And for a very nice summary, in tasting note form, of an event hosted by Paul Draper at Mirabelle restaurant in Austin, in which the 90, 91, 92, and 03 vintages of Monte Bello were tasted (along with several other Ridge offerings), check out: The Good Taste Report

Date of Posting: 11 January 2010
Posted By: Christopher Watkins
Cupertino, California
http://www.ridgewine.com/blog

A, +15, **** = YUMMY WINE (from Tom Wark’s “Fermentation” ) I like to think of myself as a bit of a connoisseur of wine ratings and reviews. I’ve been observing them fairly closely now for almost two decades. And, I’ve been using them to help sell wine for clients. So, I’m always interested when I see a new rating system come before me, particularly one that offers added context to the wine. The Good Taste Report is a blog I came across recently. Its owner is out of Texas and tastes a good deal of wine. What’s interesting about his rating system is the symbolism he used to convey a variety of information: THE CHARACTER GRADE: A to F grade for the quality of the wine’s character MARKET VALUE GRADE: A number greater than or less than the price of the wine indicating what the wine is worth on a price/quality determination THE STAR-BUY GRADE: 1 to 5 Stars Indicating how important it is to buy this wine I’m particularly enamored with the “Market Value Grade”. Other professional reviewers have attempted to indicate the value of a wine either by simply stating it is a “Best Buy” or “Good Value” or by applying a 100 point score to the wine’s value. But this system gets nice and specific telling me that the wine in question is either $15 too expensive or $15 under-priced. So, a wine rating from the Good Taste Report might look like this: 2003 FERMENTATION Pinot Noir A, +20, ***** Meaning: A wine of awesome character priced $20 below its true market value that should be purchased at all costs. Or 2003 FERMENTATION Cabernet Sauvignon C, -10, *** Meaning: This is over-priced, barely drinkable wine that should probably be ignored when spied on a store shelf unless there is nothing else on the shelf. By the way, the Good Taste Report is really quite good. Heavy on the ratings, as you might imagine, but filled with thoughtful commentary as well. (this is from over a year ago, but I didn’t want it to disappear, so it’s on the bus now…)

Date of Posting: 16 June 2009
Posted By: Tom Wark
California
http://fermentation.typepad.com/

This is hands-down my favorite wine site! It's hard to work when I have access to this place! Thanks for letting me come here.

Date of Posting: 26 May 2009
Posted By: George Johnson
Albany, New York