Missing the Point? Tasting 40 years of 100-point wines TASTER

SUBSCRIBER BONUS TASTER - A privileged tasting of 100-point wines gets us thinking about scores, so-called perfection in wine, the risks of premature evaluation and how points for wine...somehow miss the point. First up - the wines: Cristal 2008 , Pichon Lalande 2016 , Ornellaia 2013 , Diamond Creek Volcanic Hill 2013 and Castillo Ygay Gran Reserva Especial Blanco 1986 . We report on these and other stellar bottles, all of them recipients of a 'perfect' 100-point score. But here's the thing. What does '100 points' mean these days? How valid are scores, which seem to be everywhere in wine as endless tasting notes and numbers are churned out on a seemingly constant basis? What are the pros and cons? Is it time for a reset, starting with the 100-point system itself?! In this discursive episode, we subject not only these supposedly spectacular wines but also scores (and ourselves) to unflinching assessment. Peter gets hot under the collar about Bordeaux En Primeur; Susie has to intervene. We weigh up scores in a public and personal context. But, lest you fear this is all a bit po-faced, we also touch on the magic of discovery, not entirely serious ‘anti-scoring’ wine rating scales and the importance of wines that make you smile...as indeed some of these bottles definitely did. NB : This is a short taster of the full episode, which is available exclusively for Wine Blast PLUS subscribers. Use this link to find out more or

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Missing the Point? Tasting 40 years of 100-point wines TASTER is an episode from Wine Blast with Susie and Peter by Susie and Peter, Masters of Wine.

This episode is 8:56 long.

This episode was published on Apr 13, 2026.

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