Yves Beck’s Wine Rating Methodology
As tasting progresses, certain indicators become established, allowing for reliable referencing, which is naturally linked to routine, but also to quantity.
8 Indicators
Basically, there are 8 Criteria that Make up the Maximum Score of 100 Points.
- Appearance of the wine (max 10 points)
- Clarity (5 points)
- Color (5)
- Bouquet (45)
- Quality (15)
- Intensity (15)
- Complexity (15)
- Palate (45)
- Intensity (15)
- Complexity (15)
- Overall Impression (15)
Quality
Quality refers to purity and flawlessness. If a bouquet has no olfactory flaws, it receives the maximum score of 15 points.
Reduction is often a point of contention, but as long as the reduction only occurs in the bouquet and not on the palate, it can be assumed that it will dissipate with air contact. If the reduction also occurs on the palate, points will be deducted accordingly from the overall impression.
Intensity
The definition of intensity is, of course, relative. It is based on the taster’s experience and assessment. This aspect becomes reliable when the taster has extensive quantitative experience. A wine with a lush and intense bouquet will reach its maximum in intensity, but will likely risk deductions in complexity.
Complexity
The more facets a bouquet shows, the more complex it is. Complexity is not related to intensity. Rather, it is about subtlety. The taster’s task is to recognize and evaluate the nuances.
Like the bouquet, the palate also shows different levels of complexity. One considers the initial impression, the relationship between tannins and acidity or between sweetness and acidity. Balance is also a crucial element at the taste level. All these taste elements make up the concept of complexity.
Overall Impression
The overall impression is the criterion by which the taster determines the final score. This point is the sum of all impressions the taster has noted. It is certainly the most subjective point of the entire tasting (without forgetting that tasting fundamentally remains a subjective exercise). Like the other criteria, the overall impression is also strongly influenced by the taster’s routine and experience.
Additions
Yves Beck does not publish ratings below 80 points. He places particular emphasis on the time he dedicates to each wine to do thorough work. Thus, he has set the maximum number of wines tasted per day at 50. If possible, he prefers to taste the wines at the winery in the presence of the wine producers. This allows them to entrust him with important information that helps him interpret the wines tasted.
Further details on how points are awarded can be found in this article.
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