Wines that have got 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP, part 4

Wines that have got 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP, part 4 of 5

Only the wines that still have aging potential (the largest majority of the wines here) and the few others that have no aging potential but are still in really good condition to drink are shown here. This applies regardless of the year in which the wine/wines was/were tasted. Note that if some wine has aging potential, it appears from the wine's description.

Wines that have got 3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP Wines that have got 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP Wines that have got 4,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP Wines that have got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP

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Churchill's, Late Bottled Vintage, 2012 (18 EUR/22 USD in Sweden) port wine, Porto, Portugal, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (06-01-2018 by Nenad Jelisic)

What I like with this wonderful port wine is its incredible balance between its high sweetness, acidity and tannins as well as its very long sweet, nutty and cocoa rich aftertaste. Raisins, cocoa rich dark chocolate, figs, candied cherries, sweet spices and white pepper clearly emerges in the aroma. Sweet spices, cocoa rich dark chocolate, walnuts, figs, sweet dark cherries, black pepper, blueberry jam and roasted almonds clearly emerges in the flavour. What impresses most with this port wine is that it comes from a not so good vintage. During 2012, no rain came when it should and when it arrived it arrived too late. Churchill (the producer) did not stress with the harvest and took advantage of the late arrival of the rain to the maximum. This wine's production process is as follows: the grapes are harvested by hand, after the harvest, the grapes are delivered to the winery, destemmed and placed in the low stone tanks (lagares) where they are treaded by mechanized feet, then the must is fermented together with the skins in the stone tanks until it has an alcohol strength of 6 to 8% when it is fortified to 19 to 21% with 77% grape spirit. Then the wine is aged in large oak barrels 4 years before it is released on the market. With Late Bottled Vintage, it is meant that the port wine comes from a single vintage and that has been aged in oak barrels between 4 and 6 years. Churchill's Late Bottled Vintage 2012 can be aged between 7 and 10 years. The aging will only make it more complex and irresistible to drink. Do not worry about the sediment of the wine in the second to last or the last glass. The sediment only shows that the producer has not filtered the wine at all. The wine will brilliantly fit with a lot of different cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano, Grana Padano, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Camembert, Västerbotten and Castello Blue. Or with cherry pie (not too sweet) or blueberry pie (not too sweet) or cocoa rich dark chocolate. Or just enjoy it without any food. I recommend that you start to drink this wonderful port wine at 8°C (unlike what most of wine websites and the manufacturer itself recommend), and let it slowly grows in the glass while you drink it. If you can drink the wine from Riedel Vinum Port or Orrefors Difference Sweet or Orrefors Elixir.

Tommasi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico, 2013 (30 EUR/36 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (03-12-2017 by Nenad Jelisic)

I have never given less than 3,0 NJP to any Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. Neither this vintage has disappointed me. On the contrary, this vintage is one of the best that I have tasted of Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico. A brilliant balance between tannins, acidity, fruitiness and 15% alcohol. Unlike 99% of Amarone-wines, the wine does not reveal so much in the aroma, especially not when one starts drinking it. The aroma can definitely be described as nuanced and not as spicy. In it, one finds ripe blue plums, ripe dark cherry, milk chocolate, raisins, figs and elements of sweet spices. The flavour is spicy and nuanced. In it, one finds dark chocolate, white pepper, dried dark cherry, ripe blue plum, vanilla, raisins, nuts and herbs. Tommasi, Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013 consists of the following grapes: 50% Corvina, 30% Rondinella, 15% Corvinone and 5% Oseleta. The grapes are dried for 4 months before they are pressed, and then the wine is aged in 3,500 litres Slavonian oak casks for 30 months. Such a tasty, spicy and tannin rich wine as this one fits just fine with grilled fillet of beef/entrecote with Café de Paris sauce and potato gratin or with reindeer stew with buttery mashed potatoes, or with grilled pork chops with grilled red peppers, yellow onions, tomatoes and béarnaise sauce or with hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Svecia, Västerbottensost, Parmesan and Grana Padano. Tommasi Amarone della Valpolicella Classico 2013 should be served at 18 to 19°C in Bordeaux glasses. Start by serving it at 16°C (when room temperature is over 20°C or outdoor temperature is over 23°C) and then enjoy when it starts to grow in the glass. If the wine would be drank today, it should be decanted for an hour. The wine has a good aging potential, up to 10 years (up to 2027).

Masi, Amarone, Costasera, 2012 (30 EUR in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Amarone della Valpolicella, Valpolicella, Veneto, Italy, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (01-07-2017 by Nenad Jelisic)

The vintage of the wine (2012) belongs to one of the best in Amarone della Valpolicella's history. This wine is undoubtedly one of the best Masi Amarone-wines that I have tasted in the last 25 years. The grapes (70% Corvina, 25% Rondinella and 5% Molinara) for Masi Amarone Costasera go through a process called Appassimento, which means that the grapes are air dried for 100 to 120 days. Masi Amarone Costasera 2012 is a spicy, concentrated, flavourful, fruity and tannin rich wine, with a very good aging potential (minimum 20 years, i.e. until minimum 2037). Regardless that the wine has an "unusual" high alcohol strength, 15% (not unusual for Amarone wines), one does not feel it while one is drinking it thanks to the wine's perfect balance between fruitiness, acid and tannins. From the first second, when the wine come into the mouth, one feels an explosion of sweet spices (cinnamon, cardamom and vanilla), dried sweet fruits (grapes, plums and figs), and then, at the right moment, the sweet feeling is met by tannins, dark (cocoa rich) chocolate, white pepper, ripe dark cherries, blackberries, sweet tobacco and herbs. To get such a good wine, which has been produced by the grapes that had lost up to 40% of theirs weight due to the appassimento and which has such a good aging potential, for 299 SEK (around 30 EUR) is absolutely incredible. Such a tasty, spicy and tannin rich wine as this one fits just fine with grilled fillet of beef/entrecote with Café de Paris sauce and potato gratin, or with reindeer stew with buttery mashed potatoes, or with grilled pork chops with grilled red peppers, onions, tomatoes and béarnaise sauce or with hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Svecia, Västerbottensost, Parmesan and Grana Padano. Masi Amarone Costasera 2012 should be served at 18 to 19°C from Bordeaux glasses. Start by serving it at 16°C (when room temperature is over 20°C or outdoor temperature is over 23°C) and then enjoy when it starts to grow in the glass.

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