I often frown on the general practice of scoring wines, and yet I find myself discussing scores whether they are good or bad. Many well known columnists, and other such individuals of lofty might, score wine for various publications. We can pretty much thank Robert Parker for creating the 100 point system. Mr. Parker is considered to be the most influential person in the wine world today, a good word from him (a score in the 90's) is a sure sign that your wine will be purchased from whatever shelf a retail establishment chooses to put it on. A bad word (these days seemingly anything below a 90) and your winery may as well pour the wine into the sewers. In my opinion the 100 point system is a solid conceptual marketing tool for wineries to use if they receive a good to great score. That being said, knowing a score doesn't help anyone to enjoy the wine any more than not knowing the score.
 
The concept of scoring wines has had an incredible effect on the wine industry. Scores enable wine buyers and intrigued investors to purchase wine & shape the trade, all the while being completely in the dark about wine itself. Scores help new consumers of wine to decide on what to buy based not on knowing what they may like but "How good a wine is out of 100 points." Unlike complex and adjective laden tasting notes, they are easily understood by pretty much everyone. You don't need to have smelled fresh quince skin and recently walked through a gooseberry field to get the same conceptual information of the fact that an 89 point score on a wine for 12.99 is pretty decent.
 
Even though I turn a deaf ear to scores and talk about regional typicity and the other such wine geek terms, I constantly use scores of another kind. If we allow ourselves to oversimplify it, the concept of the Classified Growth System in Bordeaux is really just a way of scoring the various Chateau. The same argument could be made that Premier Cru and Grand Cru Burgundy are ancient forms of scoring practices. The monks of old drew up the lines and boundaries and said that "this area makes great wine and this for good wine," and so on. I have seemingly based my opinions of wine purity on what Friar Tuck thought of the 1435 Chardonnay from Montrachet (by the way he gave it a xciii). But no matter we all look to someone for a little guidance, after all you are reading this aren't you.


For some great scoring and deeply discounted wines look to these Chairman's Selections:

Beringer Sebragia Chardonnay -29.99 -93pts
Miner Family Viognier Simpson Vineyard - 16.99 - 90pts
Bramare Chardonnay Marchiori - 29.99 - 90pts
Oriel l'Exception St. Emillion - 59.99 - 91pts
Bramare Cabernet Sauvignon Marchiori - 39.99 - 92pts
Tenuta di Arceno Arcanum II Toscana - 49.99 - 93pts

So, I think I better start looking at my own glass house before throwing rocks or wine scores around. CHEERS!