I first published a less-fleshed-out version of this manifesto in 2013 on my old website, and an interaction I had yesterday brought it to the forefront of my mind. As the topic relates to equipping consumers with information and is evergreen in that way, I figured I would punch it up a bit and repost.
Customers often regard my wine recommendations with a certain level of skepticism. Not always, but frequently. They question my palate, my knowledge, my experience, and from time to time even the motivations behind my suggestions.
To support my wine recommendations, I often quote ratings from a multitude of publications to show how other palates perceive the bottle I’m pitching. I have no issue with a guest holding the opinion of Robert Parker or Jancis Robinson in higher esteem than mine – they’ve certainly been in the game longer than I.
But far too often people rely solely on a single source such as Wine Spectator or Decanter to provide validation for their wine selections. A singular score offers a myopic perspective of a wine’s quality; taste is subjective, and “good” means something different to all of us.
I advise guests who put their faith in scores from the trades to consult a multitude of sources for the most context possible. Case in point of a producer whose ratings require context is California cult superstar Williams Selyem.
Williams Selyem is held in high esteem by many critics, with Wine Enthusiast historically having a particularly perspicuous affinity for their wines. The publication in 2011 named winemaker-at-the-time Bob Cabral its Winemaker of the Year on the heels of scoring his 2007 Litton Estate Vineyard Pinot Noir a perfect 100 points.
But not every reviewer is as high on Williams Selyem as Enthusiast is. Here are ratings from the three most prominent US wine publications – Wine Enthusiast, Wine Advocate and Wine Spectator – of 10 different Williams Selyem Pinot Noirs across three vintages adjacent to the 100-point 2007 Litton Estate Vineyard:
An examination of the ratings reveals the following:
1.) Wine Enthusiaist awarded 15 of the 30 wines reviewed 95 points or more (punctuated by the aforementioned 100-point 2007 Litton Estate Vineyard), while handing out only three scores of 90 points or fewer.
2.) Wine Advocate was almost the complete inverse, awarding 23 of the 26 Williams Selyem wines it reviewed 90 points or fewer, with the 2007 Flax Vineyard tallying the highest score of the entire set with a 93.
3.) Wine Spectator handed out the two lowest scores overall, conferring 82 points to the 2008 Flax Vineyard and 83 points to the 2008 Allen Vineyard (the latter of which contributed to the largest score variance of any wine, with Wine Enthusiast giving the same bottle a score of 96). Spectator also bestowed upon the 100-point-rating-from-Enthusiast 2007 Litton Estate Vineyard a more pedestrian 91 points.
Who’s right and who’s not? What conclusions can be drawn from this data?
It’s obvious that at least one person at Wine Enthusiast (all of these publications have many, many critics working for them) LOVED the Pinot Noirs produced by Williams Selyem under Bob Cabral’s tenure. It is equally evident that no one at Wine Advocate over that same period was going crazy for the exact same wines. Spectator’s scores are mostly sandwiched in between the other two and provide somewhat of a baseline.
Wine Enthusiast and Wine Spectator giving the same wine diametrically opposite reviews – one saying it’s a perfect bottle, the other declaring it to be good but not especially noteworthy – showcases the futility of placing too much faith in ratings. Scores can provide a good jumping off point, but if they are your sole source of information and recommendations, they can become blinders that keep you from finding some great lesser-known gems.
I often caution guests to make sure they are picking wines based on their own interests and preferences, not those of a magazine or another person. In that respect, ratings are no substitute for human interaction.
It’s important to find someone you can build a relationship with, whether you’re in a restaurant or retail wine shop. Chat them up, ask them questions – selecting a wine can be an intimidating process, and most sommeliers or salespeople are happy to provide recommendations or talk about their experiences (in my time on the sales floor, I would look at each shift as having 8 hours to talk/teach about wine). If someone recommends a bottle you don’t care for, give them feedback instead of getting gun-shy – some of the most useful information you can provide to a person you’re building a rapport with is what NOT to suggest in the future.
Ratings with the proper context are absolutely a useful tool to keep in the toolbox – just make sure they’re not the only tool you use.
Free Run 