NOSE: expressive; peach donut ring candies; powdered sugar and lychee.
BODY: medium-light to medium bodied; pale yellow color.
TASTE: good mix of fruit and mineral; ample smoky mineral on the finish, which is long and of moderate intensity; mostly dry but there is some barely-perceptible r.s.; high acidity, but not screechy. I like it, and it will be fun to revisit in the coming years.
Thanks for the note Brian. I’ve been wondering this for a while, and I’m sure you covered it in another post somewhere, but I’m curious as to what all the numbers that go into your ratings are
The above numbers reflect the maximum in each category.
In order:
50 points for being liquid that is, or purports to be, wine
up to 5 points for color/appearance (this is always addressed in the “BODY” portion of my notes, were I also comment on my perception of the wine’s weight)
up to 15 points for Nose/Aroma
up to 20 points for Palate/Taste/Structure
up to 10 points for Overall assessment/my perception of the wine’s ability to improve with age. If I do it “right,” this number will not change over time, although the reasons behind the score being what it currently is very well may — akin to a (*) vs. ***() rating, if you’re familiar with that method of scoring.
When scoring, I typically start at 50, 5, 13, 18, and add or subtract, in a fairly regimented manner, from there. I find it much easier to subtract than add. I’ve been trying to loosen-up a bit with my Overall assessment scores over the past year or two, as I now feel I may have been historically a touch too harsh, scoring some 9’s as 8, and some 8s as 7; I’ve been able to intellectually accept that idea, but not sure my heart has caught-up yet.
Thanks for clarifying that Brian. So is the BODY portion your assessment of the wine’s weight and body based on its appearance alone, or does it include your perception of it after tasting it? Like when you note this wine is medium-light to medium in body is that based solely on your visual assessment of the wine or does it include your tasting perception as well?
Ask Robert Parker. It’s his scoring system, and that’s the system I adopted when I started scoring wines 15 years ago. I’d say an 8 yo wine that looks to be 20 or 30 years old gives reason to be concerned. or inexplicably turbid. or a young sparkling wine that is essentially still. or a red wine that is unusually pale for the bottling (lightstruck, perhaps). Nearly all wines I score get a 5 in this section.
when I comment on body it’s strictly based on mouthfeel. When commenting on appearance, I usually state color, and depth of color, and will often comment on clarity, as well. I know “BODY” isn’t really the most accurate descriptor for all the information I put in this section of my TN’s, but that’s the way I’ve always done it, and it works for me.
