The wine of the month
During the first fourteen days of each month, NJ Wines presents the wine of the month. NJ Wines tastes hundreds of wines every month and among them, the wine of the month is chosen. The criteria that a wine will qualify as the wine of the month is that it has got at least 3,5 NJP in rating and that it stands out both by its quality and its aroma/flavour complexity. The wine shall also be available on the wine market.
February 2023: Domaine du Pas de l'Escalette, Les Clapas, Rouge, 2020 (20 EUR/21 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Terrasses du Larzac, Languedoc-Roussillon, France, 4,0 of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (25-02-2023 by Nenad Jelisic)
Here we have a really good wine from the Terrasses du Larzac appellation in the Languedoc-Roussillon wine region. Domaine du Pas de l'Escalette Les Clapas Rouge 2020 is both complex and elegant. The aroma is concentrated, spicy, herbal, deep and filled with thyme, rosemary, cassis, dark cocoa rich chocolate, bay leaves, minerals, roses ... Read more
News and more about wine
NEW WINES IN REGULAR ASSORTMENT DECEMBER 2022 (12-02-2023 by Nenad Jelisic)
NJ Wines has tasted all Systembolaget's new wines in regular assortment December 2022. The wines got the following points (Note that the wines are arranged in alphabetical order, that the wines that have got more than 3,0 NJP, if any, are presented or will be presented under "Make sure to try these wines, wines that have got at least 3,5 NJP of possible 5,0 NJP", that NV = non-vintage wine, that Systembolaget = a government owned chain of all liquor stores in Sweden and that NJ Wines does not taste wines from Boxes, Paper-packaging and PET-bottles because NJ Wines believes that these types of packaging destroy the wonderful wine culture. The Boxes also make people drink much more than they should.):
1. Arbin Mondeuse, Avalanche, Trosset, 2020 (16 EUR/17 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, France, 1,5 NJP, 2. Bonterra Estate, Collection, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2019 (22 EUR/24 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, USA, 2,5 NJP, 3. Bruno Cazes, Banyuls, 2014 (22 EUR/23 USD in Sweden; 500 ml) white sweet blend fortified wine, France, 2,5 NJP, 4. Butternut, Pinot Noir, Miller Family Wine Company, 2021 (13 EUR/14 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, USA, 0,5 NJP, 5. Castel Mimi, Cuvée Belle Fée, 2021 (9 EUR/10 USD in Sweden) white dry blend wine, Moldavia, 0,0 NJP, 6. Château de Vimont, Perin de Naudine, 2019 (20 EUR/21 USD in Sweden) white dry blend wine, France, 2,5 NJP, 7. Doña Dominga, Reserva de Familia, Syrah, 2021 (11 EUR/12 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Chile, 0,5 NJP, 8. Gran Reserva, Rioja, Anciano, 2015 (11 EUR/12 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Spain, 2,0 NJP, 9. Heirloom Vineyards, Adelaide Hills, Tempranillo, 2021 (18 EUR/19 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Australia, 0,5 NJP, 10. Joachim Flick, Hochheim Königin Victoriaberg, Riesling, Trocken, 2021 (18 EUR/19 USD in Sweden) white semi-dry wine, Germany, 0,5 NJP.
THE TOP 10 WiINES 2022 and THE BEST WiINE 2022 (10-12-2022 by Robert Jonasson and Nenad Jelisic)
This is the tenth year in a row that NJ Wines presents the 10 best wines of the year and this time in close cooperation with Robert Jonasson (Wines We Love).
Is this the shortest year ever? Th time flies and now it is time to close another wine year with a list of the best wines of the year. Since the restrictions were completely lifted during the year the most of trade wine tasting events have, happily enough, been resurrected. This has meant that Wines We Love has tasted many wines during the year and there has been fierce competition in the top 10 wines this year. All in all, Wines We Love together with NJ Wines have tasted around 3,300 wines during the year. Wines We Loves' and NJ Wines' most important criterion to include a wine on the top 10 wines 2022 is of course the wine's quality, but availability on the world market also plays a role.
This year, Bordeaux has shown what they are capable of. Winefinder's tasting of primeur wines and older vintages from Bordeaux was without a doubt the tasting of the year and as many as seven wines from there made it onto the list of the top 10 wines 2022. It was extra fun that a sweet white Bordeaux-wine made it high on the list. It has been a very long time since a Sauternes-wine entered the list. The only winery that got two wines on the list was Cos d'Estournel, with the vintage 2012 and 2017. Add to that a wonderful Clos de Vougeot 2019 from Domaine Henri Rebourseau, a brilliant Barolo Vigna Rionda Riserva 2016 from Massolino, a concentrated and complex Redegaffi 2020 from Tua Rita, a flavourful and well balanced Saint-Julien 2012 from Château Léoville Poyferré and the list is complete.
NEW WINES IN REGULAR ASSORTMENT SEPTEMBER 2022 (29-11-2022 by Nenad Jelisic)
NJ Wines has tasted all Systembolaget's new wines in regular assortment September 2022. The wines got the following points (Note that the wines are arranged in alphabetical order, that the wines that have got more than 3,0 NJP, if any, are presented or will be presented under "Make sure to try these wines, wines that have got at least 3,5 NJP of possible 5,0 NJP", that NV = non-vintage wine, that Systembolaget = a government owned chain of all liquor stores in Sweden and that NJ Wines does not taste wines from Boxes, Paper-packaging and PET-bottles because NJ Wines believes that these types of packaging destroy the wonderful wine culture. The Boxes also make people drink much more than they should.):
1. Arzuaga, Selección Especial, 2020 (21 EUR/ USD in Sweden) red dry wine vin, Spain, 2,5 NJP, 2. Autenta, Malbec, 2017 (15 EUR/15 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Argentina, 1,5 NJP, 3. Blue Eye, Chardonnay, 2021 (9 EUR/9 USD in Sweden) white dry blend wine, Australia, 0,5 NJP, 4. Casa Relvas, Touriga Nacional, 2021 (11 EUR/11 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Portugal, 1,0 NJP, 5. Catalina Sounds, Sauvignon Blanc, 2021 (15 EUR/16 USD in Sweden) white dry wine, New Zealand, 2,0 NJP, 6. Chardonnay, Limoux Blanc, 2020 (12 EUR/12 USD in Sweden) white dry wine, France, 2,0 NJP, 7. Domaine du Château Philippe le Hardi, Mercurey, 1er Cru Les Puillets, 2020 (27 EUR/28 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, France, 0,5 NJP, 8. Doña Dominga, Gran Reserva, Carménère, 2019 (15 EUR/16 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Chile, 1,5 NJP, 9. Garzón, Tannat de Corte, 2020 (9 EUR/9 USD in Sweden) red fry blend wine, Uruguay, 2,0 NJP, 10. Hope, Pinot Grigio, 2021 (11 EUR/11 USD in Sweden) white dry wine, Australia, 0,5 NJP.
Make sure to try these wines, wines that have got at least 3,5 NJP of possible 5,0 NJP
Churchill's, Late Bottled Vintage, 2017 (18 EUR/19 USD in Sweden) port wine, Porto, Douro, Portugal, 5,0 of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points) (28-01-2023 by Nenad Jelisic)
It is absolutely incredible that four consecutive vintages of Churchill's Late Bottled Vintage get 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points). If this vintage is compared to the three previous brilliant vintages, what characterizes it is a fabulous acidity and fabulous tannins. When I wrote about the 2016 vintage, I wrote “This is ... Read more
Los Patricios, Chardonnay, 2017 (25 EUR/30 USD in Sweden) white dry wine, Valle del Itata, Région del Sur, Chile, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (28-12-2022 by Nenad Jelisic)
If I should blind test this wonderful Chardonnay-wine, I would most likely say that it comes from the Meursault appellation in Côte de Beaune, Burgundy, France. The wine is without a doubt the best Chardonnay-wine that I have tasted from Chile so far. The aroma is big, complex and full-bodied. In it one will find browned ... Read more
Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, 2010 (322 EUR/342 USD in Sweden; winefinder.se), red dry blend wine, Pauillac, Haut-Médoc, Médoc, Bordeaux, France, 4,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP (96 points of 100 points) (30-11-2022 by Robert Jonasson and Nenad Jelisic)
The best wine of the year comes this year from Bordeaux and Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande in Pauillac. Vintage 2010 is the best vintage of Château Pichon-Longueville Comtesse de Lalande, which Wines We Love has tasted so far, and it is extra fun that the vintage has developed into a Bordeaux wine of the absolute ... Read more
The world's restaurants
The restaurants, which NJ Wines has viisited, tried their food and wines as well as rated food’s quality, food's taste, how the food is presented and looks, wine selection, decor, atmosphere, service and cleanliness, are presented here.
Tuzla's restaurants, Bosnia and Herzegovina (26-12-2022 by Nenad Jelisic)
NJ Wines visited many of Tuzla's restaurants during June and July 2022. The restaurants, which were visited, ranged from those specializing in just one dish to those that had a wide selection of dishes and could be opened in any city in Europe. As Bosnia and Herzegovina was occupied by many different empires, mostly by the Ottoman Empire (just over 400 years) and then by the Austro-Hungarian Empire, its food tradition has been greatly influenced by it. Furthermore, Bosnia and Herzegovina consists of three major religions, Muslims, Orthodox and Catholics, each of which has its own food traditions. All this makes Bosnia and Herzegovina a unique culinary place when it comes to food. And therefore, if you get the opportunity, you should definitely visit and try different cuisines in some of Bosnia and Herzegovina's cities such as Banja Luka, Mostar, Sarajevo or Tuzla. Also, people in Bosnia and Herzegovina are very nice and helpful.
Ekstedt, Stockholm, Sweden, 2,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP (17-10-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
Restaurant Ekstedt was the fourth restaurant in a row in Stockholm that NJ Wines visited and rated. Restaurant Ekstedt is owned by one of Sweden's most successful and influential chefs, Niklas Ekstedt, who became known through the cooking program Niklas Food on Swedish Television in 2005. After internships at several very famous chefs such as Charlie Trotter, Heston Blumenthal and Ferran Adrià, Niklas started in 2000, only 21 years old, his first restaurant, restaurant Niklas in Helsingborg in Sweden. From 2003, he also ran the restaurant Niklas Viken in the coastal community Viken north of Helsingborg. In 2007, Niklas opened the restaurant 1900 in Stockholm and with the move, the restaurants in Skåne were closed. In 2011, he opened the restaurant Ekstedt, which got a star in the prestigious Michelin guide in 2013 and has been retained it since then. A few years later, the restaurant 1900 was changed its name to Restaurant Niklas and then it was closed in 2017 when Niklas decided that he had to focus on his new restaurant (wine café) Tyge & Sessil and the restaurant Ekstedt. Since the beginning of 2018, Niklas owns restaurant Hillenberg in Stockholm. During 2018, Niklas was part of the cooking program "Four Hands Menu" and "New Scandinavian Cooking". He has also published seven cookbooks: Niklas cookbook (2004), Niklas in the middle of the week (2006), Niklas tastes (2008), Niklas Home cooked Swedish food (2011), Grill with Niklas (2013), Ekstedt over open fire: recipe for the analog kitchen (2017) and Niklas Christmas (2018). In addition to these seven cookbooks, he managed to write three more cookbooks with Henrik Ennart: Happy food: About how food and happiness are connected (2017), The blue food (2018) and Happy food 2.0: About how the meal and happiness go together (2018 ) and a cookbook together with Christian Daun: My child eats everything (2017). Niklas really has to like his profession a lot otherwise he would never succeed to do all this in just 41 years.
The Veranda, Grand Hôtel, Stockholm, Sweden, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (23-11-2019 by Nenad Jelisic)
There are not so many restaurants in the world that are located in a capital city and have such a fabulous view as this restaurant and the restaurant's big brother the Cadier Bar, which is on the opposite side of it. The view of the Royal Palace, the Old Town and the boats on Stockholm's current. Both restaurants are located in Sweden's most exclusive and very beautiful Grand Hôtel in Stockholm. While the Cadier Bar, which is named after Régis Cadier (French chef and hotel founder), is a restaurant where one comes mainly to be seen, and drink champagne, cocktail or beer, The Veranda is a restaurant where you come to eat good food and drink good wines. In the Cadier Bar, one can also order good food, the food comes from the same kitchen that makes food for the Veranda. During all years, which I have been visited the Cadier Bar, it has seemed that the visitors of the Cadier Bar are there to drink something or to take something that fits well with champagne or coffee. In addition to these two restaurants, the hotel has two restaurants of renowned Swedish chef Mathias Dahlgren: Matbaren (see my article from 05-11-2017) and Rutabaga.
All you need to know aboout Priorat (26-03-2023 by Nenad Jelisic)
The text excerpts from NJ Wines' extensive wine dictionary are presented here. The text excerpts will be changed one to four times a month. You can read about exciting wines, appellations, wine districts, wine regions, etc. by clicking above on the "Wine glossary and wine facts".
Priorat, a Spanish DOCa-classified wine region, which belongs to the geographical area of Catalonia. Right now, only Rioja and Priorat are DOCa-classified. Priorat’s vineyards are planted on steep (15 to 60 degrees) terraced slopes along the Siruana and Montsant river valleys and lie at an altitude of 100 to 700 m above sea level. The region has both continental and Mediterranean climate. The summers are hot (max 40°C) while the winters are cold (min -3°C). On average it rains 400 to 600 mm per year (comparatively it rains 600 to 700 mm per year in Sweden) and the number of hours of sunshine per year is 2,600 (from 1,500 to 1,600 in Sweden). Priorat's 1,916 ha planted with vine give about 13,887 hl per year. The average yield is 1,500 kg of grapes per hectare and the maximum yield is 6,000 kg of grapes per hectare (for red wine grapes), corresponding to 39 hl/ha. The maximum yield for white wine grapes is 8,000 kg of grapes per hectare, corresponding to 52 hl/ha. The red wines usually consist of a blend of two or three of the following grapes: Garnacha Tinta, Cariñena, Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Within Priorat, there are the following quality designations that regulate aging time: Crianza, Reserva and Gran Reserva. Crianza, the wine must be aged for at least 2 years, of which at least 12 months in oak barrels. Reserva, the wine must be aged for at least 3 years, of which at least 12 months in oak barrels and at least 24 months in the bottle. Gran Reserva, the wine must be aged for at least 6 years, of which at least 24 months in oak barrels and at least 48 months in the bottle. There are not so many wineries that follow those before mentioned aging times. Usually wines are produced that are classified as vino de guarda, i.e. the wines that must be aged for at least 2 years, of which at least 18 months in oak barrels and at least 6 months in the bottle. Palacio's famous vineyard L'Ermita (1,7 hectares), from which comes the world-famous wine L'Ermita, is the largest vineyard with old Garnacha vines in the wine region.
Priorat grapes, dominated by Garnacha Blanca and Macabeo for white wines, and Garnacha Tinta, Cariñena, Cabernet Sauvignon, Syrah and Merlot for red wines.
Priorato, another name to Priorat.
Priorat soils, vary, but they are characterized for a mixture that consists of black-reddish slate and mica. The mixture, which is called licorella, gives the wines a unique mineral character, good drainage properties, and both reflects sunbeams and stores the solar heat. When the sun has gone down, the stored solar heat in the mixture still emits the heat, which helps the ripening of the grapes. During the summer, the temperature of the mixture reaches 50°C.
Priorat the best vintages, 2001, 2010 and 2013.
Priorat the best wines, Cartus, Cims de Porrera Clàssic, Clos de l’Obac, Clos Dominic, Clos Martinet, Finca Dofi, L'Ermita, Mas Doix, Mas Martinet, Perinet+, Vinyes Altes and Vinyes Baixes.
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