You’ve seen the stickers on wine and spirits bottles: 92 points from Beverage Tasting Institute, 91 points from James Suckling, 93 points from Wine Enthusiast...you know from your school days that 90+ points is pretty darn good, but what do those points-based ratings on your favorite bottles actually mean?
Do a bunch of wine and spirits experts just sit in a room and give each bottle of wine and spirits a grade on the 100-point system?
While taste is subjective, points ratings can be a great way to determine if a bottle is worth the buy just by glancing at the packaging. In this helpful guide, we’ll break down who makes these ratings, how they’re scored and a few 90+ rated bottles for you to try next time you’re at your local ABC. Score cards at the ready!
Remember when you were in grade school and your math teacher would put your test face-down on your desk? Yeah. [Shudder.] You knew right away when you flipped it over just how well you did. Why? Because the 100-point scale is universal.
It’s the same with wine and spirits. Trusted wine and spirits authorities, like the Beverage Tasting Institute, Wine Enthusiast and James Suckling, are the ones who issue these ratings. They’re staffed by teams of WSET-certified (that’s the Wine and Spirit Education Trust for the acronym-averse) tasters who blind taste bottles that have been submitted for judgment.
Sure, taste is subjective, but the point is that these tasters know their stuff. They know from first sip (and even first smell, sometimes) whether a bottle of wine or spirits was made well with quality ingredients. In the case of the Beverage Tasting Institute, even the room where the tasters sample is “designed to minimize outside factors and optimize the critical perception of panelists through a combination of natural and synthetic lighting and a standardized color and descriptive template.”1
In short: if someone with that kind of beverage smarts says a bottle is 90+ points, you’re in for a darn good drink.
Now that you know what those handy little scores mean, let’s try some 90+ rated bottles, shall we? Keep reading for some of our wine and spirits experts’ favorite 90+ rated bottles you should pick up during your next ABC run.
Rating: 94 points, Wine Enthusiast, 2023 vintage
No need to drop a bag on a fine Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon when this 94-rated beauty is available for under $20. It’s got a proper fruit bowl of tasting notes, including velvety black cherry, plum, cedar and mocha with supple tannins and a cola-spiced finish. If you’re grilling up a tomahawk steak for a special occasion, this is the ideal wine to pair with it.
Rating: 91 points, James Suckling, 2024 vintage
Another under $20 pick from Napa Valley, this gorgeous chardonnay boasts 91 points from James Suckling. It plays host to a delicate dance of fruity apple and pear notes with buttery vanilla and toasted oak notes. Balanced, refreshing and just acidic enough to pair well with seafood. We’re thinking a nice plate of shrimp scampi or stone crab claws would be the perfect match for this stand-out chard.
Rating: 93 points, Wine Enthusiast, 2024 vintage
Our idea of paradise: a plate of scallops and a glass of crisp, acidic New Zealand sauvignon blanc by the pool...and if we had to pick which sauvignon blanc would be in the glass, it’s this one. Tropical fruit notes of pineapple and guava are kissed with just a hint of honey and ginger to create sunshine in a bottle. And yes; it’s also under $20. You’re welcome.
Want to know exactly why sauvignon blanc pairs so well with Florida scallops? Check it out here.
Rating: 92 points, Wine Enthusiast
Don’t think all 90+ rated bottles are obscure, hoity-toity brands either – sometimes the best bottles are the ones already sitting on your bar cart. Crown Royal, for example, is a reliable, versatile whisky that can be mixed or sipped neat. There are a plethora of Crown flavors now, but the OG has notes of vanilla, oak, maple, brown sugar and a breeze of fresh apple. We especially love mixing it in a Whisky Ginger Highball on hot days.
Rating: 92 points, Wine Enthusiast
If you’re looking for a truly unique, luxurious tasting experience, Espanita Reposado deserves a spot on any tequila enthusiast’s top shelf. Just listen to this review from Kara Newman, writer at Wine Enthusiast: “The herbaceous, bright aroma suggests basil and mint warmed by the sun. The palate is herbaceous too, hinting at bell pepper and jalapeño before winding into a coconut finish, edged with citrus peel and cinnamon sparks.”2
Pure poetry – just like this tequila. We’d suggest mixing it in a margarita, but at least sip it neat before you do to appreciate its rich depth of flavor.
Rating: 94 points, Wine Enthusiast
We’d say that Camila & Matthew McConaughey launching a tequila brand wasn’t on our celebrity spirits bingo card, but it seems like the tequila game is open to anyone these days, to be frank. As far as quality tequilas go, Pantalones Blanco Tequila rings in at an impressive 94 points – and so does the Añejo. This bright, fresh blanco’s notes of pineapple and lemon peel make the perfect addition to a spicy margarita or spicy paloma.
Rating: 90-95, Wine Enthusiast
Whether you’re a straight rum sipper or your tiki bar setup rivals Trader Vic himself, this top-rated rum from Guyana is a tropical drink lover’s dream. You’ll get honeyed notes of caramel on the nose and dark notes of tobacco, oak and molasses on the palate. The aftertaste is long and bittersweet, like a sinfully satisfying nibble of dark chocolate. Trust us, you won’t want to mix – or miss – this one.
Rating: 92 points, Wine Enthusiast
If there’s one gin you recognize peeking out from behind the bar, it’s probably Hendrick’s, and for good reason – these cool, apothecary-style bottles aren’t just eye-catching, they contain some of the best gin in the world. Hendrick’s’ signature rose and cucumber water infusion blends with notes of white pepper, citrus and florals for a gin that’s truly magnificent. Try it in a dry martini paired with a hefty cheese board, and that’s Friday night sorted.
Rating: 92 points, Wine Enthusiast
Another celebrity tequila worth its salt, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s Teremana Blanco Tequila is a classic mixer and sipper. It’s a crystal clear blanco that’s citrusy, smooth and perfectly thirst-quenching when mixed in a ranch water. There’s no other bottle we’d rather bring to Taco Tuesday.
Looking specifically for highly-rated bourbons that taste more expensive than they actually are? Yeah, we’ve got a guide for that.
1: https://bevtest.com/get-reviewed/resources/
2: https://www.wineenthusiast.com/buying-guide/espanita-tequila-reposado/
