A quick thread, and your thoughts, please - I just read this piece from Jamie Goode.
I’ve scored a couple of big releases (£350+ bottle prestige releases from major maisons) 93 and 94 this year for Decanter. If you see a Prestige wine at 94 points, does that read as a good score or a bit of a snub to you? There’s some truth in saying that those scores for top Bordeaux releases would earn you a black mark as a critic. Outside of wine circles, though, people often still interpret them as glowing endorsements.
For what it’s worth I don’t think Champagne is as formalised, inflated or narrow as Bordeaux appears to be. It helps that there are a couple of other critics - Essi Avellan, Antonio Galloni and Kelley/Castaing for Wine Advocate especially - who don’t automatically go over 95 for top end wines. The wine I scored 93 was also scored 93 by Galloni (which I didn’t know when I wrote the review; I try and avoid reading too many other opinions on wines until after I get a chance to taste them). There’s a bit of safety in numbers perhaps.
All in all, scoring is a bit of a ‘code’ to me, where the score interacts with the price, the words and the nature of the wine itself to complete a picture.
If it gets to a point where 95 is a snub for a Prestige Cuvée, though, I must be going into a lot of black books! And don’t get me started on score ranges….
I think that my clients in general pay less attention to Champagne scores because most of them buy these wines to drink and not to store and probably re-sell later as it often happens with Barolos and Bordeaux. And honestly some names sell whatever the score ;)
Interesting. Have you discussed the pluses and minuses of scoring? I understand the value of scores and have relied on them to make purschases, but I’ve really enjoyed the writing you do here and writing/video on Instagram without scores. I bought a bottle of the Henriot you just discussed for example. In that case, any score would have been unhelpful.
I think that my clients in general pay less attention to Champagne scores because most of them buy these wines to drink and not to store and probably re-sell later as it often happens with Barolos and Bordeaux. And honestly some names sell whatever the score ;)
Yes indeed - although I hope that reviewing isn't only relevant to investment wines!
I get puzzled by comparative scores on champagnes unless they’re based on relevant sub-divisions - Meunier/BdeB/BdeNoir etc ..
Generally I’m pretty confident in Toms narrative descriptions though - scores for champagne are less useful .,
Indeed - it's complex! One of the reason I think notes have to draw comparisons, get as much context in as possible.
Interesting. Have you discussed the pluses and minuses of scoring? I understand the value of scores and have relied on them to make purschases, but I’ve really enjoyed the writing you do here and writing/video on Instagram without scores. I bought a bottle of the Henriot you just discussed for example. In that case, any score would have been unhelpful.
It's a big topic - I don't like writing them, but I like reading them...
Call it as you see taste it. Be honest and candid. Grade inflation helps no one.
90-93 Good quality, 94-95 Great quality, 96-98 Excellent quality, 98+ Outstanding quality.
86-90 Fair quality. Below 86, hmm.