Wine is an exciting product. A bottle of wine can be a collectible item, an investment asset, and for many, it can express creativity — making it a piece of art.
It’s only natural that complex scoring systems are in place to rate each wine.
What are Wine Scores?
Some wine critics will score wine out of 20 points, Jancis Robinson wine writer prefers this method: 3 points for sight, clarity, depth, intensity. Unless they are faulty either hazy or cloudy. Moving on to 7 points for nose, aroma, bouquet, fruit character. And finally, 10 points for palate, flavour, complexity, balance and length on the palate.
Scoring wine is controversial, there are many scoring systems, some out of 100 points, some out of 20 points. Again, how do we score that unique piece of art? is it the consumers advice or something else? let’s learn more?
How do they do it?
Many scoring systems work with a 100-point scale. Still, it’s generally accepted that anything below 80 points is either faulty, unbalanced or downright mediocre.
100-point wines are rare, because, on paper, they represent the perfect wine. Robert Parker, the most influential wine critic today, has awarded such an accolade to over 240 bottles of wine throughout his career. In contrast, Wine Spectator Magazine hasn’t given the perfect score in years. Wine buyers must understand the subjective nature of wine scores.
For Wine Spectator Magazine, a bottle of wine scoring 84 means Good: a solid, well-made wine. For James Halliday, from the Wine Companion, the same score translates as Acceptable: Wines of good commercial quality, free from significant fault. For Robert Parker, 84 points would fall in the category of barely above average. So, which one is it?
Which One Would You Choose?
Let’s play a little game. Which of the following bottles would you buy?
1. The two best Chardonnays from Victoria, scoring 94:
• Giaconda Estate Vineyard, Beechworth, AU$200
• Mount Mary, Yarra Valley, AU$100
2. These two Pinot Noir from Yarra Scored 91 points:
• William Downie, Yarra Valley, AU$98
• Hoddles Creek Estate, Yarra Valley, AU$25
The bottom line? We can all agree wine scores matter to some extent, but the price matters most. When choosing a wine bottle for dinner, check out its score, but also consider its price. Wine scores are not about finding the best wine, but about identifying the best wine for your money and above all, personal taste.
Wine is made to drink and enjoy with great food. There are times it must be judged and assessed, but mastering the art of tasting wine is essential to get the most out of your wine drinking.
If you’re looking for great valued wine, let us take you on a private Yarra Valley winery tour. We know a thing or two about great wines at superb prices. We can point you in the right direction — even better, we’ll take you there!
At Chauffeur Drive Melbourne, Yarra Valley we realize the love of wine means different things to different people, and we love that about our customers!
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