Wine Spectator's 100-Point Scale

• 95-100 Classic: a great wine
• 90-94 Outstanding: a wine of superior character and style
• 85-89 Very good: a wine with special qualities
• 80-84 Good: a solid, well-made wine
• 75-79 Mediocre: a drinkable wine that may have minor flaws
• 50-74 Not recommended

A score given as a range (e.g., 90-94) indicates a preliminary score, usually based on a barrel tasting. As of March 2008, we have switched to rolling four-point spreads for unfinished wines. For example, one wine may be scored 85-88, another 87-90, another 89-92. We believe this will better reflect the subtle differences between wines, and give our readers better information for their buying decisions.