20-points system of Jancis Robinson
Even though Jancis Robinson was an accurate student of maths and philosophy in Oxford, she is not too happy to use numbers combinations for wine evaluation. She thinks that wine consumption and evaluation is rather subjective, than objective process. Every one of has preferences and perception that is why it's difficult to express the quality of wine by a figure.
However, Jancis understands that the rates are very practical for those who read and buy (as well as sell) in limited time conditions, especially at the agitated en primeur market. So, though points will never become as expressive as tasting descriptions (she accepts that her tasting descriptions are not too wordy), Jancis Robinson is ready to consider rates as an inevitable evil.
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Short decoding of the rates: |
A really exceptional wine — 20 Outstanding — 19 More that excellent — 18 Excellent — 17 Fine — 16 Average, an agreeable drink without default, but not remarkable — 15 Boring to dead — 14 On the edge of default or not-balanced — 13 Default or not-balanced — 12 |
Sometimes Jancis add '+' or even '++', what means that she thinks, but not absolutely sure, the wine could become better after aging. A minus means a default described in tasting notes.
Rates express the taste of wine during tasting and its potential. For example, one-year Bordeaux Premier Cru will surely get a high rate even though for the moment it doesn't show to much, even not bottled. In case of a fatigued wine, the points given by Jancis and her team would show not only the impressions at the moment of the tasting, but also, how good it was at the moment of its flourishing.