I recently saw a wine rated 97 points that had “spirituous heat from relatively high alcohol”. That got me thinking about wine rating and scoring.
Whether you agree with rating wines by a number or not, the big critics and publications do it and it isn’t going away. I personally don’t rate wines with a score, one reason is I haven’t figured out what a 100 point wine taste like. Not being a “somebody” in the wine business I think it is more useful to let my readers know if like a wine and once they get to know what I like they will be able to compare their palate to mine.
I do read several publications, however, and to an extent use their scores to get an idea if I would like the wine. For my own taste I tend to like Parker 89 points wines vs. 95 point wines. I like my wines a little less fruit forward. Points can be useful in calibrating your palate with a particular critic.
In the October 2012 issue of Wine Enthusiast there is a “Cellar Selection” of the Gandona 2009 Napa Cabernet Sauvignon rated 97 points. In the notes on the wine is the phrase “with a spirituous heat from relatively high alcohol”. This wine has a 15.1% abv and cost about $190.00. In my opinion any dry wine over 15% alcohol should automatically be docked 3 – 5 points. If the alcohol is noticeable (spirituous heat) it should lose another 3 – 5 points. That would put the Gandona at 87 – 91 points. I also question if a wine with that much alcohol is really something you want to cellar, you may end up with just alcohol in a few years.
I have had 13% wines that showed heat from alcohol and 15% wines that did not. Some winemakers can mask the alcohol better than others. Apparently the winemaker was not able to mask the alcohol in the Gandona Cabernet Sauvignon and I consider this a flaw, not something to score highly.
What do you think? Should wines be rated lower for high alcohol levels or if the alcohol stands out?
Yes, I’ve tasted some California zins where the alcohol was tongue-curling, though some drinkers gravitate to the fruit bombs. But it’s as you say, if a reviewer shows a declared advocacy or praise for wines of that character, their ratings reflect that disposition, and you know what to look for (or avoid). Some of those giant wines are exhausting to me, but they can rate high with others, so it’s good to interpret that slant in the review, so you know what to expect.
My two cents…
To me, a high EtOH means a high brix, which could mean over ripe fruit, and thus a port like taste. (I prefer port from zins, not cabs.)
What I’d like to know is how big a body, and what was the pH?
Maybe a cellarable wine, but what does it taste like now? Heat alone sounds amateurish, but Parker isn’t an amateur.
EtOH alone, give me a port!