A score range, rather than a single score, indicates preliminary analysis based on unfinished barrel samples or a limited sampling of bottled wines before most of the wines have been released. We will update the chart with a single score after our editors have evaluated more wines in their blind tastings.

For example, in Bordeaux, châteaus preview their unfinished wines to the trade at "barrel tastings" and sell their wines as futures. To give customers a sense of the vintage quality before they decide to buy these futures, we evaluate the barrel samples of the wines. Once the wines are finished and bottled, we then blind taste them again and update the vintage rating as needed.