THE 100 POINT SCORING SYSTEM… IS IT A BAD THING?

It never ceases to amaze me that the debate about the “100” point scoring system goes on and on. Maybe wine guys have nothing better to do then pick on something that has been established in our society for some time. Maybe it’s plain old envy. Robert Parker Jr. made this whole scoring thing quite popular, and perhaps folks are simply jealous of his success and find fault in something that he has done. I am not sure of the motive behind the arguments.

It brings to mind an old saying… “When in Rome, do as the Romans do.” I have seen many different types of scoring systems, the five glass scoring system, the 2o point system, (twenty points being the best score a wine can attain.) The three to five grape clusters, the four star system, etc. etc. I have also observed that some wine critics simply try to relay how they feel about a wine through their descriptions. If through a wine description it is obvious that the wine critic is not thrilled about the wine, you might think twice about buying it. How much easier is it to look at the score first, and if it is a mid to low eighty score perhaps you decide not to read the description knowing that you do not need to waste your time? I personally go for the second option because, let’s face it; time is valuable and like most people, I do not have time to waste. The sidebar to that last statement is that you better know the wine critics palate. This is the real key. Not all wine critics share our view on wine. It takes some time, but as we experiment with the scores that they give a wine compared to how we personally feel about it we will be able to navigate through their scores.

Here is an example of what I am talking about… James Laube, a wine critic for the Wine Spectator is one that has a very similar palate to my own. When he scores a wine 90+ it gets my attention. Nine times out of ten the wine that he likes, I like. It took me some time to figure that out but now it is easy for me to make a decision based on his judgment. On the other hand, there is Harvey Steiman, the Pacific Northwest, Australian and New Zealand critic for the same publication. When Harvey gives a wine a high score, I become doubtful. My palate and Harvey’s do not agree. Again, it took me a couple of times to figure this out. In both cases, their score on the 100 point scale helps me to make a decision on whether or not I want to give the wine a whirl. If James Laube rates it high I will probably give it a try. If Harvey gives it a high score I will be less likely to give it a try and look for other critics for some direction.

One of my favorite wine critics is Stephen Tanzer, of International Wine Cellar. Stephen is quite conservative and very objective. When he gives a wine a score in the nineties, it is almost guaranteed to be a stellar wine for me. He seems to score lower then I would on a wine. So, the point is that you find a wine guy or two that you like and can trust, and you look at the 100 point scale as a short-cut to making a decision. James Laube finds a wine and scores it 89 to 94 points I’ll give it a try. Stephen Tanzer gives a score of 86 to 90 points I’ll look for that wine. I just do not waste my time with Harvey Steiman, not because he doesn’t know anything, I just do not agree with his palate. Because I am a critic myself, I do like to read the descriptions that the other critics give the wine. Harvey Steiman does an excellent job of describing wine and I get a lot of good ideas from him. He has a knack for finding the right phrases and is quite eloquent. Another guy that is great with descriptions and telling you what he finds in a wine is Gary Vaynerchuk. I have to say that he is one of the most enjoyable guys to listen to. I would suggest that you look him up on www.winelibrarytv.com. A couple of years ago a friend of mine told me about this guy. Gary has a very similar approach to wine as I do and it is refreshing to hear someone with the same point of view. He uses the 100 point system and seems to wrestle with the concept. Who cares if he scores a wine 92 or simply says it is a really good wine. They both mean the same thing. Sometimes he gets a little carried away with the low scores and it is at this point that I will try a wine to see if it is really that bad. I have found that I do not always agree with his assessment on the low side of the scale. It did not take me all that long to figure this out and now I can dissect his scoring analysis with ease.

The 100 point system is just an easy way to get a bead on the psyche of a wine critic. It does not define a wine. How can it? If Robert Parker Jr. gives a wine 94 points, what does that tell me? That Robert Parker Jr. really likes that particular wine…not that it is really a 94 point wine in and of itself. What if Stephen Tanzer gives the same wine a score of 86. Who is right? Neither critic. They are both simply telling us how they personally feel about a wine and we have to decide which palate we prefer. Do we agree more with Parker’s palate or with Tanzer’s? We might try the wine and simply hate it, disagreeing with both critics. Great! Good for you! You have now come into your own. The sad story in this is when someone sees a high score by a respected critic, goes out and buys the wine, opens it with some friends and chokes it down hating every minute, and at the same time gushing about the wine simply because they feel like they have to like it because the critic did. How crazy is that? Yet, I have seen this happen over and over again. Please, I beg you… never let that happen to you. Go with your palate, scream it out at the top of your lungs if you disagree with a critic. Forget about Parker, Stan, Gary or Tanzer… it is all about you. The score simply helps you cut to the chase once you understand what you are looking for.

Robert Parker Jr. likes wines that are extracted and concentrated. Big, bold wines that smack you in the face. He has been criticized for his influence on the wine world to go in this direction. Here is a guy that started off thirty years ago with a small newsletter, very little education in wine and a purpose… to be a consumer advocate. Look at where it has gotten him. One of the most powerful individuals in winedom. Do I respect him? Absolutely. Do I agree with him? Not always. If I am in the mood for a big, concentrated wine then I look to Parker. If I am in a mood for a wine with some earthiness, acidity and a little funky, I look to Vaynerchuk. In most cases I simply try thousands of wines and come to my own conclusion and pass it along to my readers. I use the 100 point scale and feel good about it. I have had people disagree with me and I love it. I am glad that they feel comfortable enough with me to know that I simply am using the scoring system as a guide to help them see how I personally feel about a wine… not that my score should be placed on a mantle and worshiped. Most critics just want to help. We like to see individuals get the wine that will be the icing on the cake, the great value, a wine that they will feel good about.

I believe that there are a few critics out there who have let their success go to there head… that they are bigger then wine itself. If they give a wine a big score then we better all stand up and listen!! Sorry, I refuse to go down that road. Wine critics do not define a wine by a score. The wine defines the wine critic by the score he gives it. (I hope that makes sense to you). Wine writers and critics expose their palate by both their descriptions and scores. I am confident to say that most of my readers and friends know what kind of wine I like and they know what to expect when I give a wine a big score. If they haven’t reached that level yet, I want them to get there. On the other hand, it is my responsibility as a wine steward to make sure I understand the palate of my customers so that I can recommend a wine that will suit them. Customers are wine critics too and I must understand where they are coming from.

The debate about scoring wine will rage on, no matter what I write. I only hope to help you understand what is really behind a score. The 100 point scale gives us a broader spectrum of a critics palate, unlike a four star, three glass or five grape cluster scoring system can do. 74 points tells us he or she really does not like it. 98 points tells us that he or she is really in love with this wine. So in short, figure out what the critics like or dislike compared to your palate. Look at their score based on your understanding, and this will help you make an informed decision. Also, make sure you find a critic who scores all wines, good and bad. This is very helpful when trying to understand where their palate is. It seems to be a trend for some wine writers to score or write only about wines that they like, not about wines they don’t. I do not like this trend and this will be the subject of my next article in “Stan Uncorked”, I hope you check it out. Let’s give a toast to keeping it real and taking the “Snob” out of wine. Stan