WINECOMguide
From the large number of wine reviews, we have focused on three particularly renowned critics and their ratings.
Robert Parker, James Suckling and Falstaff.
80 - 89: above average to very good wines
90 - 95: excellent wines
96 - 100: exceptional and outstanding wines
Robert Parker originally started his career as a lawyer. During his studies, he discovered his passion for wines, particularly those from Bordeaux. Since 1978, this passion has developed into one of the most important wine guides in the world. Parker achieved his breakthrough with his extremely positive review of the 1982 Bordeaux vintage and his judgment quickly became so relevant that he even influenced the style of the wines, which in many places became increasingly concentrated and opulent according to his taste. Since 2012, he has increasingly withdrawn from the business of tasting and left the field to competent wine experts selected by him, each of whom specializes in different countries and regions. Stephan Reinhardt has taken on this responsibility for Germany, while Lisa Perrotti-Brown has now taken over for Bordeaux after Neal Martin.
In our view, the Robert Parker (Wine Advocate) ratings are particularly relevant and help to understand wines.
88 - 89: above average to very good wines
90 - 94: excellent wines
95 - 100: exceptional and outstanding wines
Born on September 29, 1958 in Los Angeles, California, James Cameron Suckling is now one of the world's leading wine critics and, what not everyone knows, also a cigar expert and professional cigar tester. His path to wine initially led him through his interest in good food and cooking. This is when the success story of James Suckling and the Wine Spectator really took off. In 1984, he came to Europe for the first time and visited many wineries. In 1985, he opened the European branch of the magazine in Paris. Today, James Suckling lives in Tuscany and is involved in a large number of wine projects, but no longer works for the Wine Spectator. The rating scale is based on the standard 100-point scale introduced by Robert Parker.
80 - 89: above average to very good wines
90 - 95: excellent wines
96 - 100 : exceptional and outstanding wines
Falstaff has been Austria's best-known and highest-circulation gourmet magazine since 1980 and has enjoyed great success ever since. Since 2010, there has also been a German edition, which is deliberately aimed at connoisseurs and gourmets in Germany. In addition to the ratings published in the "Falstaff Wine Guide" and "Falstaff Red Wine Guide", the publisher also organizes a series of competitions. The best-known contest is the "Falstaff Wine Trophy" and the "Sauvignon Blanc Trophy". Falstaff's wine ratings are based on the international 100-point system, ensuring comparability across all media and among the individual categories. The multi-member tasting team is made up of experts with both journalistic and practical experience and generally applies strict guidelines. The Falstaff Wine Guide contains a total of 4,000 wines that have been awarded a full 100 points. Special attention is also paid to the vintages in each tasting.