The first 100-point English sparkling wine, and the significance of scores

Okay, so it hasn’t happened yet, but it’s only a matter of time before an English sparkling wine gets awarded 100 points. The quality credentials of ESW are now firmly established, and producers are releasing ever-more ambitious (and expensive) cuvées from single vineyards or with extended lees age. Once the very promising 2018 vintage is released by the top houses in a few years, there is every chance of a maximum score being awarded. Sooner or later, it is inevitable.

For the producer and the critic involved, the first 100-point English fizz will create significant hype - especially if the score-giver has a strong reputation. Headlines were made last year when Tim Atkin gave his first 100 points to a South African wine, Kanonkop Paul Sauer 2015. At some point, a premium Chinese red will get 100 points too, and there will be similar buzz.

For emerging regions that are focusing on premium quality, getting a 100-point score is an important rite of passage. It could be argued that the value of points has been eroded by a surfeit of top scores, a consequence of the score inflation which seems increasingly rampant. After all, it wasn’t long ago that no wine had ever been awarded 100 points.

Robert Parker was the first to do so, of course, since scoring wines out of 100 was his idea in the first place. The wine in question was Château Mouton-Rothschild 1982, presumably from the en primeur tasting in early 1983.

According to wine-searcher, there are now 535 wines that have been awarded 100 Parker points (including multiple vintages across 269 different cuvées). Despite those who bemoan the existence of scores, these wines remain highly desirable, and the pursuit of points is still a hugely important motivation for many wine lovers. In Singapore, points are routinely quoted in shops and wine bars (see Park90 or Grand Cru for example).

Scores shift bottles. And for English sparkling wine, being able to compare themselves with top-scored champagne cuvées would help to justify high prices, as well as helping to win listings around the world.

So why hasn’t it happened yet? That’s an intriguing question. One argument might be that it takes decades for the quality of a new region to reach the levels achieved by historic appellations, although I’m not sure why that should be the case. Because the vines are too young? Because producers lack experience? Or simply because they are just too new?

This is the more convincing factor: credibility. Until recently, it would have seemed ridiculous for an English sparkling wine to gain 100 points when it has such a relatively short track record. In wine, tradition and heritage count for a lot, and ESW has only just reached a level at which it is taken seriously.

Emboldened by this, several producers are now releasing prestige cuvées to showcase their full quality potential. Nyetimber has its 1086 white and rosé at £150 and £175 per bottle respectively. Next month, Gusbourne is launching a ‘prestigious new wine’ that will go on sale in 2020. These are important steps, partly because they are indeed increasing the quality potential, but also because the additional prestige and higher prices give reviewers the justification and context they need for awarding higher scores.

Decanter has already awarded 97 points to three English sparkling wines. The perfect score is within spitting distance.

Richard Hemmingscores, trade issues, English wineComment