Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Why do "Pro" wine scores vary so much, sometimes, from amateur drinker scores?

Let's compare some actual drinkers' wine notes, versus a Wine Spectator note on the same wine:

First, Wine Spectator:

I BALZINI

Colli della Toscana Centrale Black Label 2006

Score: 92

Release Price: $60

Country: Italy

Region: Tuscany

Issue: Oct 31, 2009


Offers blackberry character, with cassis bush and cedar. Full-bodied, with currant and berry notes and hints of new oak. Long and silky, with a little too much new wood. Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese and Merlot. Best after 2011. 1,200 cases made. –JS


Now, some notes by actual drinkers like you and me, from CellarTracker:


Tasted by DesMarteau on 12/12/2011 & rated 88 points: - Purple color. It's overly acidic with a medium body. Bright texture with a long finish - Needs a bit of time.
(875 views)
Tasted by Cresus on 12/10/2011 & rated 90 points: Nice medium bodied Tuscan. Well balanced, good acidity. Nose of some berries. Tasty. (817 views)
Tasted by Atwellian on 11/12/2011 & rated 83 points: Better than last bottle. Still a bit thin but his bottle had better balance. Black currant, chocolate, weak mid-palate, decent finish. Still not a great QPR. (1777 views)
Tasted by goodericman on 11/4/2011 & rated 85 points: Just ok. Slight mustiness that blew off after about an hour. It's possible the bottle was slightly corked. Previously had a corked bottle from this supplier. But after some time, mellow cabernet and merlot flavors emerge, but with with a slight metallic taste. Short finish. Relatively simple wine. (1739 views)
Tasted by Anonymous on 10/31/2011 & rated 90 points: there was some good complexity here, very smooth, - great blend - looking forward to the next bottle at some point in the future (1719 views)
Tasted by Iceman611 on 10/22/2011 & rated 89 points: Exceptionally dry, dusty earth dominates the flavor profile. Even with cheese this is an interesting but tough wine. (1671 views)
Tasted by lizaambler on 10/17/2011 & rated 84 points: Needs more time. Extremely dry, with some bitterness. (1693 views)
Tasted by nlassow on 10/17/2011: Really needs air time. we gave it an hour+. Like other notes mention this is for sure the little brother to the white label. Would have expected the Merlot to add a nice layer of complexity to this but falls short of expectations. Not bad, but not going to impress anyone. (1820 views)
Tasted by DAE on 10/16/2011 & rated 88 points: Needs at least 30 minutes of breathing and then really develops. (1714 views)
Tasted by Atwellian on 10/13/2011 & rated 81 points: Pleasant, simple, not particularly interesting. Lacks depth, complexity, and not enough acidity or tannins for balance. Some bitter notes. Smooth finish. (1590 views)
Tasted by mikeaukenbals on 10/6/2011 & rated 89 points: after drinking both, i'm guessing that the black label is clearly inferior to white label. nothing special and still a bit tight now. (1707 views)



Wow--Spectator gives it 92 and I happen to be able to buy this $60 (retail release price) wine for just $20. But after I read the CT notes, I'm not going to buy it. The combined weight of many drinkers' cautionary notes , including some mid-80s scores, is concerning. I am not one to proclaim that only the wine pros can properly understand a wine--that would be ridiculous.

"lacks depth" "nothing special" "tough" " a bit thin" and "overly acidic" are phrases that will scare me away every time. So, sorry, Spectator!

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