Robert Parker, arguably the most influential wine critic in history, has formally retired from The Wine Advocate, 40 years after he founded the journal.

As father of modern wine criticism, Parker’s reputation precedes him. He founded what was originally known as The Baltimore-Washington Wine Advocate in 1978 and introduced the world to his 100-point system, now considered a standard across the industry.

Over the past seven years, he had been slowly relinquishing control of the Wine Advocate: in 2012, Parker sold a controlling stake in the publication and stepped down as editor-in-chief. In the following years, he continued to give up more of his duties before ceasing all official wine reviewing two years ago, though he still occasionally contributed to the site.

Parker allowed domains to reach international stardom and success. Some of France’s presidents even awarded him with distinctions: in 1993, François Mitterand named him a knight of the National Order of Merit and in 1999, Jacques Chirac named him knight of the Order of the Legion of Honour. He’s the only writer and critic to have ever received these awards.

If you’d like to swat up a bit, why not have a look through our selection of wines awarded the ultimate accolade, the 100/100 Parker score.