Scoring Pinots - The 100 Point Scale

I don't use any scoring systems when reviewing or recommending wines. The problem I have with the 100 point scale (or even the 20 point scale) is that it ends up giving the assumption that a wine's quality is an objective measure. So if a wine scores 95 points we must all rush out and buy a case because we will all love it immensely... which just isn't true.

It's no coincidence that red varietals that consistently score over 95 points in the mainstream reviewing sources tend often to be big, robust, full-bodied varietals - Bordeaux's, Napa Cabs, Shiraz, Barolos, etc. These varietals flood the palate with their rich flavors, and when you're tasting 30 wines or more in a day (as is often the case with wine reviewers) the big ones stand out.

On the other hand, even the best made Pinot Noirs have a hard time cracking the 95 point ceiling. Is that because they are more poorly made, less masterful expressions of their terroir than those other flavor bombs? It would be very hard to make that case. It's simply that they are lighter, more subtle wines that don't show off their quality.

So I don't trust the 100 point scale as an accurate reflection of a wine's quality. Nor do I trust it as an accurate reflection of my personal tastes. I was recently on a judging panel with someone who consistently scored wines with lots of tannic structure higher than wines with mellower tannins, whereas another judge faulted the wines with higher tannic structure as having been released too early. These are subjective tastes of individuals. Would the scores of either of these judges have accurately conveyed to you, the consumer, which of these wines you would prefer? Does the number 91 tell you whether or not a wine will have that tannic structure that you love? or lack those bitter tannins you hate?

Some quality is objective. A wine that is out of balance or flawed is bad. But we should think of it in broader terms. If it's in the 90s, it excels. If it's in the 80s, it passes. If it's in the 70's or below, it fails. Chances are you'll enjoy something in the 90s more than the 80s, but you might enjoy a 91 point Pinot Noir more than a 98 point Barolo if Pinots tend to better represent your stylistic preferences.

Really the only way to know if you will like a wine is to know your tastes and to get an accurate description of the wine. I always try, in my recommendations, to give you a good sense of the experience of drinking a Pinot Noir so that you can decide if it's the kind of experience you like or would like to have.

When evaluating a Pinot I think about the color, the boquet & aroma, the balance (acid, sweet, tannins), the body, the flavor, the finish, and the overall impression. I like to think that all of the Pinots I recommend are in the 90s.