Snooth Talk: Disparity of wine ratings

Wine Talk

: Disparity of wine ratings; Posted by donccpa, Nov 4.; A local wine merchant advertised a sale on an Australian Cabernet quoting a 97 rating from Robert Parker. When I checked the same wine on Wine Spectator it was an 89. What do I make of this? Is it a 90 point wine or not and is the "sale" a good deal or not. Anyone else have these situations?

2517 1738: Reply by Gregory Dal Piaz, Nov 4.; This is pretty common, but the spread here is quite wide. You have to remember that Robert Parker's Wine Advocate employs the wildly enthusiastic and non-discriminatory palate of a certain Dr. Jay Miller to promote the wines of Australia, as well as some other choice regions.

I don't know what wine you are referring to but a good rule of thumb for the Wine Advocate's Australian reviews is to discount by 5 points. That gives you a score of 92 points. Roughly in the same ball park as the Specs score. It's quite likely that the wine in question is an over the top fruit bomb, which further explains the discrepancy here.

So it's even more important to read the reviews. Is this a fruit bomb? Do you like fruit bombs? Is it restrained and elegant? Is that what you are looking for?

Points are fun, and to a certain extent meaningless, though exceptionally good fodder for endless debates and discussions! I use them as a way to gauge the consistency of a reviewer, myself included, as opposed to a real definitive qualitative tool.

So what's the wine and what's the price?

0 390: Reply by GregT, Nov 4.; ". . . the wildly enthusiastic and non-discriminatory palate . . ."

Hilarious.

The other thing you might want to keep in mind is that the retailers aren't necessarily posting the correct review with the correct wine. If the wine got a good review in 2003, you might see that same sticker up in 2009. Some retailers just don't pay attention, some are deliberately deceitful. Were both of those reviews for the same vintage and also for the same exact wine - the producer might have different versions of a shiraz for example.

10 1135: Reply by dmcker, Nov 4.; So you mean retailers actually know the concept 'bait and switch'?

19 22: Reply by donccpa, Nov 4.; The wine is a "2005 Clarendon Hills Hickinbotham Cabernet Sauvignon". And your correct the Robert Parker review was by Jay Miller. The price for the wine was $ 74.99 and was being sold for $ 39.74. With a 97 point wine I thought it looked like a good deal but not after I saw the 89 on WS.

The retailer had this to say, "Parker's Wine Advocate, in particular, favors a certain powerful style of wine that can at best lack nuance and at worst seem over the top. Big, extracted red wines tend to get higher scores than wines of similar quality made in other styles"

2517 1738: Reply by Gregory Dal Piaz, Nov 4.; You have found a very good retailer.

0 390: Reply by GregT, Nov 4.; Or at least an opinionated one.

But donccpa, don't put too much credence into those scores, whether the 97 or the 89. One guy really liked it. The other guy did too, but he didn't like it as much. Neither is really "correct". For yet a third opinion, I think Clarendon makes some great wines. And some really age worthy wines. And I wouldn't pay $80 for that one.

Even tho Jay Miller reviews Australia now, Parker himself loves Clarendon. That wine is usually available between $40 and $50 so your price wasn't bad. Don't base your decision on the points tho. Try it. Clarendon is a top producer in Australia. Mostly known for their grenache and maybe shiraz tho.

19 22: Reply by donccpa, Nov 6.; Thanks Greg, I have only been really been enjoying wines for a few years now and the opportunity to taste a 97 point was tempting. I rely on the WS and WA's of the world to get decide what to taste. There are thousands of wines out there and I am a deer in the headlights. Hopefully some day I'll know enough to venture out without the ratings. Thanks for the advice.

0 390: Reply by GregT, Nov 6.; I hear you. So here's something you might do. Try some of the wines rated at 88,89, 90, 91 points or so. Sometimes you can get those relatively cheaply. Pay attention to the specific critic who rated the wine more than the magazine itself - critics all have individual preferences. And after you've tasted the wine, read what the person had to say and see whether any of it matches up with what you think you tasted. If you find that your palate aligns with someone's, then you've probably got more to go on.

And don't discount your retailer. There's a natural tendency to think that the retailer has a vested interest in selling what he stocks and that's true. But in the best of worlds, the retailer also has a palate that dictated certain choices.

People tend to become convinced that they really are correct in this business, so beware of that, but if you find that your retailer has steered you to some decent choices, that's golden.

Years ago I remember going into a store and telling the lady what I wanted. She said she didn't have it in stock at the time but the night before her husband had come home with the winemakers wife and they had tasted thru all of the wines and agreed that one in particular was outstanding. I tried it and it was fantastic. I bought several cases. Maybe I was distracted by that whole winemaker's wife thing but I sure liked the wine and really got to trust that retailer. Best.

19 22: Reply by donccpa, Nov 8.; Another example, Chateau de Pibarnon Bandol, WS 95, WA 86. I just had a glass and I give it 5 stars. Must have been a bad day for the Robert Parker reviewer.