By their very nature, vintage summaries or charts are both generalist and subjective.  However, within these limitations they provide a useful snapshot of both the likely style and quality of a particular wine, as well as a guide as to its maturity and drinkability.  In many cases, and especially with younger vintages, they refer to a wine’s overall potential rather than its present performance.

They are meant in no way to be definitive, and personal preference with respect to wine style is usually equally or more important than a wine’s overall quality in terms of derived pleasure.