All wines should actually be scored on a scale of 50-100 points. A wine automatically scores 50 pts for being fault free and so in good condition. Wines which are deemed not to be in good condition by the taster/member should not be added to the site.
A similar system is used by many tasters and critics as it allows a degree of flexibility not possible with a range narrower than 50 pts. A broader scale avoids compression/inflation of ratings and so is both sophisticated, fair and accurate.
Marks should be roughly allocated as follows :-
50 pts - Awarded for wine being in good condition.
5 pts - Appearance and colour.
15 pts - Aroma and bouquet (nose), intensity and complexity.
20 pts - Palate, flavour, texture, structure, balance and length.
10 pts - Conclusion, overall impression, potential and value for money.
Wine tasting is very subjective and can depend on mood, surroundings, food etc. To enable nosewine to be as useful and independent a tool as possible members should remain as objective and systematic as they can!
We see the scoring system working out something like this :-
50-59 pts - Unacceptable and barely worthy of the name wine.
60-69 pts - Below average, deficient and not recommended.
70-79 pts - Average and acceptable but lacking flair and interest.
80-89 pts - Above average to very good, with no flaws and a reason to buy.
90-95 pts - An excellent example with complexity and character.
95-100 pts - Exceptional wine with individuality and class. A top example of
a particular variety/style and worth special effort to seek out and consume!