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COMMENTARY ABOUT
TASTING SCORES
The Michael Broadbent 5 star
system lacks clarity and is thus very difficult to quantify on a computer.
Therefore, the following explanations:
1. A score of 3/5. means the
wine scored 3 stars in a 5 star vintage. A "good" wine but not as "outstanding"
as the vintage.
2. A score of 3>4. means a 3
star wine is expected to evolve over time into a 4 star wine. This will
be a "very good wine" by any measurement.
3. A score of >3/5 is a very
young wine expected to evolve, over time, to a 3 star wine and in a
5 star vintage. Again, "good" but not as "outstanding" as the vintage.
4. A score of >3/4 is a very
young wine expected to evolve to a 3 star wine and possibly a 4 star
wine.
5. A score of 1/0. is a 1 star
wine in a vintage so poor as to deserve no stars. Broadbent's method
revolves around "Great Vintages", therefore, a wine-maker can be very
proud of a 1/0. as his wine beat the vintage that particular year.
While it is very true that the
100 point system is much more understandable, there is additional esoterica
one must understand. For example, the Wine Spectator scored the 1989
Red Bordeaux vintage a 98 and Chateau Pichon-Baron a 98 tasting score.
By this standard, the Chateau Pichon-Baron is as good as the vintage.
Chateau Haut Brion scored a 97 as did Chateau La Mission Haut Brion.
The Wine Advocate scored Chateau
Haut Brion a perfect 100 tasting score and ranks the 1989 vintage in
Graves an 89 vintage score. Chateau La Mission Haut Brion scored a 99
tasting score. By this standard, both Haut Brions far exceeded the vintage
ranking. Pauillac received a vintage ranking of 95 thus with a tasting
score of 99, Chateau Pichon LaLande and Chateau Latour just barely outscored
the vintage.
The 20 point Davis system of
the Underground Wine Journal and the 20 point English System of Clive
Coats has only a rough theoretic conversion as follows: 19.5 x 5 = 97.5.
The score is understandable and believable at this high level. The problem
with the 20 point system is that a score of 14 equalling 70 is considered
a "good" wine according to the Underground Wine Journal while a 70 is
the bottom of the "average" category on the 100 point system.
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