Wines awarded 94 to 96 points are generally recognised as Outstanding. These are sought‑after benchmark expressions of their varietal, blend or region. Such wines in a show context would be in serious consideration for a high Silver (94) or Gold Medal (95+).
Many wines in the Penfolds Collection offered for review each year achieve a 90+ point accolade.
Broadly, wines awarded 90 points or above are considered Highly Recommended – wine that show freshness, typicity and definition. Andrew says, “90 points is considered the gateway of excellence and the equivalent of a silver medal award.”
Some leading wine writers, particularly in the UK, prefer working with the traditional 20-point scale. Although the final score expressed will differ from the 100-point rating, both systems follow the same assessment process to arrive at a numerical quality judgement.
AWARDS AND ACCOLADES