The future ratings – Points ABC(D)

One of my goals is to find and promote more enjoyable, affordable Burgundies. It is therefore extremely important to use an understandable, reliable rating system for more modest wines, a system that has vinous joy and pleasure at its core.

Somehow I don’t think an 80- or 84-point rating will help me find affordable Burgundies with joy and pleasure as their hallmarks.

So in addition to points – which I may or may not use in future, depending on the wine – I will employ my emotional and pleasurable scales, as outlined below:

Vins d’émotion – wines that offer joy, hedonistic thrills, and pleasure

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A true vin d’émotion – a Burgundy of passion

A truly hedonistic wine – lively and enjoyable

A vivacious wine for pure indulgance

Vin de soif

The added category is clearly lighter on the emotional side – a more relaxed and informal feeling, a casual fling – that nevertheless shows my overall positive feeling towards the wine. This rating category is also for everyday Burgundies that are in reach for Burgundy lovers with more modest means – a vin de soif.

The top end, where the points are relevant

The points scale can (or should) create some kind of meaning and consistency within the range from 88 to 100 points.

RATING SCALE 101

My rating scale below works quite well. Some readers want points, so they will continue to get points.

• Perfect (101 pts)
• Legendary (99-100 pts)
• Extraordinary (97-98)
• Outstanding (95-96)
• Very Fine (93-94)
• Fine (91-92)
• Very Good (88-90)

Below 88 however, I will implement the following system, and additional gradations will no longer be used:

Only the ratings Good, Above Average, Average, Below Average and Poor will be used. There will no longer be any points associated with these ratings. Points at this level are not important.

The emotional rating should – and will – rule.

• Good
• Above Average
• Average
• Below Average
• Poor

The ratings moving forward

To illustrate, the rating of a lovely Bourgogne rouge could look like this:

(Drink from 2027) – Good – Tasted 17/11/2020 –

whereas the top Burgundies will still have points scored, despite the fact that I don’t necessarily see points as a key element:

(Drink from 2027) – Very Fine (93-94p) – Tasted 17/11/2020 –

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Please note that all the emotional ratings can be applied to all levels, but it will be as unlikely to see the three hearts used for a plain “vin de soif”.

There is a subtle difference, and that difference is terroir. Terroir-based complexity is an integral part of a true vin d’émotion (hearts), whereas the informal nature of a “vin de soif” has a different impact which, while still pleasurable, is based less on depth or complexity.

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Read the original Vin d’émotion article here ..