Critics
We’re all striving to find the best wine we can for our tastes. Of course ‘best’ is incredibly subjective, so it’s helpful to have a little guidance from a wine critic or two. Here’s a run down of each of the critics we rate as worth listening to, and an insight into how they score the wine they taste on our behalf.
Stephen Tanzer
95-100 Extraordinary
90-94 Outstanding
85-89 Very Good to Excellent
80-84 Good
75-79 Average
70-74 Below Average
< 70 Avoid
Robert Parker
96-100:
An extraordinary wine of profound and complex character displaying all the attributes expected of a classic wine of its variety. Wines of this caliber are worth a special effort to find, purchase, and consume.
90 - 95:
An outstanding wine of exceptional complexity and character. In short, these are terrific wines.
80 - 89:
A barely above average to very good wine displaying various degrees of finesse and flavor as well as character with no noticeable flaws.
70 - 79:
An average wine with little distinction except that it is a soundly made. In essence, a straightforward, innocuous wine.
60 - 69:
A below average wine containing noticeable deficiencies, such as excessive acidity and/or tannin, an absence of flavor, or possibly dirty aromas or flavors.
50 - 59:
A wine deemed to be unacceptable.
Jancis Robinson
20 Truly exceptional
19 A humdinger
18 A cut above superior
17 Superior
16 Distinguished
15 Average, a perfectly nice drink with no faults but not much excitement
14 Deadly dull
13 Borderline faulty or unbalanced
12 Faulty unbalanced
95 - 100:
Truly incomparable and emotionally thrilling. By definition, it is reference standard for its appellation. Less than 1% of fine wine (eg $30+ per bottle).
90 - 94:
Outstanding. Worth a special effort to purchase and cellar and will provide memorable drinking experiences.
85 - 89:
Very good to high quality. Wines that offer high quality, some flair and generally very good typicity. “Good Value” wines will often fall into this category. Worth your attention.
80 - 84:
Average to Good quality. Fine wine, but solid rather than exciting.
70-79:
Good wines, acceptable. But personally I find life too short to waste on boring wines.
60-69:
Not faulty, but plain and low quality fruit, e.g. dilute. Or crass winemaking, e.g. dolled up with oak chips. These points yet with no redeeming features.
GOLD (5 Stars)
96-100: Absolutely outstanding. The pinnacle of wine quality. Highly collectible.
93-95: Excellent. Top quality wine, strongly recommended.
SILVER (4 Stars)
90-92: Very good, but not great, wines of well above average quality and character.
85-89: Above average wines.
BRONZE (3 Stars)
80-84: Average to good.
78-79: Sound wines that may represent good value
5 STARS: Outstanding quality (gold medal standard)
4 1/2 STARS: Excellent quality, verging on outstanding
4 STARS: Excellent quality (silver medal standard)
3 1/2 STARS: Very good quality
3 STARS: Good quality (bronze medal standard)
2 1/2 STARS: Average quality
2 STARS: Plain
1 STAR: Poor
No STARS: To be avoided
NR: Note Rated (Tasted prior to bottling)
Sam Kim
96-100 (5 Star)
Exceptional quality exhibiting the highest level of concentration and complexity.
93-95 (5 Star)
Outstanding quality showing varietal purity and exemplifying regional type.
89-92 (4 1/2 Star)
Excellent quality showing a high level of concentration and balance.
85-88 (4 Star)
Very good quality displaying attractive flavours and good balance.
81-84 (3 1/2 Star)
Good quality, easy drinking with straightforward flavours.
77-80 (3 Star)
Average quality, pleasant, satisfactory.
Raymond Chan
93-100 (5 Stars / Gold Medal)
Perfect to Outstanding
85-92 (4 Stars / Silver Medal)
Excellent to Very Good
78-84 (3 Stars / Bronze Medal)
Good to Typical
70-77 (2 Stars / Commercial)
Acceptible to Ordinary
63-69 (1 Star)
Dull to Drinkable
55-62
Unpleasant to Faulty
48-54
Undrinkable to D.N.P.I.M. (do not put in mouth)