Ok, so… I know I’m supposed to be talking about the upcoming Chinese New Year/ Lunar New Year and tell you which wines will be great to celebrate this festive occasion with (the answer is any and all of course – it all depends on what you plan to have it with, but I’ll leave that for another article), instead, I thought I’d prioritise this article about wine ratings because, well, as you might have noticed from our Instagram reel, we recently restocked our wines (both at home and in our warehouse), and as we were looking through the update on the ratings for all our wines, an exercise we’d need to do regularly because these information typically aren’t available at the point of releasing the wines into the market… we realised that we have so many wines that are well rated, both by wine critics, and by the community.
So, I thought it was something that would interest a wine buyer like yourself… if you understand wine ratings. But how many of us do? I can imagine that many of you enjoy wines, but haven’t really paid much attention to the varied aspects of the wine world (I wouldn’t fault you!) and may be completely clueless about wine ratings and how having some basic understand can massively change the way you shop for wine (and get better quality wines!).
Therefore, this article is meant to demystify them for you. Learn who the leading wine critics are, understand the various rating systems, and discover how ratings can guide you to the wine that best suits your palate. Dive in to better comprehend the world of wine ratings.
What are Wine Ratings?
Wine Ratings are the scores assigned to different wines by wine critics and professionals in the wine industry. It is a way for wine critics to define the quality of the wine based on how well the wine integrates the different components such as acidity, tannin, alcohol, fruit, and other traits.
Different Rating Systems
There are primarily 4 dominant rating systems in the wine industry: The 100-point scale, the 20-point scale, the letter scale, and the 5-star scale.
The 100-point scale is the most common rating system where wines are rated between 50 and 100, with 100 being the highest score. The 20-point scale is based on a scale from 0 to 20, and the score is given in increments of 0.5. The letter scale is rated from A to F, with A being the highest rating. While the 5-star scale simply indicates the overall quality of the wine, with 5 stars being the best condition.
Notable Wine Critics and Their Influence Robert Parker, Jancis Robinson, and Michael Broadbent are some of the most famous names when it comes to wine criticism.
Robert Parker, who has been a wine critic since the 1970s, is known for coining the 100-point rating system and has been referred to as the “Godfather of Wine”. Jancis Robinson, on the other hand, has revolutionized wine criticism by being the first person to use the 20-point scale.
Tim Atkin is another notable figure in the world of wine criticism, known for his distinct and insightful approach to wine rating. Unlike Robert Parker and Jancis Robinson, Atkin does not strictly adhere to a single rating system. Instead, he employs a flexible and comprehensive approach, combining elements of both the 100-point scale and the 20-point scale. This hybrid approach allows him to provide a nuanced evaluation of each South African wine, taking into consideration a wide range of factors beyond just taste, such as the wine's production methods, environmental impact, and value for money. His ratings, therefore, offer a more holistic view of each wine, providing wine lovers with a rich and detailed understanding that goes beyond the conventional metrics of quality.
The Platter's rating system is a unique wine rating method employed in South Africa, created by John Platter. Each year, a panel of expert tasters blind taste and rate thousands of wines for the annual Platter's Wine Guide. Unlike other rating systems that might focus more on sensory aspects, the Platter's rating system places a significant emphasis on a wine's ageing potential. This means that a wine might be awarded a high rating not just because it tastes good now, but because it’s expected to improve and evolve favourably over time.
How Wine Ratings Can Help
Wine ratings can help when selecting wine as it can give a clear picture of the overall quality of a wine. Wine critics, who taste and review different wines on a regular basis, have a high level of experience and knowledge of different types of wines. They can therefore provide guidance on what certain wines should taste like and point you in the right direction when deciding on your next purchase.
Ratings from the Community
Community ratings such as those from Vivino offer a unique perspective on wine quality, differing from professional critic scores. Comprising ratings and reviews submitted by a diverse group of wine enthusiasts worldwide, these ratings represent a collective consensus of thousands, if not millions, of users.
The beauty of community ratings lies in their inclusivity and real-world relevance. While expert critics might evaluate wines based on technical aspects and aging potential, community ratings often reflect how much everyday wine consumers enjoy a particular wine.
These ratings can be helpful in identifying crowd-pleasing wines and discovering hidden gems that may not receive high scores from critics but are widely appreciated by the community. Furthermore, they can provide insights into a wine's value for money, drinkability, and pairing versatility, all of which can be valuable information for the average wine drinker.
Wine ratings are an essential tool for any wine enthusiast or anyone who has an interest in wine. It can help them navigate the complex world of wine and make informed decisions on what to buy. Understanding how wine ratings work and who the top wine critics are can be a useful resource when selecting wine. The next time you’re browsing the wine selection at your local store, take into account the wine ratings and their critics' reviews to make an informed decision on what wine to choose!
Try these wines
So, as I mentioned, we were doing an update on all our wines, and we were delighted to find that we have a good range of wines with very good ratings! Here are our top 10 (we have wines beyond this list with good ratings, but we don’t want to overwhelm you, so we’re keeping it to just 10!). Here we go:
1. RED WINE: Kaapzicht – The Steytler Range – Pinotage, 2020
- Platter's: 95 Points
- Robert Parker: 93 Points
- Vivino: 4.2
Bring me to this wine!
2. WHITE WINE: Kaapzicht - The Steytler Range - The 1947, Chenin Blanc 2022
- Tim Atkins: 95 Points
- Platters: 93 Points
- Vivino: 4.4
Bring me to this wine!
- Platter's: 94 Points
- Vivino: 4.3
Bring me to this wine!
- Platter's: 93 Points
- Vivino: 4.4
Bring me to this wine!
5. RED WINE: Rainbow's End - Family Reserve, 2020
- Platter's: 95 Points
- Robert Parker: 92 Points
- Vivino rating: 4.2
Bring me to this wine!
6. RED WINE: Rainbow's End - Cabernet Franc Limited Release, 2020
- Platter's: 94 Points
- Robert Parker: 93 points
- Vivino: 4.2
Bring me to this wine!
7. RED WINE: Domaine Des Dieux - Josephine Pinot Noir 2015
- Platter's: 92 Points
- Vivino: 4.2
Bring me to this wine!
8. CAP CLASSIQUE: Domaine Des Dieux - Claudia Brut Cap Classique, 2016
- South African Wine Index (SAWI), 99.5 Points
- Top 10 Multi-Year Accolade
- Bronze medal 2022 Champagne
- Sparkling Wine World Championship 47 panel score
- Platter's: 90 Points
- Vivino: 4.1
Bring me to this wine!
9. RED WINE: Mitre's Edge - Malbec 2019
- Platter's: 90 Points
- Vivino: 4.2
Bring me to this wine!
10. WHITE WINE: Migliarina - Chardonnay Single Vineyard 2015
Vivino: 4.5
Bring me to this wine!