| The
scale for the region vintages and tasting rate are based on 6 point
systems (A to F) The tasting rate obtained from tasting the wine in barrel at the estate; from bottle at the estate; and/or from bottle at a private cellar. It indicates quality and the rate itself refers to a specific quality on this scale. It gives an absolute indication, and not a relative one, so that it can be used to compare different growths, different vintages, and different appellations. The score is intended to help you decide which wine suits your personal taste best, especially when you hesitate between two wines with the same rate. We rate the wines based on our personal opinion and first-palate tasting of our staff and professional, independent advice of tasters like Mr. Jean-Marc Quarin. Even the rates are based on different samplings of each wine and vintage and not in one sampling like many critics. Each label and vintage has substantial difference, even in a case; you may find differences between bottles. |
|||||||||||
| F | Wines with oenological deficiencies and/or distinctly unpleasant wines. | ||||||||||
| E | Scores given to insignificant wines which mainly leave you with a feeling of dissatisfaction | ||||||||||
| D (Good Wines) | When
a wine reaches a D rate, it has risen above the anonymous, mass
produced wines. For lesser growths, wines with such scores are very
desirable. For a great growth, it means that the wine is not at its
best, which can be due to natural causes (weak or medium vintages)
and/or to human factors (a certain lack of care in the work, whether
in the vineyards or in the winery). |
||||||||||
| C ( Very Good Wines) | Wines in this range have a well defined character due to their nice body, pleasant taste, elegance and good balance. They suit consumers with high standards and can be kept up to 5 or 10 years after their year of birth. | ||||||||||
| B (Excellent Wines) | B rates are attributed to wines which are powerful and refined at the same time, offering complexity and a deep taste. They are certainly worth keeping at least 10 years in the bottle so as to enjoy the most voluptuous sensations they can develop. Yet, remembering that only good young wines will result in good old wines, I think you should not feel bad about trying them at an earlier age. On the contrary, if you do so, you will have the joy to discover the variety of charms these wines offer at different ages. | ||||||||||
| A ( Exceptional Wines) | Exceptional wines are powerful, complex, rich, subtle, and refined at the same time, with a very specific and original expressiveness (which constitutes their pedigree) and they are endowed with an immensely long ageing potential (20 to 50 years and more). These rare wines will impress several generations of wine lovers and they establish the reference points in the world heritage of wine tastes. | ||||||||||
| Bordeaux Region: Saint-Emilion and Pomerol | |||||||||||
| Region | Region | Château Cheval Blanc | Château Haut Gravet | Pétrus | Château Le Castelet | ||||||
| Year | Rating | Drinkability | Rating | Maturity | Rating | Maturity | Rating | Maturity | Rating | Maturity | |
| 2005 | B | Keep | A | A | |||||||
| 2004 | B | Keep | B | B | |||||||
| 2003 | B | Keep | B | 2009 - 2020 | B | 2012 - 2030 | |||||
| 2002 | B | Keep | B | B | 2015 - 2030 | ||||||
| 2001 | B | Keep | B | B | |||||||
| 2000 | A | Keep | B | A | 2006 - 2020 | A | 2008 - 2030 | ||||
| 1999 | B | Keep | B | C | |||||||
| 1998 | A | Keep | B | 2006 - 2020 | B | ||||||
| 1997 | C | Drink Soon | C | C | |||||||
| 1996 | B | Keep | B | B | |||||||
| 1995 | A | Keep | B | B | |||||||
| 1994 | C | Keep | B | B | |||||||
| 1993 | C | Keep | C | C | |||||||
| 1992 | D | Drink Soon | C | C | |||||||
| 1991 | E | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1990 | A | Keep | A | A | -> 2035 | ||||||
| 1989 | A | Keep | B | A | -> 2035 | ||||||
| 1988 | B | Drink Soon | B | A | |||||||
| 1987 | E | Drink Now | D | ||||||||
| 1986 | C | Drink Soon | B | B | |||||||
| 1985 | A | Drink Soon | A | ||||||||
| 1984 | D | Drink Now | E | ||||||||
| 1983 | C | Drink Soon | C | C | |||||||
| 1982 | A | Drink Soon | A | A | -> 2020 | ||||||
| 1981 | C | Drink Soon | C | ||||||||
| 1980 | D | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1979 | C | Drink Soon | C | ||||||||
| 1978 | B | Drink Soon | C | ||||||||
| 1977 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1976 | B | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1975 | C | Drink Now | B | ||||||||
| 1974 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1973 | D | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1972 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1971 | B | Drink Now | B | ||||||||
| 1970 | A | Drink Soon | C | ||||||||
| 1969 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1968 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1967 | C | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1966 | B | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1965 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1964 | B | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1963 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1962 | B | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1961 | A | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| Bordeaux. Region: Medoc and Graves | |||||||||||
| Region |
|
Château Mouton Rothschild | Grand Vin de Château Latour | Château-Margaux, | Château Lafite-Rothschild | ||||||
| Year | Rating | Drinkability | Rating | Maturity | Rating | Maturity | Rating | Maturity | Rating | Maturity | |
| 2006 | B | Keep | B | B | B | B | |||||
| 2005 | A | Keep | A | 2015 - 2045 | A | 2015 -2045 | A | 2015 -2060 | A | 2015-2050 | |
| 2004 | B | Keep | B | A | 2013-2030 | A | -> 2027 | B | |||
| 2003 | C | Keep | B | A | 2014 -2035 | ||||||
| 2002 | B | Keep | B | A | 2010-2030 | B | |||||
| 2001 | B | Keep | B | B | B | ||||||
| 2000 | A | Keep | B | 2013 - 2015 | A | -> 2045 | B | ||||
| 1999 | B | Keep | B | B | C | ||||||
| 1998 | C | Keep | B | B | B | C | |||||
| 1997 | C | Keep | B | C | C | C | |||||
| 1996 | A | Keep | B | B | B | B | |||||
| 1995 | B | Keep | B | B | A | -> 2008 | B | ||||
| 1994 | C | Keep | B | C | C | C | |||||
| 1993 | C | Keep | C | C | C | C | |||||
| 1992 | D | Drink Soon | C | C | C | C | |||||
| 1991 | D | Drink Soon | C | C | B | ||||||
| 1990 | A | Keep | C | A | -> 2030 | A | -> 2027 | B | |||
| 1989 | B | Keep | B | B | B | ||||||
| 1988 | B | Drink Soon | C | B | B | B | |||||
| 1987 | D | Drink Now | C | C | C | ||||||
| 1986 | A | Keep | B | B | B | B | |||||
| 1985 | A | Drink Soon | C | C | B | ||||||
| 1984 | D | Drink Now | C | C | |||||||
| 1983 | B | Drink Soon | B | C | B | D | |||||
| 1982 | A | Drink Soon | B | A | -> 2030 | B | C | ||||
| 1981 | C | Drink Soon | C | ||||||||
| 1980 | D | Drink Now | C | C | |||||||
| 1979 | B | Drink Soon | C | ||||||||
| 1978 | B | Drink Soon | C | B | B | B | |||||
| 1977 | E | Drink Now | C | ||||||||
| 1976 | C | Drink Soon | C | ||||||||
| 1975 | B | Drink Soon | C | C | |||||||
| 1974 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1973 | D | Drink Now | B | ||||||||
| 1972 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1971 | C | Drink Now | D | C | |||||||
| 1970 | A | Drink Soon | C | B | |||||||
| 1969 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1968 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1967 | D | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1966 | B | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1965 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1964 | C | Drink Now | C | A | |||||||
| 1963 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1962 | B | Drink Soon | C | ||||||||
| 1961 | A | Drink Soon | B | ||||||||
| Region: Red Rhone | |||||||||||
| (Cave De Tain - Hermitage) | |||||||||||
| Year | Rating | Maturation | |||||||||
| 2006 | A | Keep | |||||||||
| 2005 | B | Keep | |||||||||
| 2004 | B | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 2003 | B | Keep | |||||||||
| 2002 | C | Keep | |||||||||
| 2001 | B | Keep | |||||||||
| 2000 | B | Keep | |||||||||
| 1999 | A | Keep | |||||||||
| 1998 | B | Keep | |||||||||
| 1997 | B | Keep | |||||||||
| 1996 | A | Keep | |||||||||
| 1995 | A | Keep | |||||||||
| 1994 | C | Keep | |||||||||
| 1993 | D | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1992 | D | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1991 | C | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1990 | A | Keep | |||||||||
| 1989 | A | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1988 | B | Keep | |||||||||
| 1987 | D | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1986 | C | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1985 | B | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1984 | D | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1983 | B | Drink soon | |||||||||
| 1982 | C | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1981 | C | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1980 | C | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1979 | B | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1978 | A | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1977 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1976 | B | Drink Soon | |||||||||
| 1975 | D | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1974 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1973 | D | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1972 | C | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1971 | C | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1970 | B | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1969 | B | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1968 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1967 | C | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1966 | A | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1965 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1964 | B | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1963 | E | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1962 | B | Drink Now | |||||||||
| 1961 | A | Drink Now | |||||||||
| Region: Italy Tuscany | |||||||||||
| ( Pesanella ) | |||||||||||
| Year | Rating | Maturation | |||||||||
| 2006 | A | Keep | |||||||||
| 2005 | C | Keep | |||||||||
| 2004 | B | Keep | |||||||||
| 2003 | B | Keep | |||||||||