A while back, my friend and fellow scribe Stan Hieronymus posted on his Appellation Beer about the “Tyranny of the Tasting Note,” cribbing, and attributing, liberally as he did. And, indeed, there is much to learn about the way in which wine writers have mystified wine to the point that, for many, it’s an intimidating topic.
But that’s nothing compared to the tyranny, and inanity, of the 100 point score.
I was reminded of this fact over the weekend by Gord Stimmell, wine reviewer for The Toronto Star. In pontificating on the latest release from the Vintages department of the LCBO, he states:
Two wine thematics are at work in the latest Vintages release today. One is southern France. Well, only one of these was truly worthy. Cazes’ L’Excellence de Triniac 2005 (#103689, $16.95, 90) brims with finessed smoke, violets and cassis.
But 17 other reds from that region rated only 83 to 88.
Note the scores. One wine, deemed “truly worthy,” scored all of 90 points out of 100, a decent mark, I will admit. But hold on, 17 others were unworthy, and they scored up to 88 points! Which presumably means that Mr. Stimmell’s range of distinction between praiseworthy and not is a whole 2%.
Talk about intimidating! I’m pretty sure that I can’t delineate a 2% difference between wines, or beers, and I’m pretty sure that most people would feel the same. But then again, it’s not really 2%, is it? Because presumably Mr. Stimmell, like other wine writers reviewing on the 100 point scale, really only uses the top 20 points of his range, which makes that 2% more like 10%, still a pretty small percentage to separate worthy from unworthy, but at least a bit more understandable.
My point in all of this is that wine writers have only further obfuscated wine by applying this grandiose scale which illustrates differences the average drinker can never even hope to deduce. Some may protest that they are virtually forced to do so by the illustrious example of Robert Parker, who I believe first popularized the 100 point scale, but regardless, they are all complicit is this mass mystification.
Beer writers, on the other hand, tend to use a four or five star system, and those I do know who rate on a 100 point scale, like Ron Pattinson, actually make use of all 100 points.
Let’s keep it that way, folks. And continue learning from wine’s mistakes.
