palate for the Rhône Valley, Languedoc, Washington and parts of California. I do not know his age, but he seems rather young. Anyway, he looks very sympathetic, the kind of guy you join for a beer after a long day of tasting wine (by the way, this it what I proposed to him for his trip to the Languedoc in January...).

«You know,» he answers, « tasting a lot of wines from the same region, or made with the same grape varieties, enables me to give an overview of the quality of this region or a specific vintage. My job is not to tell you what I like or not, even less what you should buy. By the way, no one needs to agree with my opinion.»

That’s right, no one needs to... Returning to my initial question, I show him one of his own «tweets», commented by Steve Heimhoff, another american wine writer.

«Top producers (Paso Robles)...»

«... this perhaps is an indication of his palate. Big, ripe, fruity, high alcohol wines? That would be in keeping with Parker.»

A French journalist mentions, that his writings on the 2010 vintage in the Rhône Valley were very similar to Robert Parkers opinion. Un unease...? Not at all, as Jeb wrote for his own former blog, The Rhône Report», on the 2010 vintage, without being accountable to anyone.

«Many people agree on the quality of the 2010 vintage in the Rhône Valley. That’s not a problem in itself. If I particularly appreciate some powerful wines, I also love a lot of elegant and subtle wines. I do not have a preference for one wine style or another and power in wine definitely is not a warranty for excellence.»

So it seems there is no «Dunnuck taste» to come. Just some impressions on Rhône wines, Rhône blends and others. Take it or leave it...