I had the pleasure on Friday of presenting the first 100 point wine I have tried all year, the 2005 Auteur Pinot Noir, Shea Vineyard. Since we sell wines I review, I take all scores seriously. Historically, only about 4% of the wines I taste for Vinfolio receive a rating over 95. For a wine to receive a perfect score it needs to.
- Be true to type and / or display extraordinary depth
- Consistently outpace other wines in its category
- Exhibit consistent excellence in repeated tasting
An excellent vineyard or a highly regarded "cult" winery name or winemaker are not neccessary to receive the highest score. To the contrary, Vinfolio provides a service to our clients much like an investment advisor, letting you know about wines that are on the way up. The grappling for the "anointed" wines or producers is no place to establish a base of business or expertise. Because of our location in the Napa Valley, I see hundreds of wines before they are put into general distribution. I have the ability to identify a new producer months or years before they wind up in a newsstand magazine. When I see our clients re-ordering these top rated selections I take a great deal of satisfaction out of their embracing our recommendations.
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