When you see JS93 on a Vinogrande product page, that number comes from James Suckling — a critic and publication on a 100-point scale, very present in Spain, Italy, Portugal and the New World.
The active catalogue of our wine shop in Moledo do Minho has more than three hundred wines tagged JS. This article doesn't invent scores: it quotes what's on the product page and explains how to read the scale before you buy.
Who James Suckling is
For years Suckling was Wine Spectator's man for Italy and Bordeaux. He then left and created his own tasting and ratings platform. His style is direct and his scores circulate widely — producers, importers and online shops quote him easily. That's why the JS tag appears so often: not because Vinogrande "prefers" Suckling to Wine Advocate, but because the number reaches the product pages with a source.
He doesn't sell the case. He doesn't manage the stock. He doesn't guarantee everyone at the table will like the wine. He does what a critic does: tastes, describes, scores.
How the scale works
A hundred points, read in practice from 90 upwards in shop conversation:
- 90–92 — solid, well defined, a good buy when the price is right.
- 93–95 — a vintage or terroir highlight.
- 96–99 — the top tier; JS99 exists in the catalogue (Artadi El Carretil, Artadi Viña El Pisón, among others).
- JS100 — nine active products in the shop at the time of this count. Rare, not automatically "best on the shelf".
A Suckling 92 isn't a Wine Spectator 92. Different publications, different tastings. The shop doesn't mix them.
Why Vinogrande lists Suckling
Because he's on the product pages by name. The 90+ curation needs a citable source. After Wine Advocate, Suckling is the international critic with the most tags on the site. Anyone buying online in Portugal already sees him on back labels; the shop simply doesn't hide where the number comes from.
Four wines from the shop (real scores)
Astrales 2020 (Ribera del Duero). On the product page: 93 points James Suckling. The page describes the tasting (energy, balance) and states the number — JS93 on the tag too.
Attis Xión Albariño Rías Baixas 2024. On the product page: James Suckling awarded 92 points, "citrusy, juicy and lively", with yellow plum and mango. The same page quotes Guía Peñín 92 and Tim Atkin 92. Three sources, the same 92 — a useful coincidence, not a conversion.
Artadi Tradición 2023 (Rioja). On the product page: 92 points from James Suckling, noting that the critic reads it as a vibrant Rioja Alavesa Tempranillo. Tag JS92.
Baigorri Reserva 2018 (Rioja). On the product page: 92 points from James Suckling — and, on the same page, 92 points from Tim Atkin in his Rioja Special Report. Again: two publications, two 92s, each with its own name.
How to read a score before you click "buy"
- JS and the number: which vintage, which wine (not the brand in the abstract).
- Is there another source alongside? Read both. Don't average them.
- Free shipping in mainland Portugal on orders over €80 — a house rule, not a campaign.
Shipping and shop notes
Free shipping in mainland Portugal on orders over €80. Secure payments. Below that threshold, shipping is calculated at checkout. Orders placed by 2pm on a working day ship the same day or the next working day. Wine is fragile: in extreme heat, dispatch may be delayed. Alcoholic drinks are sold only to over-18s.
Stock changes. The scores in this article were copied from the product pages on vinogrande.pt at the time of writing — not rounded, not invented. If the product page and this text differ, the product page applies.
— Vinogrande, Moledo do Minho. Buy wine online. 90+ points from renowned critics. Free shipping in mainland Portugal on orders over €80.
