I was recently emailed by my friend Amy with the following question:

Would you pay this amount? Barolo - Parussi Falletto '07 (94 points)

When I asked Amy for some context regarding her question, (i.e. How much do you like Barolo? What’s the occasion? If it’s a gift, does the recipient like Barolo?), she responded:

"I want it for myself simply because I know I adore Barolo… but am usually too lazy to go searching for a good one.  I suppose there is no need to spend that much but I just wondered if I might find a really good one for less or if I should be happy with that price. I would likely not drink it on an average evening, but save it for a special night."

This question touches on a lot of interesting subjects - scores from critics, what's a good price to pay for a wine?, what constitutes a good deal for a wine, etc. While I don't endorse buying wines purely on the basis of scores from critics, I do find that they can be a good indication of whether a wine is well made. As for whether a high score means you'll enjoy the wine, that is another story. It's important to remember that critics score wines based on how the wine resonates with their palate. While you may like big, bold wines, it's entirely possible that the critic who assigned it a score of 94 points may have appreciated it for its delicacy and balance. Therefore, my advice when considering scores from critics is to know the critic's palate, and know if it lines up with your own. If it does, great! You've found another resource that can help you find wines that you will likely enjoy. If not, keep looking! There are a good number of wine critics out there, and chances are, one of them will share a similar taste preference to your own.