I score wine elsewhere, but originally thought I’d keep this Substack a score-free zone. On the one hand, scores can tend to hoover up most of the oxygen when you’re trying to say something about a wine. On the other hand, people thinking about spending cash (myself included) quite like the reassurance of a hard number as part of the equation. If you have any thoughts you can add them to this thread:
Thank you for requesting feedback. For me, the score can be a distraction. I have other sources for scores and would prefer for this to remain focused on qualitative assessments and learning on broader aspects of wine growing and raising.
The point is the meaning of the critic inside the discourse. Points were helpful back then cause they helped regions such as Bordeaux, Barolo, and most of the new world to get in front of customers. Now the problem of wine is communicating the right information by selecting wines and put them in front of people: the reality is that people wants to think for themselves but there are not many events for customers to do that. Communication is way more important than the scoring system.
But on top of that nobody talks about how these wines are tasted. Are the wines tasted blind? Are the wines are divided into terroirs or vintages? And many more things.
Is really hard to say if we truly need scores or not but in my mind we just need more intelligent content like the ones you see in this substack.
I value scores for as long as I know who scored and whether they are relative (e.g. to the specific vintage) or absolute. A score without good description, however, has very limited value for me. Thanks.
I would prefer a score included in the substack. I don't think anyone is subscribing to your newsletter solely for scores, which we can find plenty of ourselves outside of this space. For me, it's just a way to quantify you're feeling about a bottle to help in the case of making a purchasing decision.
For my part poetry is going to capture my attention ahead of a score every time. I genuinely find scores all but meaningless due largely to the compression at the top of the hundred point scale.
Thank you for requesting feedback. For me, the score can be a distraction. I have other sources for scores and would prefer for this to remain focused on qualitative assessments and learning on broader aspects of wine growing and raising.
Thanks for the thoughts
You are very welcome! I trust whatever decision you make and will continue to follow your work with interest.
The point is the meaning of the critic inside the discourse. Points were helpful back then cause they helped regions such as Bordeaux, Barolo, and most of the new world to get in front of customers. Now the problem of wine is communicating the right information by selecting wines and put them in front of people: the reality is that people wants to think for themselves but there are not many events for customers to do that. Communication is way more important than the scoring system.
But on top of that nobody talks about how these wines are tasted. Are the wines tasted blind? Are the wines are divided into terroirs or vintages? And many more things.
Is really hard to say if we truly need scores or not but in my mind we just need more intelligent content like the ones you see in this substack.
Thanks Nelson. I think points can still make...points. I have a (reluctant) gut feeling that there's something about them words can never replace
I value scores for as long as I know who scored and whether they are relative (e.g. to the specific vintage) or absolute. A score without good description, however, has very limited value for me. Thanks.
Relative makes little sense to me!
I would prefer a score included in the substack. I don't think anyone is subscribing to your newsletter solely for scores, which we can find plenty of ourselves outside of this space. For me, it's just a way to quantify you're feeling about a bottle to help in the case of making a purchasing decision.
Numeracy is not literacy, a wise wine person told me. But then again, I don't make wine buying decisions based on Jane Austen.
Classic Pharos. Bravo!
For my part poetry is going to capture my attention ahead of a score every time. I genuinely find scores all but meaningless due largely to the compression at the top of the hundred point scale.
Think it was me….
I'd say Pride and Prejudice are essential ingredients of most wine criticism
One of the more famous 89-pointers.
I could have put money on that...