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Regular readers and wine connoisseurs (really the same thing innit?) might recall our recent post about the seventeen Anthonij Rupert wines that scored 90+ points in the prestigious Tim Atkin’s 2023 Special Report.

The inclusion of no less than seventeen wines is a wonderful achievement on its own, but the incredible score these wines achieved might have slipped by folks unfamiliar with the world of fine wines. I have to reluctantly admit that I am among them, which led me to ponder: What exactly does the 100-point wine scoring system mean?

As a recovering beer-guzzler, the unfamiliar process of choosing a perfect wine mostly involves pretending to sniff the bouquet and taking a gentlemanly sip whilst fighting the urge to gulp it down. Still faking gentleman-ness, I will nod solemnly and absent-mindedly wave to let the maître d’ know that my oh-so-fine palate approves of the vino.

I may be peu familier avec le vin, but if you don’t know what vin means, you may be as well. However, thanks to the work of writer Robert Parker, a wine reviewer in the 1970s, both of us can still learn, or apprendre (we’re in it now, so allons-y!).

Parker pioneered the 100-point scoring system to classify wine, and the scale has become standard in the wine world. It is meant to ‘identify the qualities inherent to a particular wine’s flavour profile’ and score a bottle against the ‘idealised iteration of that vintage’.

While no bottle of wine that gets to the point where it is seriously reviewed ever falls under 50, most wines end up in the upper 80s (80-89 being “above average to very good”). Some of the best wines usually average a score somewhere between 87 and 89, but the truly exceptional ones reach a score of 90-95, which in the world of wine translates to “outstanding.”

Against this backdrop, is it any wonder that even a novice wine drinker like moi has to give a tip of the hat to Anthonij Rupert Wines for receiving a 90+ rating for seventeen wines? Magnifique!

It should be noted that the 100-point scoring system that wine is subjected to today, while it was invented by Parker, is different from what he had imagined. Under Parker’s original plan, Anthonij Rupert wines rate as “exceptional”.

Whether you are a rookie wine drinker like myself or someone who knows what a truly exceptional wine tastes like, take a trip through to the Anthonij Rupert Tasting Room this winter. The magnificently located venue is open Mondays to Saturdays, from 10h00 to 16h30.

Fortunately, their wine list is in English, so anyone can feel right at home. Bien!

 

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