BLIND Tasting Face-off with James SUCKLING - Do I agree with his ratings?

Comments · 335

• CR

  @CrescentRollCarl · 3 years ago

  For me Suckling's ratings have become sort of a joke, and generally should be discounted pretty heavily.  I think he's done a disservice to the wine rating industry with his inflated scores, which don't give consumers an accurate assessment of value.  That said, he's nowhere near as ridiculous as Luca Maroni.

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• NI

  @niles0815 · 3 years ago

  What a climatic end it would have been, if Leon had bought a 1500$ bottle of Pinot😢

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• KI

  @kingcarrie · 3 years ago

  really like your blind taste series. can you try JR rating blind taste? I personally think JR's recent years ratings are quite objective

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• SC

  @sc100ott · 3 years ago

  Back when he was with Wine Spectator, I really appreciated his ratings, and I thought my palate aligned with JS much more closely than with others, such as Robert Parker. &nbsp;<br>Once he went out on his own, however, JS clearly struggled to maintain relevance, especially early on, and so he played to the market: &nbsp;<br>He very clearly understood how retail shops sell their wine. A higher score generates more sales. Therefore, retail shops will put the shelf talker with the greatest accolades next to their bottles. &nbsp;When that shelf talker has a James Suckling score, that’s basically a free advertisement for his name and website.<br>Wine producers may deny it, but they love it when their wines get very high scores, because they can command a higher price and sell more bottles. &nbsp; Therefore, the critic who &nbsp;gives a higher score is more appreciated by these producers, who then give better access to those critics for future tastings, winery, tours, etc.. <br>In other words, JS has worked very hard at self-promotion and personal income, at the cost of credibility among most experienced wine geeks like me. &nbsp;<br>I still appreciate his palate, however, and therefore I find I can take his review and score, lop +/- 4 points off it, and be happy with the results.

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• LA

  @LarchmontVillageOG · 3 years ago

  Is it really a 100 point scale if a 59 point wine is already unacceptable?

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• PU

  @pudicus2 · 3 years ago

  Damnnnnnnn Konstantin just said Leon ain’t got no balls 💀💀💀

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• MA

  @martinolson761 · 3 years ago

  I really enjoy watching you go through your thoughts ant methods while you taste. Having been in the wines biz. for 40+ years, usually the last thing I wanna do is watch some &quot;know it all&quot; taste wine....you are an exception. Very entertaining, humorous and humble. Based on climate change and winemaking these days (Cold soak, etc) it&apos;s not as easy to make out Cote de Nuits vs. Beaune...cheers.

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• JO

  @Jonnhy99 · 3 years ago

  Suckling tasting notes are usually spot on vs others. Ratings are where he runs into trouble, but people should be looking at notes over the scores anyways.

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• NE

  @nejcpilih · 3 years ago

  😄😄 imagine Leon going on a shopping spree and really emptying Konstantin´s wallet with a 100 point Pinot Noir 😂

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• TH

  @TheFakePseudonym · 3 years ago

  Great video, really enjoyed this. For me this speaks to the problem that all critics (whether you think they give inflated scores or are harsh) use such a narrow range of scores. If a broader range of scores for what are still considered good wines were used I think that would be a lot more helpful for the consumer.

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• ZA

  @zaphod333 · 3 years ago

  I absolutely use Suckling scores - for a laugh. 😂

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• NI

  @nicomeier8098 · 3 years ago

  Yeah, Suckling is known for overrating wines, but I do more often then not agree with his general tasting conclusions.<br>Just have to take his scores with &quot;a pinch of salt&quot;.<br>It&apos;s the same with Vinum compared to Gault Milliau Deutschland or Weinplus (but not by a margin that big).<br>At least in my opinion/experience.<br>Love your vids. Down to earth, good descriptions of the wines with a touch of humour, well done again.

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