Vintage charts should be viewed as guidelines and not hard and fast rules - ours included.

Our vintage chart is a result of many different input sources - personal experience, comments from associates and others.

In some countries, we have assembled scores that represent an overall value of quality and drinkability based on the entire wine-growing area of the country rather than by appellation. In other areas, we have been more specific as to appellation.

Some areas, such as Chile , New Zealand, etc, have not been rated due to the vast number of improvements and developments taking place in those wine growing areas and as a result have changed the winemaking landscape, more often than not in a positive way.

In California, we have rated the vintage on a New World basis, that is, a varietal basis.

The balance of the ratings (with the exception of Vintage Port) are based on the Old World values of geographical areas

Remember: good to exceptional wines can be made in average vintages - and conversely, poor wines can be made in above-average or excellent vintages