Wine 101: Ratings Explained
Wine Spectator
The beauty of this system is that each wine region is the sole jurisdiction of one Editor who has, after much time and grueling research, developed an expertise in that region's offerings. During a tasting, other editors are on hand and can certainly offer opinions, but the final say is had by that main Editor.
All tastings are conducted "blind." Tasters are told only the general type of wine (varietal or region) and the vintage. If a wine tastes corky or flawed in a major way, or if it scores below 70, a new bottle of the same wine is tasted again. By the same token, wines that score very highly are re-tasted to confirm such favorable first impressions.
European wines are tasted in the districts that yield them, where fresher, perfectly stored examples will be readily available. Ratings are based on how good a wine will be when it reaches its peak, regardless of how soon that will be. If barrel samples are being rated rather than finished wines, that is revealed, since a world of difference can exist between these two stages of a wine's life.
Following is Wine Spectator's 100-Point Scale and what it indicates:
- 95-100 — Classic; a great wine
- 90-94 — Outstanding; superior character and style
- 80-89 — Good to very good; wine with special qualities
- 70-79 — Average; drinkable wine that may have minor flaws
- 60-69 — Below average; drinkable but not recommended
- 50-59 — Poor; undrinkable, not recommended
Wine Advocate
Robert Parker is a renowned wine critic and publisher of Wine Advocate. He was made a Chevalier (one of France's two presidential honors) in 1993 to honor his work. Wine Advocate is a well-established source for wine consumers worldwide. To generate ratings, Parker spends three months each year tasting in vineyards. He devotes the other nine months of the year solely to tasting and writing. The ratings, which are based on a 50-100 point quality scale, reflect his independent, very critical look at wine.
Tastings are conducted in peer group, single-blind conditions , which means the same types of wines are tasted against each other and the wineries' names are not revealed. Therefore, neither price nor the reputation of the winery influences the rating in any way. As many of the wines rated have been tasted several times, the scores represent a cumulative average of the wine's performance in tastings to date. Overall, the score assigned to a specific wine reflects the quality of the wine at its best.
With the Wine Advocate scoring system, each wine starts with a base of 50 points. The wine's general color and appearance merit up to 5 points. Because most wines are well made due to steady advancements in modern technology, they generally receive from 4 to 5 points. The aroma and bouquet merit up to 15 points, which is based on the intensity level and dimension of the aroma and bouquet as well as the cleanliness of the wine. Flavor and finish merit up to 20 points and, again, intensity of flavor, balance, cleanliness, depth and length on the palate are all important considerations when awarding points. Finally, the overall quality level or potential for further evolution and improvement-aging merits up to 10 points.
Following is Wine Advocate's 100-Point Scale and what it indicates:
- 96-100 — Extraordinary; a classic wine of its variety
- 90-95 — Outstanding; exceptional complexity and character
- 80-89 — Barely above average to very good; wine with various degrees of flavor
- 70-79 — Average; little distinction beyond being soundly made
- 60-69 — Below average; drinkable, but containing noticeable deficiencies
- 50-59 — Poor; unacceptable, not recommended
Wine Enthusiast
Wine Enthusiast ratings are based on tastings by the magazine's editors and other qualified tasting panelists, either individually or in a group setting. Tastings are conducted blind or in accordance with accepted industry practices. Price is not a factor in assigning scores to wines. Only wines scoring 80 points or higher are rated. When possible, wines considered flawed or uncustomary are retasted to confirm intitial impressions.
Following is Wine Enthusiast 's 100-Point Scale reflect editors' conclusions and what it indicates:
- 95-100 — Superb. One of the greats.
- 90-94 — Excellent. Extremely well made and highly recommended.
- 85-89 — Very good. May offer outstanding value if the price is right.
- 80-84 — Good. Solid wine, suitable for everyday consumption.