Help Me Understand A Wine Critic: James Suckling

[Anton_D]

I have a Suckling conversion formula:

Take your rating, subtract 10, divide by 2.5 and then multiply by 3 to get the Suckling Equivalent. I have found that equation works better than using the “Suckling Constant.”

So: The Suckling Equivalent = [R (sub you) - 10]/2.5 X 3.

The Suckling Constant is typically about 1.1 R (sub you), so take your rating and multiply it by 1.1 to get the Suckling Constant rating. The Suckling Constant way of looking at his ratings breaks down if you score a wine below 85.

Oh dear. RTP Richard Latham has risen from the dead/banned and has gotten hold of another login.

I was channeling!

[Dan_M]

To his credit, I thought he nailed the 2015 Argentiera Bolgheri Superiore.

And I bet there are a ton of bargain basement Bordeaux guys here at WB who would secretly agree with his call on the 1995 Clerc Milon [even if they wouldn’t agree to agree with it publicly]:

https://www.cellartracker.com/wine.asp?iWine=4864

These days, Suckling’s working with Stuart Pigott, who might actually know more about the Riesling grape than everyone on this board put together, and that’s saying something.

I get heap big envy of people who know more about Riesling than I’ll ever know.

[PS: Obviously we aren’t talking AFWE wines here…]

I think we need a separate thread for Piggot now…

[Jeremy_Holmes]

I have never met James Suckling but would like to, and I do subscribe to JamesSuckling.com. Stuart Piggot is a terrific resource for Riesling and another reviewer Nick Stock, is a good mate of mine. Nick has a very sharp palate and is a very hard working chap.

[Rodrigo_B]

I have never met James Suckling but would like to, and I do subscribe to JamesSuckling.com. Stuart Piggot is a terrific resource for Riesling and another reviewer Nick Stock, is a good mate of mine. Nick has a very sharp palate and is a very hard working chap.

I love reading from pretty much all critics who are passionate and knowledgeable about German wines, including Stuart Piggot, but him returning to JamesSuckling.com puts me in conundrum as I’m not James Suckling’s biggest fan.

Was not familiar with Nick Stock before. Will check him out going forward.

[Sean_Corbett]

I don’t see what the big deal is about Tuscany. I once had a manager who rented a villa there for a month and was always bringing it up in conversation.

You should send me the manager’s contacts cos I lived in Tuscany for 3 months and also feel compelled to bring it up in conversation.

It’s a good gig: Chianina beef / wild boar / hare to eat, Pecorino di Pienza cheese, each little fortress town seems to specialize in fresh olive oil or truffles, natural hot springs, those rolling hills and austere cypress trees, the smell of sweet grass and wild blackberries roasting under the Tuscan sun… and one of the few places on earth you can come home at the end of a long and hot day and still enjoy a glass of massive red wine.

Back on topic:

The world really missed out on a remake of The Trip starring Suckling and Hollywood Jef Levy doing impersonations of Spurrier.

[Otto_Forsberg]

I have a Suckling conversion formula:

Take your rating, subtract 10, divide by 2.5 and then multiply by 3 to get the Suckling Equivalent. I have found that equation works better than using the “Suckling Constant.”

So: The Suckling Equivalent = [R (sub you) - 10]/2.5 X 3.

The Suckling Constant is typically about 1.1 R (sub you), so take your rating and multiply it by 1.1 to get the Suckling Constant rating. The Suckling Constant way of looking at his ratings breaks down if you score a wine below 85.

Divide by 2.5 and multiply by 3? Even if I’m not a mathematician, that doesn’t make any sense to me. Why do it such a difficult way and not just increase 20% (i.e. multiply by 1.2)?

(And apparently my 100-point wine is 108 Suckling points. Wowzers!)

[Jonathan_Jaggers]

Whenever a site like Lastbottle or Winespies blasts out an over the top hype-laden description of their latest, amazing gem of a wine deal and they brag about a high (say 94+) score attached to it, I always assume the score is going to be Suckling, and I’m always right.

[Jay_Miller]

First of all, let me say that I’m 120 points on this question.

Some background. He is from Southern California. His accent is surfer-dude/weed-toker mixed with 80’s Sherman Oaks Galleria. At one time had the greatest gig in the world - cigar journalist for Cigar Aficionado (along with Wine Spectator gig). He is personally and directly and indirectly and somewhat partly responsible in part for the most famous stemware in the history of wine - the Lalique 100 point glass. He also likes Granacha. Believes that the best Nebbiolo (after Piemonte) is in Baja. After leaving WS, tried to stay relevant by pumping up his scores to ingratiate himself with the Bordelaise. Also, he lives in Tuscany.

https://youtu.be/BmmKK6nj9KM

His accent / intonation is to strange to me. It doesn’t seem ‘American’.

I don’t see what the big deal is about Tuscany. I once had a manager who rented a villa there for a month and was always bringing it up in conversation.

Probably because nothing is available to rent now in Tuscany.

Tuscany

[Andy_Sc]

In general, I don’t have problems with 100 point scores handed out by a critic or the level of scoring of a critic, even if my scoring is different (you just add or distract a few points). AND: The ratings show me at least what the critic sees at the best few wines of the vintage and region. Basically, the ranking of the critic can be a guide and can be helpful.

With Suckling (and some other critics), however, it is a problem as there are too many perfect wines. Simple example: You want to buy the top 5 rated Bdx every vintage. Easy with most other critics, difficult with Suckling (13x 100pts in 2015, 8x 2016, 6x in 2018, 9x in 2019, 9x in 2020 with 19/20 not all big names tested).

[HoosJustinG]

I thought he lived in HK? Either way, Tuscany and HK are both pretty great (the latter perhaps less so lately), so I’ll agree with above that he has a pretty sweet gig.

[C_Mc_Cart]

I don’t have much use for his opinions based on what I like, so don’t follow him, but I think he gets credit from me for reading the overall wine world and as far as I’m aware being the 1st western “critic” of note to pull up stakes and move his business to HK and expand his influence in the Chinese market. I know many have done visits in the past on big money speaking junkets but I believe he was the 1st to see it was the place he could build something more permanent.
Ian D’Agata is following suit in Shanghai.

[John_Morris]

I don’t have much use for his opinions based on what I like, so don’t follow him, but I think he gets credit from me for reading the overall wine world and as far as I’m aware being the 1st western “critic” of note to pull up stakes and move his business to HK and expand his influence in the Chinese market. I know many have done visits in the past on big money speaking junkets but I believe he was the 1st to see it was the place he could build something more permanent.
Ian D’Agata is following suit in Shanghai.

Let’s give Parker some credit here. He sold the Wine Advocate to Singapore investors in 2012 and didn’t even have to move to Asia!

[Arv_R]

Probably because nothing is available to rent now in Tuscany.

Tuscany

[/quote]

Brilliant! I never saw that episode. It seems like the housing crisis has reached even the distant shores of Tuscany.

[Chris_Seiber]

Why not make THE ENTIRE FIRST PAGE posts like this. WHAT FUN!!

You should start at thread entitled “Help Me Understand a Poster: Shan A.”

[MChang]

Watching the wine challenge videos with suckling is pretty fun, I recommend it.

[J_Rock]

What do you all think about Stuart Pigott’s insight on Riesling? Does he tend to be a bit… overly enthusiastic like Mr. Suckling, or do you think he give a more fair assessment of the wine he reviews?

[Jim_Brennan]

What do you all think about Stuart Pigott’s insight on Riesling? Does he tend to be a bit… overly enthusiastic like Mr. Suckling, or do you think he give a more fair assessment of the wine he reviews?

I think he should write more in German AND ENGLISH.

[joejolesch]

Watching the wine challenge videos with suckling is pretty fun, I recommend it.

The older videos where he’s doing retail blind tastings? I would agree, they are fun. Gary V springs a Bedrock Syrah on him.

[Brandon_R]

I have a Suckling conversion formula:

Take your rating, subtract 10, divide by 2.5 and then multiply by 3 to get the Suckling Equivalent. I have found that equation works better than using the “Suckling Constant.”

So: The Suckling Equivalent = [R (sub you) - 10]/2.5 X 3.

The Suckling Constant is typically about 1.1 R (sub you), so take your rating and multiply it by 1.1 to get the Suckling Constant rating. The Suckling Constant way of looking at his ratings breaks down if you score a wine below 85.

Divide by 2.5 and multiply by 3? Even if I’m not a mathematician, that doesn’t make any sense to me. Why do it such a difficult way and not just increase 20% (i.e. multiply by 1.2)?

(And apparently my 100-point wine is 108 Suckling points. Wowzers!)

You just can’t help yourself, can you, Otto? Can’t you just let the, “divide by 2.5 and then multiply by 3…” be kind of funny and leave it at that? Sure, you can increase by 20%…BUT WHO CARES?!?

[Otto_Forsberg]

You just can’t help yourself, can you, Otto?

You’re absolutely correct! I can’t.

BUT WHO CARES?!?

Well I, for one, obviously.