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Hello there! I'm Dr. Vinifera, or "Vinny" for short. Ask me your toughest wine questions, from the technical aspects of winemaking to the fine points of etiquette. I hope you find my answers educational and even amusing. Looking for a particular answer? Check my archive and my FAQs.

Dear Dr. Vinny,

What’s the definition of a 100-point wine to you? Is it a perfect wine regardless of the varietal, or is it the perfect expression of that particular style of wine? This question came up when looking at recent ratings of rosés and noting that I’ve never seen a 100-point rosé. Just curious.

—Chris E., Orlando, Fla.

Dear Chris,

To me a 100-point wine is as good as it gets. I think that for most reviewers, it requires structure, complexity, balance and typicity. And yes, I think the best bottles in the world communicate the vintage and the region or terroir they hail from, as well as have the ability to improve with age. While there are some terrific rosés out there, I don’t know if any of them could meet my criteria for 100 points, but I’m open to the possibility.

—Dr. Vinny

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