Wine ratings don’t necessarily indicate how delicious a wine is. Instead, wines are scored based on production quality and typicity. Typicity is how well the traits of a particular wine ‘typify’ the style and region of its origin.
A Few Pointers:
The 100-point scale actually starts at 50 points and most raters never include wines below 80.Thus, average 'rated wines' score roughly 86-87 points on a given scale.
- 50-59 wines are flawed and undrinkable
- 60-69 wines are flawed and not recommended but drinkable
- 70-79 wines are flawed and taste average
- 80-84 wines are ‘above average’ to ‘good’
- 85-90 wines are ‘good’ to ‘very good’
- 90-94 wines are ‘superior’ to ‘exceptional’
- 95-100 wines are benchmark examples or ‘classic’
Problems:
- Critics have different opinions
- Equally rated wines from different regions taste very different
- Each site’s rating scale is slightly different
Wine Tip:
Wines reviewed by panels tend to be consistent, but rarely give point scores above 96.
