If you’ve spent enough time around a wine store, picked up a wine magazine or looked at anything wine related, you’ve likely seen some type of score. Ever since grade school we’ve learned about the 100 point scoring system. Granted I’m old enough to remember when we were graded, scolded, told we were wrong (not just ”creative”) and when there was a winning team and a losing team… so perhaps I’m ignorant… do they still grade on the 100 point scale? I digress…
What does the 100 point scale mean?
This is how Wine Spectator breaks it down:
- 95-100 Classic: a great wine
- 90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style
- 85-89 Very good: a wine with special qualities
- 80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine
- 75-79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws
- 50-74 Not recommended
- A score given as a range ( 90-94 ) indicates a preliminary score, usually based on a barrel tasting.
According to Robert Parker:
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96-100: An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase, and consume.
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90 – 95: An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.
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80 – 89: A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.
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70 – 79: An average wine with little distinction except that it is a soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.
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60 – 69: A below average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor, or possibly dirty aromas or flavors.
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50 – 59: A wine deemed to be unacceptable.
Further, it should be understood that the ratings are (in theory, and accoring to Robert Parker) based on blind tastings of same-type wines, and that neither price nor producer are considered. To break down the scoring process a little more, Robert Parker provides us further explanation:
In terms of awarding points, my scoring system gives every wine a base of 50 points. The wine’s general color and appearance merit up to 5 points. Since most wines today are well made, thanks to modern technology and the increased use of professional oenologists, they tend to receive at least 4, often 5 points. The aroma and bouquet merit up to 15 points, depending on the intensity level and dimension of the aroma and bouquet as well as the cleanliness of the wine. The flavor and finish merit up to 20 points, and again, intensity of flavor, balance, cleanliness, and depth and length on the palate are all important considerations when giving out points. Finally, the overall quality level or potential for further evolution and improvement—aging—merits up to 10 points
And lastly Robert Parker compares the numerical score to the grading system we’re famliar with:
90-100 is equivalent to an A and is given only for an outstanding or special effort. Wines in this category are the very best produced of their type. There is a big difference between a 90 and 99, but both are top marks. As you will note through the text, there are few wines that actually make it into this top category because there are not many great wines.
80-89 is equivalent to a B in school and such a wine, particularly in the 85-89 range, is very, very good; many of the wines that fall into this range often are great values as well. I have many of these wines in my personal collection.
70-79 represents a C, or average mark, but obviously 79 is a much more desirable score than 70. Wines that receive scores between 75 and 79 are generally pleasant, straightforward wines that lack complexity, character, or depth. If inexpensive, they may be ideal for uncritical quaffing.
Below 70 is a D or F, depending on where you went to school. For wine, it is a sign of an imbalanced, flawed, or terribly dull or diluted product that will be of little interest to the discriminating consumer.
But seriously… when it comes right down to it the most important thing to remember is that it’s an opinion… granted, it’s typically the opinion of a professional who tastes wine for a living and who probably tastes more wine in a year than any of us will taste in a lifetime, and who tastes wine systematically, in a controlled environment and for the purpose of evaluation… so, with that in mind here’s what I (and many of these professionals) suggest:
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Find a “professional” with whom you tend to jibe… palate-wise
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Read more than the score to get a feel for the character of the wine
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Use the score as a guide… not THE GUIDE!
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Taste… taste…taste – drink wine… and not just your “norm”, remember, think & drink outside your bottle!
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Trust your palate… drink what you like and like what you drink, just don’t get stuck in a rut!
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Remember that critically tasting is education to your palate: drink, think, learn.
I hope this helps clarify and give perspective… use what you can, leave what you can’t!
Regards,
Ron
