Name a wine you consistently rate higher than the critics

The other thread on how Berserkers started their cellars got me to thinking about folks who mentioned wines they love drinking or collecting that aren’t necessarily critic darlings.

I’d be curious to hear from others about those wines. For example, I really enjoy Corison and score it high (for me) but notice my ratings are typically higher than the critics. Other examples?

Corison is a great producer that I’d rate higher than the usual 90-93 points her wines seem to get, but with that said, Galloni usually likes a restrained more classic Napa cab that she produces. A. Rafanelli comes to mind, but I don’t think they submit their wines for review (any more?).

Is that even possible?

Pretty much every German Kabinett I drink!

Most critics seem to to consistently rate Spatlese higher than Kabinett and Auslese higher than Spatlese. Mostly I prefer Kabinett so I differ from the critics

My favorite Napa wineries tend to not get a lot of critical attention - White Rock, Smith-Madrone and Frog’s Leap.

ESJ comes immediately to mind but only for some (one?) critics.

Leaving aside Gillman, mine would be Chateau Magdelaine. Levet would be up there as well. And Olga Raffault.

Definitely Kabinett and Kabinett Trocken even more!

AND Keller Scheurebe!

Gilman writes the only wine newsletter I read. Why would you leave him aside? Should we also leave aside William Kelley and David Schildknecht, both of whose views I tremendously respect. If you leave aside these three, I probably would say all Burgundy. Add leaving aside Mosel Fine Wines and my answer would be all German wines.

Who are the “critics” and do they all rate wine the same way.

I think he meant that Gilman is the only critic who does rate Magdelaine highly. So if the question is wines you rate more highly than the critics, he’s saying he rates it higher than the critics with the exception of Gilman. Not that one should generally ignore Gilman.

Exactly.

Remember, Howard, Spanglish is my first language, so clearly my skillz at communicating are low. [cheers.gif]

Plus, Gillman is just not bantered about much in the retail trade as a critic of note. I guess for those of us that like his palate, that’s a great thing.

My real point is that in our post Parker era there are hundreds of critics, not one all knowing one, with widely divergent tastes and ratings. Who are the “critics” that do not like Magdelaine. Do William Kelley or Tanzer not like Magdelaine? I have a hard time seeing “the critics” as a monolithic whole the way we might have 10-20 years ago when if someone said the critics I would know that they mean Parker and the Wine Spectator. I don’t see the world of wine criticism today as being the same where one or two voices predominate. The wine critics I read tend to like similar wines to what I like, which is why I read them. This really is a question about this whole thread, and not so much about your post. So, again, who are “the critics”?

And, I thought your communication skillz are low because you are an attorney. [pillow-fight.gif] [snort.gif]

Jaffurs
Flowers
Au Bon Climat

I agree with almost everything that Howard wrote here except the part about Robert’s communication skills. The mangling of his brain comes from too many Loire reds.

My daughter is a fourth-year medical student and she was doing some mock interviews for the upcoming residency application season. One of the reviewers said that she sounded like an attorney’s daughter - “You knew your thesis for every answer, supported it with evidence, and concluded with a summary - Doctors don’t talk like that.” [dance-clap.gif] [rofl.gif]

So, multiple causes.

[rofl.gif] [rofl.gif] That kind of summarizes my view of the communication skills of Doctors. [head-bang.gif]

It is if you omit Suckling from the list of reviewers.

I resemble that remark. champagne.gif

I think that your example is a good one as I have as well found the same to be true.