The Wine Spectator on Pinot Noir

Where does the most Wine Spectator Magazine stand on Pinot Noir?

It’s a pretty broad question. So, here is the broad answer:

I took at look at the Wine Spectator’s reviews of Pinot Noirs in specific regions for the vintages 2003-2005. The majority of reviews are of the 2004 vintage. So, we are talking a snapshot of the Spectator’s view of the most recent vintages. I also looked at what percent of wines were rated 90 points or above (90+) and 80 or below (-80).

Burgundy:

488 Reviews
90+ = 46%
-80 = 3%

New Zealand
124 Reviews
90+ = 11%
-80  = 10%

Australia
50 Reviews
90+ = 4%
-80  = 2%

Oregon
280 Reviews
90+ = 43%
-80  = 3%

California
807 Reviews
90+ = 33%
-80  = 8%

Carneros
50 Reviews
90+ = 12%
-80  = 15%

Mendocino (Anderson Valley)
27 Reviews
90+ = 37%
-80 = 4%

California Central Coast (Monterey/Santa Lucia Highlands)
83 Reviews
90+ = 33%
-80  = 12%

California South Coast (Santa Rita, Santa Maria, Arroyo Grande, Santa Barbara)
125 Reviews
90+ = 26%
-80 = 8%

Russian River Valley
101 Reviews
90+ = 36%
-80  = 10%

WORLDWIDE
1508 Reviews
90+ = 33%
-80  = 6%

It appears the consensus view of Wine Spectator palates is that Oregon and Burgundy are spots where great Pinot Noir is most likely to be produced.

I do love looking at these kind of statistics. They paint a picture of sorts and the Spectator’s Review Search Engine is very handy in getting this kind of picture. The only thing missing from this run down is pricing information. It would be fascinating to compare the number of Burgundies that come in over $60 to those in CA or OR that come in over  $60.

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4 Responses

  1. Alfonso - October 31, 2006

    Nice observation, Tom.
    That’s why they pay you the big bucks!
    Awesome, dig it!
    -AC

  2. Jay Selman - October 31, 2006

    Fantastic post! I will be thinking about this post a great deal. Do more like this.
    Jay

  3. dfredman - October 31, 2006

    What about the possibility that the writers who do the Burgundy and Oregon reviews are a little more generous with their points than are the reviewers of the other regions? The wines aren’t reviewed by a tasting panel and due to the way they’re divided up, the scoring on a specific beat might skew a point or two higher (or lower) than the same wine would rate if tasted by a different writer. A small variance such as that (1-3 points) can make a big difference in a statistical analysis.
    Interesting data nonethless…is there any breakdown as to scores vs. SRP for the various regions?
    DF

  4. Wine Pinot Noir - January 6, 2007

    Wine Pinot Noir

    2002 Fort Ross Pinot Noir 90 Points, Wine Enthusiast We found it just a little too out


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