How do YOU keep score?

[Botafogo]

In re Shelftalkers, we absolutely prohibit any winery generated POS and only use magazine scores when they give a REALLY LOW score to one of our favorite wines in order show our customers that they should think for themselves. Examples:

Tired of insipid, squeaky clean, “better juice through filtering”, mass consumption wines made by UC Davis graduate food-chemists who should be working for Pilsbury instead of making wine? Then get a whiff of this:

Nicolis Amarone Classico ‘93

Our favorite “terroir-ist”, Matt Kramer, would approve of this one: it smells like aged beef, wild mushrooms, dried currants and dirt from the hills of Verona, yummy!

or:

California’s most Burgundian Chardonnay?!?
You decide!

You may humor yourself while you glug down Chardonnays whose gushing press releases talk about “lush tropical fruit and a creamy vanilla finish” that they are California’s answer to Montrachet and Corton. WE think those winemakers accidently tasted some of the excellent white peach liqueurs produced in Bourgogne! This extremely limited production wine is made from the low yielding “Martin Ray” clone (taken from Corton Charlemagne), is bone dry, can age for ten to fifteen years and, since it has not been sterile filtered for wimpy restaurateurs, may throw some tartrate crystals when chilled.

Jory Lion Oaks Ranch Selected Clone Chardonnay

Stirring the Merde while I pack for Italia, Roberto