Name a wine you consistently rate higher than the critics

[Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n]

Hmm, when a doctor says you sound like a lawyer, I don’t think it’s a compliment.

[Dav3_Dyr0ff]

Hmm, when a doctor says you sound like a lawyer, I don’t think it’s a compliment.

Normally, I’d agree - though I’d say consider the source.

In this case, the reviewer explicitly stated it was meant as a compliment, and backed it up with reasons, so the reviewer is probably a lawyer’s kid too!

[John_Kight]

Almost any great Chianti Classico, Chianti Classico Riserva, or Cru Beaujolais. Also good trocken German Riesling (Kabinett or Spatlese), or great Austrian Riesling.

It’s like there’s an unwritten rule that these wines don’t merit more than 92 points (maybe 93-94 for the extreme outliers). As a result, my scores are often higher. Admittedly, my ratings are not somehow trying to assess the importance or gravitas of a wine, or how long it will age, etc. I’m rating my experience with the wine as it exists at the time…Too many notes make the wine sound terrible, then give the wine a high score because they believe it will drink great some day in the future.

[Robert.A.Jr]

Hmm, when a doctor says you sound like a lawyer, I don’t think it’s a compliment.

That normally means the doctor has had his/her butt kicked by a top-flight lawyer.

[Barry_L_i_p_t_o_n]

Hmm, when a doctor says you sound like a lawyer, I don’t think it’s a compliment.

Normally, I’d agree - though I’d say consider the source.

In this case, the reviewer explicitly stated it was meant as a compliment, and backed it up with reasons, so the reviewer is probably a lawyer’s kid too!

I did not see the word “compliment “ in your quote, so I didn’t know.

[Richard_T_r_i_m_p_i]

Muscadet and Chianti (especially non-classico subregions).

RT

[Steve_Costigan]

Ojai. Pinot noir consistently. Syrah often.

[JBrochu]

I feel like many of good reds from the lesser Burgundy appellations are given lower scores than comparable Oregon/California pinot noirs.

[MattBerto]

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?

She doesn’t charge enough to justify really high scores

[A_Songeur]

German Kabinett are indeed excellent QPRs… but they get pretty good critic assessment and note, So, I love them but don’t think I rate them higher than critics
I would mention quite a few red Burg village wines. Indeed, critics tend to respect the hierarchy Grand Cru/1er Cru/Village and I have had many a village I consistently rate higher than 1er or grand cru from other producers.
Mugnier, Fourrier,… many other usual suspects villages most of the time get notes in the low 90s…

[George_Chadwick]

Is that even possible?

Yes, not all critics get high before they rate wines.

[Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r]

And, I thought your communication skillz are low because you are an attorney.

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.”

[Brian_S_t_o_t_t_e_r]

German wines in general.

Though I don’t care as much for points as I do the tasting note, what bothers me more is the ceiling that some categories of German wine reach in number of points given and the narrow window in which they are generally awarded points. For example, I’d say most good German kabinett is given 90-93 points by MFW, with an occasional 94 or 95 points for truly superb kabinett, whereas auslese typically start with 93 points and work their way up.

[mattbillet]

Jordan, Tercero, and Ojai in the US, and Spanish wines generally!

[Rob_M1]

In Barolo which is most of what I rate and drink, compared to Galloni, I don’t know if I can think of a single wine I really like and believe he underrates on the 100 point scale. If anything, crazy as this sounds, he may on a relative basis to his other scores underrate Giuseppe Rinaldi compared to me. Other than I think the Riserva Brunate in 2010 (un-released wine) I don’t recall him giving any Rinaldi 100 points for example, but I think the best vintages of Rinaldi are as good or better than wines he has rated 100 points - ie Vietti Ravera 3 times, Burlotto Monvigliero. The 99 Rinaldi Brunate (94) outshined the 99 Monfortino (100) for me this year for example.

One other one in Napa might be Di Costanzo. He’s given them very good scores, but at least relative to the scores he’s given to other wines, I peg them a notch above.

[Curtis_Chen]

German wines in general.

Though I don’t care as much for points as I do the tasting note, what bothers me more is the ceiling that some categories of German wine reach in number of points given and the narrow window in which they are generally awarded points. For example, I’d say most good German kabinett is given 90-93 points by MFW, with an occasional 94 or 95 points for truly superb kabinett, whereas auslese typically start with 93 points and work their way up.

Totally agree.

[Sc0tt_F_tzgerald]

Is that even possible?

Yes, not all critics get high before they rate wines.

Well done gentlemen!

[Sc0tt_F_tzgerald]

Is that even possible?

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

Bonus points if anyone can name a wine they’d score above Suckles.

[RyanC]

I would mention quite a few red Burg village wines. Indeed, critics tend to respect the hierarchy Grand Cru/1er Cru/Village and I have had many a village I consistently rate higher than 1er or grand cru from other producers.
Mugnier, Fourrier,… many other usual suspects villages most of the time get notes in the low 90s…

This is my precise response. Most Burg reviewers–particularly Meadows but also Coates and others–are rigidly hierarchical. That means that villages top out at about 90-92 in most instances. But top villages wines are often far better than that: they age beautifully and can provide as much pleasure as the best wines out there. So many times I’ve had a good villages (Fourrier VV, M-G Vosne, and the like) that completely blew away all the 95±point wines opened alongside them. Good Burg villages are not only better deals that a lot of stratospherically ranked wines–they’re just better wines.

[Rob_M1]

Is that even possible?

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

Bonus points if anyone can name a wine they’d score above Suckles.

Actually easy. You just have to pick a traditional-style Barolo from a cool year. Especially if you go back to the 90s, it would be super easy…but even 2008 Bartolo Mascarello, from some Googling, JS95. I’ll rate it a 96+…