What's The Score?

Customers sometimes ask me, “What do those scores actually mean?” And sometimes when I’ve cited a score for a wine I’m recommending they tell me, “I don’t need scores – I know what I like!” So, let’s talk about this. 

Most wine reviewers rate wines on a 100-point scale – where 100 is the best, and zero the worst. In practice reviewers seldom rate a wine below 70 – but will if they find it totally without merit. That’s pretty simple but somewhat misleading, because while the score certainly says something significant about the reviewer’s opinion of the wine it does not tell the whole story. The review has three elements: (1) the score; (2) the description of what it tastes like and feels like as it crosses the palate; and (3) the drink window. Together they tell the whole story. 

A wine scored 90 points or above is considered to be an excellent example of a particular varietal or varietal blend. The reviewer thinks it’s really good, and since it’s his job to know and review wines, that’s certainly a help in your decision to buy or not. Where it can be especially helpful is when you’ve just come across a varietal you’ve never tasted before and want to find out if you like it. A 90-point score doesn’t ensure that you will like it, but it tells you that this is a very good example of that varietal – so you can drink it and make a reasonable decision about whether it’s for you…or not. 

The review description can also provide important information when making a buying decision. I have tasted many well-made, highly rated wines that I really don’t like. As an example, I don’t like reds characterized by intense plum flavors or herbal notes. So why buy something I probably won’t like (especially if it’s going to cost me $25 or more), when I can read the review description and know that it’s probably not a good fit for me – saving that money for something I probably will like. 

Similarly, the drink window can be crucial in gauging the wisdom of a wine purchase. You are browsing the shelves for something new and interesting to pair with a special dinner, and a couple of bottles catch your eye – a 90pt wine for $27 and a 94pt bottle for $30. While, on the surface, the latter would seem to be the no-brainer choice, perhaps it’s not. If the $27 bottle comes with a recommendation to drink now and over the next 5 years, that will unquestionably be the better choice for dinner tonight than the $30 bottle that comes with the recommendation to drink it between 2021 and 2030. If, on the other hand, you are browsing to find something to add to your cellar then the $30 bottle makes more sense. The score is the reviewer’s rating of what the wine will be at or near its peak, so when he says to drink it is very important – a 94pt wine in 2021, might only be an 87 tonight. 

The wine publications that produce the most frequently quoted reviews assign reviewers to cover specific wine regions. As an example, a given publication might assign one person to review all New Zealand wines, and another to review all the Italian wines of Tuscany, etc.

If you take brief notes on the wines you buy, the score and the source publication, you may find a pattern – for instance you may find that you have a preference for the New Zealand Pinot Noirs that receive high ratings from the Wine Advocate, as opposed to other publications. This would suggest that you and the critic at Wine Advocate have similar likes and dislikes and that moving forward, your odds of finding a wine you like will be increased if you select wines that that person has reviewed. In other words, when shopping for new wines a given reviewer can help you narrow the odds in your favor. 

So, look at the whole review, and its source, and you might just find that you are spending less money on wines you don’t like (and don’t be a snob – there are many really good wines in the 85 – 90 range).