Points? I Don't Need Any Stinking Points! Unless Of Course.......

They’re my points. All of a sudden 100 point scores for board darlings are praised instead of ridiculed? I’m 93 points on what could be construed as a double standard. Not that there is anything wrong with that.

There’s no “all of a sudden.” It’s always been that way.

I’d like someone to explain what ‘board darling’ means, and while we are in that similar space, how about ‘fanboy’. You used one of these terms, Michael, so why don’t you help me understand it.

I was curious when Pax became a “board darling”?

Points don’t matter until they validate your own view. Sad!

Or if you can continually use them to make a hackneyed point.

All points are evil.

Reductio ad absurdum.

You been goofin with the bees?

X5ThccaxWmk

David, that is tremendous!..why didn’t I know of this movie?
Love me some Nilsson…

This

Pax would be very surprised.

Anyway, let me suggest a different paradigm (!) for Mr. Monie.

For a number of folks in the thread in question, it’s congratulations and happiness for Pax. Regardless of the board perception (if there really is such a thing), points mean something in the commercial marketplace. A winery with a 100 point score in the bag has a leg up.

As for the wine itself, I bought it back in November, so the score is not a factor for me. I sorely doubt it’s a factor for Hardy, who started the thread. Yes, a few folks jumped on the bandwagon, but so what.

Overall it’s great for Pax. It’s recognition that he deserves. Maybe try not crapping all over that.

I jumped on the Pax band-wagon. Points sell. It’s up to us as the buyer to discern whether they have merit, as often times they are over-stated. To me this was easy, it was $48 per bottle, we have two tasters I respect, David and Ryan (plus Harvey), speaking praise on this wine, so I ordered 6. I’m guessing that Pax just got a new wave of future buyers. My purchase put me on their mailing list. Doesn’t mean I buy again, but it appears that I will be getting emails. And they seem like very friendly people, Punky immediately sent me a personal email. Turns out Pax and Punky are from Florida. Looking forward to trying the wines. Like that they are sans soufre and sub-13%.

And by the way, my memory of Pax was his long-ago “big” style of syrah that many winemakers were producing in the mid-2000s, including Copain. I tried, never bought any Pax. So for me, Pax was no “darling”. I even missed David’s early note as the name really did not resonate with me.

Good for them.

Especially Harvey, love his notes!

A search here for ‘Pax’ brings up 2580 hits spread over 52 pages. I’ve been a consistent advocate that professional criticism and the associated points they assign have a valid role to play, especially for the neophyte. So it’s not my intent to rain on Pax’s or Patty Green’s parades. Rather, my beef if I have one, is with the anti-critics, who disdain all professional criticism, with their elitist attitudes.

Would it suit you better if people said that would never buy Pax or Patricia Green again due to a high score?

Is there no room for nuance/gray in your thinking?

And a search for Rhys brings up 21,465 (now 21,466) hits on 430 pages, Darling.

It may be that the fear here isn’t strictly points, but that winemakers will change their style in pursuit of points. So if one of the “darlings” stays true to their style and isn’t point seeking…then to get 100 points must mean the wine is so good that even critics with Parkerized palates had to acknowledge the greatness of the wine. It’s quite the mental gymnastics.

But a better explanation is that there is no single beserker mentality or palate. It’s not a contradiction for some people here to hate on critics and others to follow them closely. One would hope that most here are respectful enough to not be too negative about points in a thread that is congratulatory to a winemaker that is considered a contributing member of the beserker comminuity.

Or maybe the best explanation is that with Parker becoming a thing of the past points are considered old news and discussion about 100 point ones just isn’t enough to kindle the true beserker spirit.

Good post David.

There are a handful of people on the board that consistently bash any use of or reference to points. Some treat them as a punch line. Most just don’t address them.

The Pax Sonoma Hillsides is not a wine crafted for points. The fact that it scored well is just a bonus.

IN today’s world, this could be construed as sexual harassment.

Now you just sound ridiculous…