Wine Spectator is an avenue for marketing for many wineries. The same wineries that invest money in advertising in the magazine are going to be the same ones that make a point of sending their wines to the WS tasting panel. This means some correlation (however small) does exist. Regardless, I give readers of WS and other wine publications enough credit to use the material as they would any other opinions and ultimately let their own palates make buying decisions. If the descriptors WS with a wine appeal to your taste and your budget, it's worth checking the wine out. If you like it, buy a lot. If you drink enough wine, over time you can guesstimate almost as well as the experts what will age well, and what should be drunk sooner. The fact is, the wine critics that are the most successful are the ones that recognize or concur with the tastes of a wide range of people, including the serious collectors (who are just as likely to like wines that taste good). And guess what, often the wines that taste good upon release are ageable, and just get better for a long time.