Jake Bennett-Day of Vino Gusto, in Bury St Edmunds, questions the scoring system for wines

Years ago, legendary wine writer Hugh Johnson was asked why he didn’t score wines like other critics. His response: “How could I score my friends?”

It’s a sentiment I agree with. Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe in the objectivity of wine quality, but to associate a somewhat arbitrary number to a living and evolving agricultural product in an effort to rubber stamp its quality seems, gauche. Could you objectively say that Bach is better than Beethoven? Or that Blur are better than Oasis? You could try, but you'd be shot down by members of the opposition if you brought the matter to parliament. Probably.

American wine writer Robert Parker Jr was the first to coin the 100-point system in his newsletter, The Wine Advocate, in 1978.

Based on the US school grading system, it starts at 50. In reality, the first 10 points just represent failure, anything under 80 points is considered sub par and 90+ points is ‘must buy’. Outside of Jancis Robinson's rebellious 20-point scale, the 100-point system is generally considered the industry standard when it comes to scoring wine.

My biggest frustration with scores is the inherent subjectivity of wine. We can assume with confidence that writers and critics all possess the necessary qualifications to identify quality. With enough plonk-spitting and cork-sniffing, it is a learned skill. But who is to say a 95 point wine to you is the same to me? Especially if we view wine scores as absolute, as opposed to relative. It's very difficult to score the wines of Burgundy and the wines of China on the same scale. But we do. And I would bet that most winos would stick their £150 on a bottle of 94pt 2016 Chambolle-Musigny, as opposed to a 94pt 2017 Ao-Yun 'Shangri-La'. Probably.

There is an argument that your palate may keenly align with a particular critic and, as such, give confidence in their scoring. For example, Robert Parker’s preferences have always publicly veered towards rich, powerful and alcoholic wines.

But can you always trust a critic's assessment of a wine? Broadly, yes. Within a few points of one another (depending on enthusiasm of the critic and possibly ulterior, commercially incentivised motives…), points tend to move up and down for scored wines in a similar pattern among multiple reviewers.

But that’s not always the case. A great example is the infamous spat between two titan of industry critics, Jancis Robinson MW and Robert Parker. The pair vehemently disagreed during en primeur week 2004 about the quality of Chateau Pavie 2003.

Jancis remarked at the wine’s ‘ridiculousness’, commenting on its overripe and sweet fruit with unappetising green flavours. Scoring 12/20, it is essentially a flawed or unbalanced wine.

By contrast, Parker, the most influential voice in Bordeaux and advocate for hedonistic, indulgent wines wrote: “Another off the chart effort… a wine of sublime richness, minerality, delineation, and nobleness…”.

So, mixed reviews.

And outside of professional scores, mere mortals are encouraged to have a go at scoring wines with the invention of apps like Vivino. These, as you likely know, show an aggregated average score based on user reviews. Here the Aristotelian wisdom of crowds, arguably a flawed concept, is in play. And as a result, the five-point scale is used to score 19 Crimes Red Blend and Champagne Gosset Brut Reserve an equal 4.0 stars.

Of course, without displaying the data, these scores mean different things about each of the wines. We’re scoring in one dimension, while thinking about them in two:

Champagne Gosset is fabulous. It tastes absolutely delicious and is perfect for a celebration. But at £45, it’s not delicious, everyday. 4 stars.

19 Crimes Red Blend is acceptable. It tastes a bit like red wine. But for £8.49, you think it’s surprisingly good. 4 stars.

This example highlights another frustration I have with scores. Without an accompanying tasting note, they provide absolutely no context.

Last week, I enjoyed a bottle of very delicious Riesling with my wife. Not a special bottle, but a wonderful, everyday wine. In isolation, I would guess it’s a respectable 87 point wine. In the context of a birthday celebration, a night away, from plastic wine glasses, in a hot-tub, with baby asleep, it was an ultra-delicious 97 point wine. The moment matters.

Scores are a controversial issue among wine enthusiasts and the industry. To my mind, if you’re serious about enjoying wine, it’s difficult to rely on scores to tell the whole story. Read, travel, taste. Don't buy a wine because somebody assigned it 88 points under fluorescent lights in a controlled environment at 9am on a Tuesday morning in Westminster.

Jake Bennett-Day is co-owner and director of Vino Gusto wine shop, 27 Hatter Street, Bury Saint Edmunds IP33 1NE

Tel: 01284 771831

See vinogusto.co.uk