The Tyranny of the 100 point scale, Pt. 498

Yesterday I was helping a good friend pour some very high-end vino for a charity event. When I get a chance, I’ll post some brief notes separately on the wines.

But what got me is how many people wanted to talk to me (I was the pretend “sommelier” for the event) about wine reviews and scores. We had one “100 point” wine in the crowd, and not surprisingly people flocked to it immediately. Or else they came up to the table asking me if they “could taste the 100 point wine.” Now, it turned out that this particular bottle was a great example of this wine, but still…

And on it went throughout the event. Several people asked me what they “had to taste,” and in several instances they made it clear that they wanted to taste only the highest rated wine. One person asked me the rating for almost every wine that I poured for him. By the way, this was a relatively wine-savvy crowd, so it took me a bit by surprise that so many people were still fixated on points per se, rather than trying to describe the quality of the wine in their glass.

By the way, the wine that blew most people away was the magnum of 1970 Gemello Cabernet. Almost no one had never heard of it, and of course I didn’t have any available ratings on that one…

Bruce

Ah, Gemello.
Before the tyranny.

Sounds like 9 out 10 posts one might read on a wine board… [snort.gif]

Behind the bowling alley on El Camino. Great place and wonderful wines from time to time.

Wow - what a rarity to be pouring at a large tasting - can only imagine what the other wines were…

On the points thing, I think most people just use it as shorthand for relative quality of bottles (rightly or wrongly) and many were probably just asking you for the “quality” related recs when they asked about points - obviously not a sophisticated way of going about it but nonetheless what people have on their mind.

http://scmwine.wikispaces.com/GEMELLO+WINERY

I have a hard time picturing you hanging out behind a bowling alley . . . T-Bone maybe . . .

I went to a big tasting this weekend, and it irked me that almost every time the wine rep poured a sample, they mentioned how many points some critic gave it, or what position it ranked in wine spectators top 100. I didn’t feel it was the time or place to argue with them over the triviality or scores, but I’d much rather have these reps tell me something interesting about the winery, their winemaking philosophy, where the grapes were grown, how long they’ve been in business, how the wines were made, anything except a fricking score. But judging by this well-attended tasting, scores seems to be selling wine right now.

Bruce,


When they asked about the points on the Gemello, you should have said “Bruce L. is 98 points on that”. [basic-smile.gif]

Interestingly enough, when I first looked at the title of this thread I thought it said, “The Tranny of the 100 point scale, Pt. 498”

Yeah, it’s more than annoying to hear reps drone on about a recent score (although, thankfully “medals” have disappeared from their lexicon). OTOH, what do we expect - they ARE salespeople. Even merchants who used to eschew scores have slowly crept into the idolatry phase. The really sad part here, as Bruce mentioned, is that these are generally wine-savvy people that are so enamored with the numerical, rather than intrinsic value of a wine. Come on, Mr. Pendulum, swing back the other way.

You didn’t blaspheme and suggest that points might be over-appreciated? Perhaps the “Yum” scale?

RT

So Bruce, what was the 100 pt wine? [wink.gif]

Ummm… I hate to break it to all of us purist who don’t care about points, but points sell wine. Motor Trend’s Car of the Year sells. Car and Driver’s 10 Best do as well. Consumer Reports’ recommendations and CNET’s Editor’s choices get positive bumps in sales. Folks like to have a another (knowledgeable) party’s opinion when shopping and often use that information to start their search.

Not me.

Randy–No question about it. I just think it’s sad how often people respond in a Pavlovian question to high scores, regardless of the style of the wine.

Bruce

I look at it from the other side. I realize that all of us can give the exception, BUT 98% of the wines that Laube, Harvey S. or Parker rate below 80, I don’t really want to spend my money to find out if they deserved the low score. The score says enough. There is just to much wine on the market to buy stuff that the critics have canned. I’ll take their 84 at face value and look for another bottle! [cheers.gif] [cheers.gif]

Too much wine, to little time!

I would voice a dissenting opinion here. If I was at a tasting, I’d ask to taste the 100 pt wine as well. why?
I’d also ask to taste the wines I can’t buy readily online.

b/c in most cases, the 100 pt wine is harder to find, probably more expensive. Therefore I’d ask to taste it.
Why would i ask to taste something that I can find at any wine shop, regardless of how good it is?
I drink for value / taste when I’m drinking with friends. At a ‘tasting’, I’d want to try things I don’t normally try… and I don’t normally find, or buy 100 pt wines.

It is kind of funny. The wine tasting class I beling to has some serious wine lovers. They are not anti-point per se. they simply don’t care. You can mention points all day long, and they simply tune it out. For them, it is only about what is in the glass.

Same here. I’d want to taste it partly to see what someone whom people consider modestly expert thinks a 100 point wine is.

And if they said there was a DRC in the mix I’d be asking for that as well.