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You there, Chateau Margaux, you get to come, and you get to pour one wine that's scored 90 or higher in the Wine Spectator. That's one wine, got it? And hey, that goes for you, too, Gaja, Opus One and Dom Perignon. With that strict critieria, 259 wineries and estates got invited to cram into two ballrooms at the Marriott Marquis in New York for the Wine Spectator's New York Wine Experience international tasting, which started last night and continues tonight. On Thursday, the crowds were as thick as a mosh pit, and the heat beating down from the lights cranked up the crush. What a range you get with the 90-plus profiles, from Dr. Loosen, with his brilliant sweet-crisp 2005 Urziger Wurzgarten Riesling Beerenauslese Long Gold Cap, to Clarendon Hills' drop-dead, Old World gorgeous Australian 2004 Astralis. And that's a syrah, thank you, not a shiraz. But wait, in this heady group were three producers with Texas ties. Novy Cellars and Siduri Wines, run by Tex-pats Adam and Dianna Lee out of Ennis, were pouring their 2005 Novy Syrah, Susan's Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands. At Siduri, it was the 2006 Siduri Pinot Noir, Pisoni Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands. Down a floor, Tex-pats Jim and Barbara Richards, were pouring their 2004 Paloma Merlot Spring Mountain District, which earned a 93 from WS. These guys took a wrong turn out of Midland and have been in wine country ever since. "In 1983, we bought property and planted a vineyard," says Barbara, "and one thing led to another." And here they are, rubbing shoulders with some of the greatest wine producers in the world. Wine insiders constantly whine that scoring wines is a terrible thing and consumers give the scores way too much weight. True? Or do they offer a compass to the overwhelmed? Got an opinion? |
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Comments
Posted by Nathan @ 11:09 AM Fri, Oct 26, 2007
In my tenure working as both a wine rep and wine shop sales rep, I was frequently asked about the wine ratings of each wine. It is something that many people overvalue. For many of the uneducated in wine, the rating (Parker, WS, etc) is a good compass for what they will buy and try. There are too many good, boutique style wines that do not get proper commendations for quality.
Get past the numbers and roll the dice. People may hate a 93 point rated wine but love the 80 point wine. Have fun and explore wine. Try not to pigeonhole yourself and stick with those with 90+ ratings. You may be pleasantly surprised by Parker's least favorites!
Posted by Thomas Matthews @ 8:18 AM Mon, Oct 29, 2007
Glad y'all enjoyed Wine Spectator's Wine Experience. I think the Grand Tastings prove that not all 90-point wines taste the same -- the range of styles and flavors was amazing and instructive. Hope one day to have not only a "Texpat" but also a wine from Texas at the event.
Thomas Matthews
Executive editor
Wine Spectator