James Suckling is one of the most divisive critics in the wine world. He was at Wine Spectator for almost 30 years before launching his own site. Check out my reaction to his Top 100 Wines of 2022. The list is RIESLING -heavy!
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🍷 Wines featured in this episode:
Cune, Rioja Reserva https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/cune-rioja-reserva
Château Cos d’Estournel 2019 https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/cos-d-estournel-2019
Ridge, Monte Bello 2019 https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/ridge-monte-bello
Ridge, Geyserville https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/ridge-geyserville
Ridge, Lytton Springs https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/lytton-springs
Ridge, Three Valleys https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/ridge-three-valleys
Lustau, Los Arcos Amontillado Sherry https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/lustau-amontillado-sherry
Lustau, Peninsula Palo Cortado https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/lusta-palo-cortado-sherry
Catena Zapata, Adrianna Vineyard White Bones 2020 https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/catena-zapata-white-stones-chardonnay
Paolo Scavino, Barolo https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/paolo-scavino-barolo
Kumeu River, Village Chardonnay https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/kumeu-river-chardonnay
Boom Boom Syrah
https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/boom-boom-syrah
Le Petit Smith Haut-Lafitte 2019https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/le-petit-smith-haut-lafitte
BV, Georges de Latour Cabernet Sauvignon 2019 https://share.exoticwinetravel.com/bv-georges-de-latour-cabernet
Henschke, Hills of Grace Shiraz 2017
Guts Hermannsberg, Kupfergrube Grosses Gewachs Reserve Riesling 2017
Schäfer-Frolich, Felséneck Grosses Gewachs Riesing 2021
Emrich-Schonleber, Halenberg Grosses Gewachs Riesing 2021
Foradori, Granato Teroldego 2019
Diel, Burgberg Grosses Gewachs Riesing 2020
Thorle, Hölle Riesling 2021
Paul Hobbs, Beckstoffer To Kalon Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Château Cheval Blanc 2019
Wittmann, Morstein Grosses Gewachs Riesing 2021
Wittmann, Spatburgunder
Eisele, Cabernet Sauvignon 2019
Shafer Vineyards, Hillside Select Cabernet Sauvignon 2018
Shafer Vineyards, TD-9
Shafer Vineyards, Relentless
Château Pichon-Longueville Baron 2019
Les Griffons de Pichon Baron
Ata Rangi, Pinot Noir 2020
Grosett, Polish Hill Riesling 2022
Cune, Imperial Rioja Gran Reserva 2016
Lustau, Amontillado Vors 30 Years Sherry
Taittinger, Comtes de Taittinger Blanc de Blancs 2012
Luce della Vite, Luce 2019
Catena Zapata, Historic Rows Chardonnay
FX Pichler, Ried Steinertal Riesling 2021
FX Pichler, Grüner Veltliner
Dönnhoff, Niederhäuser Hermannshöhle Spätlese 2021
Paolo Scavino, Rocche dell’Annunziata Barolo 2016
Kumeu River, Mate’s Vineyard Chardonnay 2021
Emmrich Knoll, Ried Loibenberg Riesling Smaragd 2021
K Vintners, The Boy Grenache 2019
Kung Fu Girl Riesling
Château Smith Haut-Lafitte 2019
Künstler, Hochnheimer Hölle Grosses Gewachs Riesling 2021
Künstler, Spätbugunder
00:00 James Suckling
01:54 Top 100 Wines of 2022
03:48 German Riesling Buying Tip
04:04 Back to James Suckling’s Top Wines of 2022
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36 Comments
Thanks Matthew for the feedback and recommendations on the list. I have to say that personally I never trust a James Suckling rating. I basically assume he's rating on a scale of 90-100 at this point. He once rated an extremely inexpensive Spanish wine 93 points so I was curious to try it. It was undrinkably unbalanced. The alcohol was overwhelming and harsh, the flavors were unpleasant and I say this as someone who lives in Spain and loves Spanish wines. It was just a bad wine. There are lots of great inexpensive Spanish wines but this wasn't one of them. It's frustrating because due to his highly inflated scores wine sellers regularly feature his ratings rather than more credible critics, so you're left with a bunch of unreliable overblown figures. I understand they do this because it sells wines and I presume he does this because the highest score is the one people will be most likely to see advertised so his name is everywhere but I really hope more people realize how unreliable and unhelpful his scores are so that we can see more serious attempts to rate wines available. Ratings are already a flawed system but he really undermines their credibility even further. I think what bothers me most is, like you said, he has 30 years of experience with Wine Spectator. He knows wine, which leads me to conclude that he's being deliberately misleading.
Today is the last day of my 1 month long business trips to Germany, had quite a few Rieslings, although I didn't have the time to seek out ones of the same caliber as presented in the video.
I am having the Kung-Fu Girl right now though, it's not bad.
Another interesting and relaxing video, I didn't realize how much I missed just having a relaxing glass of wine and watching YouTube, the simple pleasures of life, lol.
Agree with you, Luce has not soul…
It’s cool to hear personal stories about the man the myth the legend! Being willing to review up and coming wines to let them get imported/distributed is great ❤
Agree scores are wild. Konstantin will say “this is a really nice wine!” Then give it an 84, which is technically correct by definition… but I never see anything in a store marked less than 88 😂😂
For Saint Emillion Grand Cru I tried L’assegu 2018 that I found on sale for mid $40s, and it was one of my favorite wines of the year 🎉🎉 Super full-bodied and grippy but really smooth tannins, and one of the longest finishes 😮
He consistently scores about .2 to high (to get attention?) and on top of that he seems to plug some wines with his grading and reviews them in a way that suggests he's been paid (or othewise incentivised).
I wonder if James suckling is drinking more Riesling coz of the food he eats in hong Kong? Local Cantonese food is perfectly matched with Riesling?
Thanks for sharing this. Better list imo than spectator's. Not usually on the same page as Suckling, but I do appreciate the main likes Riesling!
I personally think suckling gets paid to mark up his scores. I’ve seen him give 92 points to 5-7$ wines that taste like trash.
Lustau’s Palo Cortado is fantastic. Such great complexity and very food friendly and the Fino is great.
I find Sucklings ratings to be all over the place. I’m fairly broke so most of the under 15 dollar bottles of wine I buy (if they are reviewed) are reviewed by James suckling. Rates all over the place, some 91 point wines are awesome, some 90+ are disgusting.
grosset polish hill is their most expensive riesling. springvale is similar.
and, great show dmh.
mjr
tokyo
Great video! Love the values you suggested to try the house style. I really like Suckling’s reviews, because his taste aligns more with mine, and i use to love his challenge of going to wine stores, and giving them a budget and seeing if they were all 90 points or better.
Did the Marathon du Medoc as part of the Pichon Baron team this year and had this wine with lunch after. Phenomenal stuff!
I prefer JS's interviews to his wine scores. I am not a big fan of league tables.
I have a big difference of opinion with a friend about Riesling; he thinks Germany produces the best and I know that Alsace does. I really don't get get German rieslings: they are ok but not exciting to me. I bought half a case of mixed Mosels and Rheingau 2020 recently; I have drunk two with friends and they were so-so. I have put the others deep in the cellar and hope they develop interest before I open the next one. Not tried many Austrian riesling.
I can't speak about Napa Cabs as I haven't drunk one for many years but Bordeaux is still fantastic value, as long as you steer clear of the top classed growths. For example, we will be round at friends for Christmas dinner and I insisted that I provide the main course wine. The meat is roast beef, so I have gone for a Cantemerle, 2012. I agonised between that and Mas de Daumas, Gassac, '13 and a Cote Rotie, '13 but the claret will win the day – I think.
Anyway, thanks for another thought-provoking and enjoyable video: you are putting a lot of work into these clips – much appreciated.
imo the inflation of 98/99/100 point ratings is disappointing. I agree to the fact winemaking in general has improved over the last decades; but when I compare f.x. Bordeaux wines from the 80s or 90s or even the iconic 59 and 61 vintages, where a mid or high 90 point rating of RP was given to outstanding wines which even today are really impressive, to the wines of today, when almost half of the wines (not having half of the same potential) are getting those ratings from different commentators… then I think there is something wrong. …I do not even talk about this clown named Luca Maroni, who has not the slightest idea what a good wine is and nonetheless is mentioned by every wine merchant – that does really no good to wine making at all!
I would say that the henschke"Hill of Roses", is the wine you should try when young over thr Hill of Grace! 🙂 much more worthwhile
Have had the 2015 Henschke Hill of Grace. Has a 1 oz pour of it at Wine Bar George at Disney Springs. Perfection in a glass , bear wine to date Ive ever tasted. Bouquet wafting from the glass with just 1 oz pour. Flavors of black olive, dark fruit, red fruit on palate. Incredibly delicious, elegant, balanced. Definition of iron fist in a velvet glove. It’s worth every penny of its sky high price.
Great video. I got my hands on two bottles of the 2012 Hill of Grace. It has a reputation for a reason, stunning, perfect balance, amazing structure and just delicious fruits. Just starting to show bottle maturity, amazing wine. JS was the first critic I “followed “. But like any critic, you should use them to help inform you, not necessarily influence you. I have styles I like, and I explore a lot, so my palate changes. And he, like most critics, get exposed to a LOT of producers and wines that I may never that I’ll seek out that may not ever make it to my local shelves. Foradori rocks! I just got some of her Pinot Grigio…..a beautiful amber wine!
The scores are just a frame of reference. I do like the format of this video and appreciate the better value alternatives
If one knows that JS , scores 2-3 pts higher than most anyone in the wine review business, then you are in great shape. Unfortunately most don't know. That is why , a big producer having scores of 94-96 by most credible reviewers, love JS, to come in, and outscore all/ ka ching, Ka ching.!
Irony among Napa being #1 is that most winemakers loathe him. As one winemaker said to me “how do you know if James Suckling has a house in Tuscany (might be another region but it’s somewhere in Italy)? He’ll waste no time in telling you.” He’s apparently super full of himself in tastings and loves to brag about his place. Not much different from most tasters though like former WS James Laube literally said “do you know who I am?!?“ to the Screaming Eagle winemaker at the taste of Oakville before (and he couldn’t care less). I’ve only heard good things for a very small number of tasters lol.
Good preview, thank you. Especially for listing the cheaper alternatives! I don't follow RP ratings at all, maybe only in a sense that if I am drinking wine for RP gave 98-100, I know that I had to pay $100+ extra for the bottle just because RP's rating. Yet there can be equally good wines without any score, or much lower score. So it's even better steer away from high RP scores just to avoid of being ripped off. Also allocations of these wines are harder to get as everyone then wants them, so better to search for hidden gems, and when you find such you don't even tell anyone.
I'm drinking wine for over 40 years now and I take your advice and opinion over his any day.
I see "Riesling alert", I click!
And, you are entirely correct; find a talented producer and buy their "village" bottlings. These give you good flavor at a reasonable price. Buy a grand cru bottle for special occasions. 👍
Found your channel a few weeks ago and really think our taste is exactly the same, love it haha. Personally I am also not a fan of künstler too much, tried all of their line up and not my cup of tea. What I like about JS is the coverage of “different” producers, I usually use this as a basis to do more research and visit those wineries that interest me, living in Frankfurt I can access all German wineries within 2h. Agree with you as always that Ortswein of great producers offer a fantastic value! Last I want to tell you about my favorite producer who is not on peoples radar yet too much, Eva Fricke in Rheingau, her lineup starting Ortswein are outstanding really, especially the wines from Lorch sites. It’s pretty impossible to buy those wines online even here but I highly recommend you to visit her when you come to Germany next time 🙂
Enjoyed watching this – Very fair appraisal and entertaining style! Well done Matthew.
You discussed a number of my favorites as well! Ridge, Cos, Kumeu River and CUNE are very worthy IMO.
I often lean towards James Sucklings rating when deciding which wines to buy. This is because I have found a good match with the 'taste' of Suckling reviews and my own taste. However, I always subtract 2 points from the score, as I also find them to be on the high side..
Really great to see so much Riesling, and thanks for mentioning them. I tried the Emrich-Schönleber Halenberg GG 2021 a few weeks ago at a wine fair and liked it, even though way too young. But I also got to try the 2010 and that was spectacular, soft but still concentrated and very complex. Out of the 15-20 young GGs I tried I found Kühling-Gilot Pettenthal 2020 and von Winning Ungeheuer 2020 the best to drink right now. I am not skilled enough to say which ones have most potential, though…
Watched the video while sipping von Winning Ruppertsberger Reiterpfad (erste Lage) 2021, a delicious wine and a steal at 19€ here in Germany. Now come to think of if, Suckling didn't have any Riesling from Pfalz nor nor Mosel, did he? Pretty interesting.
Any Portuguese wine that costs me 10€ are better ….much better!
You asked so here I go. I always felt JS was compromised by the Wineries, owners his tasting notes are boring, although i liked watching him on YouTube. As far as his write ups i never bought a bottle from something he recommended, very non inspirational. On the other hand Robert Parker would write up a wine that I would purchase. I think of Wine i think of Robert Parker, he is a journalist he inspired me to try wine that I never would've tried. Guitarist Jimmy Page was the same thing to me with picking up the guitar and playing it. They inspire you. Points are points, Notes are Notes but you as a wine taster and journalist have to be sold then be able to write on it. I bought wine books because of Parker not his points but on his journalism. He is unmatched. Can you look and smell a wine for 15-20 minutes and not even taste it yet? Parker had that ability not cause of points but because of his journalistic ability to persuade us wine consumers. Most of you lack that. It is more than just having a nose, a palate or the gift of a great QPR.
Can’t complain about a list with a lot of rieslings ! That’s for sure . And also some very nice white like Kumeu ! So , Mr Sucking did a nice list this year. About the ratings , I agree that he is a high scorer … but I find my taste more similar to his than to the Parker wines … cheers !
The lack of Pinot picks is disturbing
An entertaining and educational video. Yes JS is a divisive figure in the wine critic world; but like Robert Parker before him, not everything he does is wrong or off. He does seem to overscore (too highly) his wines, I think you have to shave off 5-10 points of his scores depending on the producer or region. But helping bring attention to evolving wine regions is a good thing, but it also drives up prices; the proverbial two edged sword.
I am not a 100% sure on this point, but if I remember correctly Stuart Pigott reviews Rieslings and other German wines for JS, so it's a case of some that's been in Germany for decades reviewing German wines. I don't know how much JS personally knows about German wines.
Mixed reaction to this video, haha! As a Riesling head it's great to see non-Mosel regions/producers get some well deserved recognition and attention; very happy about that. I agree that often Ortswein in Germany has a pretty high QPR if you can't afford Erste Lage or GG. Finally Austria gets some love as well! On the other hand probably very few of us will drink wine that costs more that 500 U.S.$ a bottle; but your recommendations for more affordable alternatives is appreciated. Keep these videos coming!