Wine Ratings - Unraveling Their Meaning
Updated 04/06/2007
Most major wine rating organizations and individuals use a 100-point system similar to the system they use in Grade school.
90 - 100 = A
80 - 89 = B
70 - 79 = C
60 - 69 =D
50 - 59 = F
Somewhere in between you had B-'s and A+'s, etc.
Individuals like Robert M. Parker, Jr. use this system along with his Tasting Notes and Recommendations. Whereas others, like Wine Spectator, establish those B-'s and A+'s, and add descriptive explanations, as well as Tasting Notes and Recommendations.
95 - 100 Classic; a great wine
90 - 94 Outstanding; a wine of superior character and style
80 - 89 Good to Very Good; a wine with special qualities
70 - 79 Average; a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws
60 - 69 Below Average; drinkable but not recommended
50 - 59 Poor; undrinkable, not recommended
Below 70 is sing of an imbalanced, flawed, or terribly dull or diluted wine that would be of little interest to a well-informed wine consumer.
Mr. Parker also assigns a rating for the Producers/Growers, a five-star system consisting of: five stars - "Outstanding" - deemed to be the very best; four stars to those who are :"Excellent" ; three stars to "Good" producers, and two or one stars to "Average" or "Below Average" producers. Mr. Parker's books aim is to provide you with the names of the very best producers rather than the less successful ones. The five-star ratings were awarded because the producer/Grower make the greatest wine of their particular viticultural region, and because they are remarkably consistent and reliable even in mediocre and poor vintages. Source page 13
From the Wine Enthusiast, the ratings (with Tasting Notes) are the following:
98 - 100 Classic; the pinnacle of quality (Translated = A+)
94 - 97 Superb; a great achievement
90 - 93 Excellent; highly recommended
87 - 89 Very Good; often good value, well recommended
83 - 86 Good; suitable for everyday consumption, often good value
80 - 82 Acceptable; can be employed in casual, less-critical circumstances
They don't bother listing anything less than an 80 they list those wines graded A and B only.
Other more simplistic rating systems, such as Yech, OK, Good, Very Good, Delicious, and Rare Delicious; rating 1 - 5; or one to five Stars or *'s, can all be converted rather easily into the A, B, C, D, and F where we started from above.
As Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher said, "Too often, those people are told they have to become wine experts before they can appreciate wine...... Our purpose is not to "educate" you, but rather to make you more interested in wine by sharing our passion."
When you read the ratings, think in term of those grades A - F, but also keep in mind (or on your palate), that what is one individual's or panel's Grade A wine could be a F for you. Remember back to those Grammar School days, some kids loved English class, and got A's (you D's), while the same ones hated Science, got C's, while you loved it, and got A+'s; wine rating and tasting is sort of like that.
BTI = Beverage Tasting Institute, Chicago
JL = James Laube (Wine Spectator)
RP = Robert M. Parker, Jr.
WE = Wine Enthusiast
WS = Wine Spectator
Another rating method is the 20-point scale called the Davis Scale, created by the University of California at Davis.
THE DAVIS 20-POINT SYSTEM
Judging wine quality is not easy. Substantial
amounts of practice (someone has to do it) and a systematic approach is
required. Several wine judging methods have been developed, but the 20-point
system, developed at the University of California Davis, is the method used by
most professional winemakers and tasters. This system is easily learned, and it
provides a practical and convenient wine evaluation tool. The 20-point system
uses ten descriptive factors to evaluate wine quality. Each of these quality
factors is discussed below.
1. CLARITY / APPEARANCE: Wine is seen before it is tasted, so our first
impression of wine is a visual one. Today, properly made wines are expected to
be brilliantly clear, and consumers are always disappointed when a wine does not
meet these visual expectations. Even the most zealous wine advocate shies away
from turbid, dirty-looking wines, so appearance is always an important wine
quality factor.
Several common conditions can cause cloudy wine. Clarity is the term judges use
to describe the absence of suspended materials in wine. Suspended bacteria and
yeast cells cause a hazy-white appearance. Similar milky-white hazes are caused
by excessive amounts of iron. Excess copper often causes a reddish-brown haze.
Tiny suspended crystals of potassium bitartrate can produce a dense, milky
appearance in white wines.
Brilliant wines are clear and have a distinct sparkle (2). Bright-clear wines
look like clean glass (1.5). Translucent wines have a dull appearance and may
have a hint of haze (1.0). Cloudy wines exhibit an easily recognized haze (0.0).
2. COLOR: The hue, and how much color, constitutes another important wine
quality factor. But, the human eye often has trouble distinguishing the hue in
dark red wines. Hazy red wines often look somewhat darker in color, but wine
clarity should NOT influence the score a judge gives for color. Color should
always be typical for the type and age of the wine being judged.
Appropriate colors for white wines range from light straw to dark amber.
Sometimes white table wines, such as Sauvignon Blanc, are a light straw color
with a slight greenish tint. Brown tones may be appropriate for some types of
white dessert wines, but brown shades are undesirable for white table wines.
Colors for blush and rose wines range from light pink to light red. Brown shades
are never appropriate for these wines, and orange tints are undesirable. Red
wine colors range from light red to dark, almost opaque red. Purple/violet
shades are prevalent in young red wines. Brick or brownish shades may be
appropriate for older red wines. In general, ready to drink, red table wines
show neither purple/violet nor brown colors. Brown or tawny colors are often
appropriate for older, red dessert wines.
When the color of a wine is typical for type and age, the score is (2.0). A
nearly correct color receives a score of (1.5). When the color is slightly off,
the score is (1.0). When wine color is distinctly off, the score is (0.0).
3. AROMA / BOUQUET: Wine odors are complex and made up of many different
components. To simplify describing wine odors, winemakers divide normal wine
odors into two district components. One of these components is
"aroma," and aromas refer to the odors in the wine imparted by the
varietal characteristics of the grapes. The aroma characteristics of any wine
are present in fresh juice before fermentation is started. For example, Muscat
Blanc wine has a distinctive smell and most of this odor comes directly from the
Muscat grapes used to make the wine. The best varietal wines exhibit easily
detectable and discernable varietal aromas. Wine "bouquet" is the term
used to describe the odors produced by the winemaking process. Wine bouquet is
generated by fermentation byproducts, oak barrels, controlled wine oxidation,
bottle aging, etc. The term "bottle bouquet" is used to describe the
special odors that develop when some wines are aged in the bottle for several
months. Bottle bouquet contributes to wine complexity.
Undesirable wine odors are occasionally encountered. These off-odors result from
accidents or poor winemaking techniques. Sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide,
oxidized, raisin, green, mousiness, bacterial, rubber, moldy, etc. are a few of
the off-odors encountered in wine.
The nose of a wine is composed of aroma, bouquet and any off-odors. If the nose
is correct and has distinct varietal characteristics, the score is (4.0). Wines
with a fruity nose are scored (3.0). Wines having a clean nose are scored (2.0).
Wines with a fleeting or underdeveloped nose are scored (1.0). Wines with
defective or off noses are scored (0.0).
4. TOTAL ACIDITY: Wines taste balanced when the total acid, alcohol and body are
in the correct proportions. Wines low in total acidity often taste flat, insipid
and uninteresting. Wines with excessive amounts of total acid taste sharp,
under-ripe and unbalanced.
Wines with good balance and appropriate for the type are scored (2.0). Wines
with slightly low or slightly high acid are scored (1.0). Flabby or overly tart
wines are scored (0.0).
5. SWEETNESS: Normal table wines are either dry or off dry. Dry table wines do
not have a significantly sweet taste. Many table wines are finished with 0.5 to
0.74 % residual sugar. These small amounts of sugar can enhance the mouth feel
but not produce perceptibly sweet tastes. Off dry table wines such as Riesling
have a slightly sweet taste, but an appropriately high acid content balances the
sweetness. Aperitif, sparkling and dessert wines contain large amounts of
residual sugar, and they are expected to taste sweet. Consequently, some wines
contain too much sugar and some wines contain too little sugar. A sweetness that
provides a good balanced wine and one appropriate for the wine type is the
desired condition.
If the sweetness is appropriate and balanced, the wine is scored (1.0). If the
wine is sweet edged (slightly too sweet) or not quite sweet enough, the wine is
scored (0.5). If the wine is cloying, syrupy or lacking, it is scored (0.0).
6. BODY / TEXTURE: The body of a wine is a difficult concept to describe. Body
is a way of describing the way wine feels in the mouth. A mouthful of milk feels
differently than a mouth full of water. The milk feels heavier and thicker than
water. The same concept applies to wine. A full-bodied wine feels heavy and
viscous in the mouth, and the drinker is inclined to chew the wine. Dark red
table wines are more likely to be full-bodied than white table wines, and the
body should be appropriate for the wine type.
If the body of a wine is appropriate, the wine is scored (2.0). If the body of a
wine is nearly correct, the wine is scored (1.5). If the body of a wine is
slightly thin or heavy, the wine is scored (1.0). If the body of a wine is
empty, thin or clumsy, the wine is scored (0.0).
7. TASTE / FLAVOR: Wines have a tremendous range of tastes and flavors, and the
flavor changes as the wine ages and matures. This wine quality factor addresses
how well the various flavors interact with each other. The flavors should be
typical for the type of wine, and the wine should be smooth and balanced In
other words, Sauvignon Blanc wines should taste like Sauvignon Blanc, not like
Riesling.
If the flavor is complex, the wine is scored (2.0). If the flavor is fruity, the
wine is scored (1.5). If the flavor is agreeable, the wine is scored (1.0). If
the flavor is lacking, the wine is scored (0.0).
8. BITTERNESS: In general, bitterness is undesirable in wines because bitterness
contributes to harshness. Most wines should be well balanced with no discernable
bitterness. However, some grape varieties, such as Muscat, often exhibit slight
amounts of bitterness, and skillful winemaking is needed to minimize this
inherent bitterness. In general, these wines should not be downgraded because of
this varietal characteristic unless the wine is unbalanced and the bitterness
detracts from the wine.
If the wine is balanced, the score is (1.0). If the wine is citric or slightly
bitter, the score is (0.5). If the wine is bitter, the score is (0.0).
9. FINISH/ASTRINGENCY: Excess tannin in wine produces a dry, puckering sensation
in the mouth, and it gives the teeth a coated feeling. Astringency is the term
used to describe these sensations. White wines contain less tannin than red
wines, and in general, white wines should not exhibit much astringency. Young
red wines often contain excess tannin, and they may exhibit too much
astringency. However, astringency decreases as red wines age, and properly aged
red wines become smooth and round. Since astringency changes as wines age, some
judgement must be exercised when tasting young red wines.
If the finish of the wine is appropriate for age, the score is (1.0). If the
finish is nearly correct, the score is (0.5). If the finish is astringent or
harsh, the score is (0.0).
10. GENERAL QUALITY: Many judges use this factor to fudge their scores one way
or another. Some wines may not look very good but taste great. Other wines may
score well on all the above factors but may not taste quite up to par. All of
the above factors contribute to the general quality of a wine, and drinking the
wine should be a pleasurable experience.
Noble, etc. tasting wines are scored (4.0). Charming tasting wines are scored
(3.0). Characteristic tasting wines are scored (2.0). Wines with no exceptional
features are scored (0.0).
Source: http://www.sdaws.org/Articles/Article8.htm
What is QPRwines? QPRwines is a wine buying guide that groups wines by the major critics' average wine scores, then lists them by price and ranks them by value. QPRwines is published 18 times a year (delivered via email) and answers the question "Is a 90 rated 2000 Bordeaux a good value for $20?" How is the QPR number determined? The QPR is determined by taking the average retail price of a wine with a given score and dividing it by the average retail price for all wines with that score. If the average QPR = 100%, then anything below that represents a better value. Anything above, not so good.
*****Note: Very Important - Most of the older vintage wines listed, even those with higher ratings, are well past their maturity, and would not be fit to drink. Refer to such wine buyer's guides (including those out of print) to help you determine whether a particular brand/vintage may still be suitable to drink. Many times noted tasting specialists will give their opinion as to how long the wine will age and still be drinkable. The older vintages listed on these web pages are to historically identify wine product; when produced and by what producer. The wine information content found is just that, information; no particular wine producer is being singled out for recommendation to purchase.
Steve Tanzer's rating system
Wines are scored relative to their peer group based on their expected quality during their period of peak drinkability.
A "+" after a score denotes a wine that is likely to merit a higher rating in the future.
All wines rated 90 or better are highly recommended additions to your cellar (or, where indicated, for drinking over the near term); wines rated at least 85 are recommended bottles that should provide pleasurable drinking.
Precise scores are provided only for wines in bottle; ranges are offered for unfinished wines.
The midpoint of a range is used for purposes of
sorting. For example, a wine with a rating of 87-90 is sorted as though it had a
precise score of 88.5.
| 95-100 | Extraordinary |
| 90-94 | Outstanding |
| 85-89 | Very Good to Excellent |
| 80-84 | Good |
| 75-79 | Average |
| 70-74 | Below Average |
| <70 | Avoid |
Source: http://www.wineaccess.com/expert/tanzer/ratingscale.html
As shown
in the table below, The Wine Analyst compares a wine's retail price to its
quality rating on a 100-point scale to determine whether it is a value or,
better yet, a screaming value. It should go without saying that if you are able
to find a featured wine for less than the listed retail price of that item, it's
an even more compelling value.
Source: http://www.wineaccess.com/expert/wineanalyst/ratingscale.html
 |
Value |
 |
Screaming Value |
The VWG uses a modified 100-point scale based on the U.S. Davis scale and the standard set in 2001 by the Virginia Wine Growers Association. The rubrics chosen to describe each wine's characteristics, and their maximum point value potentials are listed as follows. Half point scores are permitted:
| Appearance |
10
points
|
| Aroma |
25
points
|
| Taste |
25
points
|
| Balance |
20
points
|
| Finish |
10
points
|
| Overall Impression |
10
points
|
Under Appearance, points are awarded on the basis of the wine's clarity and color, and take into account the style of each wine, as well as its age. Deductions are likely in the case of wines whose appearance is cloudy and/or off-color, and in the case of wines showing the presence of atypical gas, or extraneous particulate matter.
For Aroma, up to 25 points are awarded on the basis of each wine's aroma (and bouquet in the case of more mature examples), and focuses on elements of fruit, spice, flowers and herbs, wood and mushroom characteristics, and on winemaking traits such as milky/creamy malolactic smells, yeasty notes, as well as on the presence of flaws such as oxidation, mercaptans, SO2, vinegar smells, and excess alcohol.
For Taste, up to 25 points are also reserved for the full range of basic flavors (sweet, sour, salty, bitter), in addition to the more intuitive impressions related to fattiness, savoriness, and metallic flavors. Each wine's weight and texture is evaluated in this category, as well as its consistency with the wine's aroma and bouquet.
In the case of Balance, a maximum of 20 points are possible when weighing a wine's combination of elements of fruit, sugar, acidity, woodiness, aroma, weight, and glycerine into a well-constructed, unified whole. We've given slightly more weight to this category than VWGA does, as we feel a wine's balance to be crucial to its ultimate merit.
For the category Finish, we allocate a total of 10 points, slightly less than in the VWGA scale. Elements of length, balance, complexity, flavor, tannin and acidity are all taken into account here.
Overall Impression incorporates our evaluation of all the elements detailed above into a more subjective framework of how pleasing and successful each taster deems a wine to be. Marketability, compatibility with food, accessibility to the public, and ageability are additional factors to be considered here. 10 points are the maximum allocation.
Wines are scored relative to their class and style. All wines rated 90 or higher are to be considered highly recommended, either for immediate consumption or for the cellar; wines that rate 80 to 89 points are to be deemed recommended examples that will provide everyday drinking pleasure as well significant cellaring potential in certain cases.
| 95-100 | Extraordinary |
| 90-94 | Outstanding |
| 85-89 | Very good to excellent |
| 80-84 | Good |
| 75-79 | Average |
| 70-74 | Below average |
| below 70 | Avoid |
Source: http://www.virginiawineguide.com/scoring.html
The Wall Street Journal Guide to Wine, New and Improved by Dorothy J. Gaiter and John Brecher, authors of the popular weekly "Tastings" column. Chapter "How to Use This Book", page xiii.
Parker's Wine Buyer's Guide, 1989 - 1990 Edition, by Robert M. Parker, Jr., A Fireside Book, © 1989
Wine Spectator's Ultimate Guide to Buying Wine, Seventh Edition, Wine Spectator Press, © 2000
Wine Enthusiast magazine, February 2005 issue
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