WS Top 100

Like many wine fans, I look forward to Wine Spectator's Top 100 each year. It's interesting to see what wines they picked as the 100 best wines they tasted during the year. But it's also a source of some confusion for me and a lot of other readers, I'd imagine. Of course, anyone's Top Whatever list is going to be a subjective selection, and we probably shouldn't expect logical selections. Still, this year's list perplexed me a bit. If the selection of the No. 1 wine is to choose the most exciting wine, then picking the Joseph Phelps Insignia 2002 (96 points, $150/bottle) makes some sense. But then, the Chateau d'Yquem 2001 (100 points, $400/bottle) coming in at No. 10 confuses me. After all, shouldn't a 100/100 wine be more exciting than a 96/100 wine? Wine Spectator has said that they also factor the wine's price into the equation, which would then allow for a lower scoring wine to achieve a higher ranking. But if this is so, why did the $68 Clos des Papes Chateauneuf-du-Pape 2003 (97 points) end up No. 2 and not No. 1? My point here is not to quibble with Wine Spectator's editors and writers about their selections. Rather, it should be obvious that there is a certain amount of silliness in trying to rank anything on a subjective basis, whether it's wine or college football teams. (Look at No. 1 USC, which although undefeated this season has faced only one Top Ten team whereas No. 2 Texas, also undefeated, has faced two Top Ten teams.) So, use WS's Top 100 for what it's best suited for--as a list of some of the best wines available, and to see how many you've encountered. I don't think it's necessarily a good goal to try to drink as many of the Top 100 as possible after the list is published, although retailers certainly tout their own inventory after the list is released. Rather, the Top 100 can be a good measure of how well you're doing at exposing yourself to great wines. If you've had or bought none of the wines on the Top 100 list, perhaps it's time to move away from Charles Shaw's bottlings and try some other wines. In my review, I've had or purchased for later consumption 7 of the Top 100. I feel pretty good about that considering that I don't have the access to as many wines as the WS staff does (although any winemakers who want to send me a sample for review (even a 1/4 bottle!) are welcome to do so--send me an email and I'll send you my shipping address). In addition, there are a lot of wines on the Top 100 list that aren't in my constellation of wines--especially the European wines. So, I clearly have room to expand my wine experiences. As for my top wines of the year? That's a topic for another time...