The wine of the month
During the first seven 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 3,0 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.
November 2020: Edi Simcic, Kozana, Chardonnay, 2017 (35 EUR when purchasing in the winery) white dry wine, Goriska Brda, Primorje, Slovenia, 3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP (85 points of 100 points) (07-11-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
This vintage of Kozana Chardonnay from the Simcic family (Alex and Edi), which comes 100% from the Kozana vineyard, is not as good as the 2015 vintage that got 4,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP, but regardless it the wine belongs to one of the best Chardonnay-wines from vintage 2017 that NJ Wines tasted in 2020. For the aroma itself, the wine gets 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP. What makes that the wine gets "only" 3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP is that it lacks a little better concentration and fruitiness. Everything else is there. The aroma is big, complex, concentrated and aromatic. It is filled with sweet spices, where vanilla stands out clearly, sweet exotic fruits, citrus fruits, yellow pears, yellow apples and freshly baked brioche. The flavour is fresh, mineral and complex. It is filled with citrus fruits, minerals, green apples, green pears, sweet spices and exotic fruits. The wine has a really good acidity that in combination with a good concentration and fruitiness do that the wine will develop for up to 5 years until i.e. until to the year 2025. But it will be enjoyable for at least another 10 years i.e. until the year 2030. With some better concentration and fruitiness, the wine would have an aging potential of at least 10 years. Edi Simcic Kozana Chardonnay 2017 will go really well as an aperitif wine before the meal or with sliced cold smoked salmon with creamy potato salad (boiled potato, crème fraiche, mayonnaise and a little capers) or with hot smoked mackerel with fresh potato salad (boiled fresh potato, cherries tomatoes, chives, olive oil, lemon juice and Dijon mustard) or with seafood salad (lobsters or shrimps or both, crème fraiche, mayonnaise, a little horseradish and cherry tomatoes) or with woked red curry chicken (a little olive oil, small pieces of chicken, yellow onion, bamboo shoots, red peppers, zucchini, red curry and coconut milk). The grapes for the wine are hand harvested. Vines are 23 years old. The soil on which the vines grow consists of various forms of weathered flysch (called local opoka), which consists of thin and cyclically repeated sedimentary layers of limestone, mudstone and sandstone, and marl (clayey soil that contains plenty of calcium carbonate). The soil such as this is mineral rich, and has very good drainage properties that means that the vines have to go very deep to find water. A combination of all of the above mentioned factors does that Edi Simcic Kozana 2015 has a clear mineral flavour. The wine is first macerated for about 2 hours in press and then fermented in 70% used and 30% new 225 litre oak barrels (barriques) from France under a temperature between 22 and 24 degrees for about 25 days. After the fermentation, the wine is aged in the same oak barrels as it had been fermented for about 10 months. After the aging, the wine is bottled and aged for about 12 more months. It should be drunk at about 8°C from large Burgundy glasses, if possible, from Orrefors, Spiegelau or Riedel.
News
Here presents news and results from various wine tastings, which NJ Wines has attended, and other news.
New wines in Regular Assortmenmt September 2020 (30-10-2020 by Nenad Jelisic and Robert Jonasson)
NJ Wines has tasted all Systembolaget's new wines in Regular Assortment September 2020. The wines got the following points (Note that the wines are arranged in alphabetical order and that the wines that have got more than 2,5 NJP, if any, are presented under "Make sure to try these wines, wines that have got at least 3,0 NJP of possible 5,0 NJP"; NV = non-vintage wine; Systembolaget = a government owned chain of all liquor stores in Sweden): 1. Château Larouy, Graves, Blanc, 2019 (10 EUR/11 USD) white dry blend wine, France, 2,0 NJP, 2. Domaine Bousquet, White, Brut, NV (11 EUR/14 USD) white dry blend sparkling wine, Argentina, 2,0 NJP, 3. El Esteco, Malbec, 2019 (14 EUR/17 USD) red dry blend wine, Argentina, 0,0 NJP, 4. Estacade, White, 2019 (12 EUR/15 USD) white dry blend wine, France, 1,0 NJP, 5. Finca Luna Beberide, 2018 (14 EUR/17 USD) red dry blend wine, Spain, 0,0 NJP, 6. Girasol, Verdejo, Organic, 2019 (7 EUR/8 USD) white dry wine, Spain, 0,5 NJP, 7. Hacienda el Espino, Garnacha Tintorera, 2019 (8 EUR/9 USD) red dry blend wine, Spain, 0,0 NJP, 8. Hartenberg, Shiraz, 2018 (18 EUR/22 USD) red dry wine, South Africa, 0,0 NJP, 9. Heartland, One, 2018 (39 EUR/46 USD) red dry blend wine, Australia, 2,5 NJP, 10. Jeanneret, Big Fine Girl, Riesling, Jeanneret Wines, 2019 (11 EUR/14 USD) white dry wine, Australia, 2,0 NJP.
New wines in Temporary Assortment that were tasted during September 2020 (04-10-2020 by Robert Jonasson and Nenad Jelisic)
The tasted Systembolaget's new wines in Temporary Assortment, which were tasted during September 2020, got the following points (Note that the wines are arranged in alphabetical order; NV = non-vintage wine; Systembolaget = a government owned chain of all liquor stores in Sweden): 1. Barolo, Azelia, 2015 (31 EUR/36 USD) red dry wine, Italy, 2,5 NJP, 2. Benanti, Etna Rosso, (16 EUR/17 USD) red dry blend wine, Italy, 1,0 NJP, 3. Château Bibian, 2015 (17 EUR/18 USD) red dry blend wine, France, 2,5 NJP, 4. Delaire Graff Estate, Coastal Cuvée, Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 (14 EUR/15 USD) white dry wine, South Africa, 2,0 NJP, 5. Domaine de la Janasse, Terre d'Argile, 2018 (18 EUR/19 USD) red dry blend wine, France, 2,5 NJP, 6. Graffigna, Syrah, 2017 (14 EUR/16 USD) red dry wine, Argentina, 0,5 NJP, 7. La Piade, Vinsobres, Domaine Chaume Arnaud, 2018 (14 EUR/15 USD) red dry blend wine, France 1,5 NJP, 8. Legaris, Crianza, 2017 (17 EUR/18 USD) red dry blend wine, Spain, 2,0 NJP, 9. Les Roches Gaudiniéres, 2017 (16 EUR/17 USD) white dry wine, France, 1,0 NJP, 10. Radice, 2018 (15 EUR/16 USD) rosé torrt wine, Italy, 1,5 NJP.
New wines in Regular Assortment June 2020 (19-07-2020 by Nenad Jelisic and Robert Jonasson)
NJ Wines has tasted all Systembolaget's new wines in Regular Assortment June 2020. The wines got the following points (Note that the wines are arranged in alphabetical order and that the wines that have got more than 2,5 NJP, if any, are presented under "Make sure to try these wines, wines that have got at least 3,0 NJP of possible 5,0 NJP"; NV = non-vintage wine; Systembolaget = a government owned chain of all liquor stores in Sweden): 1. Anakena, Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 (8 EUR/9 USD) white dry wine, Chile, 0,5 NJP, 2. Bardolino Chiaretto, La Sogara, Rosé, Cottini SPA, 2019 (9 EUR/10 USD) rosé dry blend wine, Italy, 1,5 NJP, 3. Celebrandum, Reserva, Seco, Castelldor SL, NV (9 EUR/10 USD) white semi-sweet sparkling wine, Spain, 0,0 NJP, 4. Château Bouscassé, Les Jardins Philosophiques, 2016 (13 EUR/14 USD) white dry blend wine, France, 2,0 NJP, 5. Château Majorel, 2018 (9 EUR/11 USD) red dry blend wine, France, 0,0 NJP, 6. Crasto Superior White, 2018 (14 EUR/15 USD) white dry blend wine, Portugal, 2,0 NJP, 7. Domaine Boyar, Etno Sauvignon Blanc, 2019 (6 EUR/7 USD) white dry wine, Bulgaria, 2,0 NJP, 8. Federico Paternina, Banda Azul, Crianza, 2017 (8 EUR/9 USD) red dry blend wine, Spain, 1,0 NJP, 9. Finca Negra, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2015 (15 EUR/17 USD) red dry wine, Chile, 1,5 NJP, 10. Graf Von Weyher, 2019 (11 EUR/12 USD) white semi-sweet wine, Germany, 0,5 NJP.
The Systembolaget's New Vintages and New Wines (10-12-2019 by Nenad Jelisic and Robert Jonasson; next update 10-12-2020)
The Systembolaget's new vintages and new wines in regular assortment, small assortment and order assortment are presented here. Note that: the wines are arranged in alphabetical order, if some bottle is smaller or larger than 750 ml it appears behind the price of the wine otherwise it does not appear and the best wines, which got more than 2,5 NJP, are presented under the 167 best. The new vintages and the new wines got the following points: 1. A, Amarone, 2015 (19 EUR/21 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Italy, 1,5 NJP, 2. A, Amarone, 2016 (19 EUR/21 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Italy, 1,0 NJP, 3. AA Orbus, 100% Syrah, 2013 (33 EUR/37 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Spain, 3,0 NJP, 4. Abbotts & Delaunay, Carignan, Vieilles Vignes, 2017 (8 EUR/9 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, France, 2,0 NJP, 5. Adobe, Reserva, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2017 (7 EUR/8 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Chile, 0,5 NJP, 6. Adobe, Reserva, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2018 (7 EUR/8 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Chile, 0,5 NJP, 7. Adobe, Reserva, Malbec, 2018 (7 EUR/8 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Chile, 0,0 NJP, 8. Adobe, Reserva, Rosé, 2017 (7 EUR/8 USD in Sweden) rosé dry blend wine, Chile, 2,0 NJP, 9. Adobe, Reserva, Rosé, 2018 (7 EUR/8 USD in Sweden) rosé dry blend wine, Chile, 1,5 NJP, 10. Aglianico, Riserva, La Fortezza Società Agricola, 2011 (16 EUR/17 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Italy, 2,0 NJP.
See 2,209 tasted and rated new vintages and new wines and 167 best
Make sure to try these wines, wines that have got at least 3,0 NJP of possible 5,0 NJP
Here we present wines that have got at least 3,0 NJP of 5,0 possible and that are available at Systembolaget (a government owned chain of all liquor stores in Sweden that has a strict monopoly status on alcohol sales to consumers in Sweden, except for restaurants and bars). Note that NJP apply only to the below described vintages.
Sankt Anna, Riesling, 2019 (9 EUR/10 USD in Sweden) white semi-sweet wine, Germany, 3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP (85 points of 100 points) (07-09-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
Here we have a really good Riesling-wine from the wine region of Pfalz in Germany. One of the best that NJ Wines has tasted so far from Germany this year. Its high sugar content, 31 grams per liter, is very well met by its high acidity. Thanks to it, it does not taste as a semi-sweet wine, it tastes more as a semi-dry wine. The wine is characterized by a clear aroma of passion fruit, nectarines, yellow apples, yellow pears, honey and citrus fruits. When it comes to taste, the wine is characterized by yellow pears, yellow apples, grapefruit, honey, nectarines, minerals and other citrus fruits in addition to grapefruit. It has no aging potential. And even if it had an aging potential, it could not be further aged because of the stupid screw cap. But, if you age it properly (right temperature, right humidity and dark space), you can drink it for 3 more years until 2023. Sankt Anna Riesling 2019 will fit really well as a companion wine when it has cooled down to 6°C. When it comes to food, drink it also cooled to 6°C with seafood salad (dill, mayonnaise, crème fraiche, very little freshly squeezed lemon juice and different types of seafood like shrimps or crayfish or lobsters or crabs or all together) or with stir-fried red curry chicken (red curry, coconut milk, thinly sliced chicken thigh fillets, red pepper, zucchini, yellow onion and bamboo shoots) with jasmine rice or with butter-fried cod fillet with buttery mashed potatoes, with a little truffle oil in it, and white wine sauce or with fried tiger prawns with sweet and sour sauce. Sankt Anna Riesling 2019 should be drunk from Riesling-glasses such as Difference Crisp from Orrefors or Veritas from Riedel or Esprit from Peugeot or Atelier from Luigi Bormioli. The soil in the vineyards for the wine consists of shale. The grapes are hand-harvested and carefully selected in both the vineyards and upon arrival at the winery. After the destemming and crushing process, the grape mass, which consists of pulps, skins and seeds, goes in the press machine where the grape must is cold macerated for about 12 hours under a temperature around 10°C. When the pressing is completed, the grape juice is poured in stainless steel tanks where it is fermented under a controlled temperature between 15 and 20 degrees. After the fermentation, the wine is aged on its lees in the same stainless steel tanks that it was fermented in. After the aging, the wine is easily filtered, bottled and then aged for a few weeks before it is released on the market.
Graham's, Late Bottled Vintage, 2014 (15 EUR/18 USD in Sweden) port wine, Porto, Douro, Portugal, 3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP (85 points of 100 points) (07-08-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
I do not remember when I last tasted such a good Graham's Late Bottled Vintage-port wine like this. Although the 2014 vintage was not so good, Graham's managed to make a really good port wine. The wine has a wonderful very sweet aroma that is filled with Crème de Cassis, dried red grapes, dried dates, dried figs, freshly ground coffee, black pepper, cocoa-rich dark chocolate, tobacco and sweet spices. Very sweet flavour that is filled with dried black cherries, Crème de Cassis, rum raisins, black pepper, sweet spices, tobacco, cocoa-rich dark chocolate, dried figs and dried dates. The balance between the wine's sweetness and the wine's acidity/tannins is fabulous. If the wine's flavour would be as good as its aroma, it would get 5,0 NJP out of 5,0 NJP. It has a really good aging potential, at least 10 years, i.e. until at least 2030, and will during these years reach 4,0 NJP or even more. The wine is a blend of four different grape varieties: Touriga Franca, Touriga Nacional, Tinta Amarela and Tinta Barroca. The wine's production process is as follows: the grapes are harvested and selected by hand, after the harvest, the grapes are delivered to the winery where they are destemmed and then placed in the low stone tanks (lagares) where they are treaded (crushed) by mechanized feet. After the destemming and crushing process, the grape must, which consists of pulp, skins and seeds, is fermented 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 separated from the grape must and aged in large oak barrels 5 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. 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 Castello Blue, Gorgonzola, Parmigiano Reggiano, Roquefort, Stilton, and Västerbotten. Or with less sweet cherry pie, blueberry pie and apple pie or with cocoa rich dark chocolate or with pancakes filled with Nutella, very fine grated dark chocolate and walnuts or with Swedish kladdkaka, but so little sweet as possible. Or just enjoy it without any food. I recommend that you start to drink Graham's Late Bottled Vintage 2014 at 8°C (unlike what most of wine websites recommend) and let it slowly grows/opens in the glass while you drink it. If you can drink it from Riedel Vinum Port or Orrefors Difference Sweet or Orrefors Elixir.
Alburejo, Oloroso, NV (8 EUR/9 USD in Sweden; 375 ml) white dry sherry, Jerez, Spain, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (05-07-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
Finally, a Sherry Oloroso-wine that impresses. The last time I tasted such a good Sherry Oloroso-wine was several years ago. In the aroma one will find raisins, cinnamon, walnuts, dried figs and burnt sugar. The flavour is fresh and a little salty. In it one will find roasted sugar, walnuts, citrus fruits, dried figs, green apples, cinnamon and raisins. Alburejo Oloroso NV is made of 100% Palomino Fino (green grape), which according to Spanish law must come from the triangle shaped area between Jerez, Sanlúcar de Barrameda and El Puerto de Santa María in Spain. The grapes for this Sherry Oloroso-wine are grown on three types of soil: the first type, which is almost white and called albariza, consists of 50% of lime and the rest of clay, limestone and sand, the second type, which is dark brown and called barros, consists to 10% of lime and the rest is dominated by clay and the third type, which is yellowish and called arenas, consists to 10% of lime and the rest is dominated by sand. The wine's production process is as follows: the grapes are harvested in the beginning September, after the harvest, the grapes are quickly delivered to the winery, so that oxidation does not destroy the grapes, where they are destemmed and gently pressed, the pressed grape must, from the first pressing, is fermented in stainless steel tanks until the fermentation process is complete, the finished fermented dry wine with an alcohol strength of 11-12% is fortified with strong grape spirit to around 18% and then it undergoes at least 10 years long solera-process. Solera-process means that 4 to 7 layers of 600 litres oak barrels lie on each other. The oak barrels at the bottom contain the oldest wines and it is from those that the wine is bottled. After the wine has been taken out of the bottom oak barrels, the same amount (maximum 33% per year) is filled from the oak barrels that are closest to the above and so on. The higher alcohol content of the wine prevents layer of flor (a skin of yeast) from forming. Note here that wines which are aged in oak barrels that form layer of flor do not come into contact with oxygen and therefore become drier than wines that have not formed layer of flor, and come into contact with oxygen. Alburejo Oloroso NV little salty and very long and fresh aftertaste makes it fit really well as an aperitif. I guarantee that soon after you have drunk it you will be craving for food. Cool it down to 8°C and then enjoy it while complexity grows in your glass over time. Drink it, if possible, from Orrefors Elixir Connaisseur or Riedel Sommeliers Sherry or Spiegelau Willsberger Anniversary. When food is in question, I recommend cold cuts or breaded cod or breaded oysters or breaded shrimps or breaded plaice or all kinds of tapas or creamy lobster soup. The wine will not develop further, but thanks to its complexity and acidity, it will be good to drink for many years to come.
The world's wines
Here presents the wines that have got at least 3,0 NJP of possible 5,0 NJP and which do not exit at Systembolaget (a government owned chain of all liquor stores in Sweden that has a strict monopoly status on alcohol sales to consumers in Sweden, except for restaurants and bars), but they should definitely be there. Or should be at least be available to Swedish restaurants through some wine importer. Note that NJP apply only to the below described vintages.
Steyer, Vaneja, 2011 (65 EUR when purchasing in the winery; 375 ml) white sweet wine, Radgona-Kapela, Podravje, Slovenia, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (07-10-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
The world's best Gewurztraminer-wines should come from their place of birth and their kingdom, i.e. from Alsace in France, but winery Steyer proves through this wine, and through their Gewurztraminer-ice wines and dry Gewurztraminer-wines, that this is not the case. In 2006, I, the first time, tasted a Gewurztraminer-wine made from dried grapes directly from a 30 litres big oak barrel together with the wine's winemaker Danilo Steyer. Before that, I thought it was impossible to produce a Gewurztraminer-wine made from dried grapes that have a good acidity better to say have a good balance between sweetness and acidity due to that Gewurztraminer-grape is not characterized by any good acidity. Better to say it is very difficult to get Gewurztraminer-grape ripe and at the same time keep its acidity. Not to mention that when the grapes are dried, the sugar content becomes even higher and a balance between sweetness and acidity becomes even more difficult to achieve. But it seems for Danilo there is absolutely no problem to do it. With all the facts I have right now, I claim that the Steyer winery produces the best sweet Gewurztraminer-wines in the whole of Ex-Yugoslavia (nowadays; Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia, Serbia and Slovenia) and probably in the whole world. I have tasted Steyer Vaneja 2011 three times and it does not cease to amaze me with its complexity, aroma and flavor richness and very long aftertaste. Very clear aroma of white flowers, honey, dried fruits, orange peel and sweet spices. Very sweet, concentrated and fresh flavour with clear taste of honey, citrus fruits, dried fruits, rose water and sweet spices. Brilliant balance between sweetness and acidity. Enormous development potential, at least 20 years i.e. until at least the year 2040. Note that it is already 9 years old. Steyer Vaneja 2011 should be enjoyed with grilled goose liver, which is the best combination with the wine, or with fruit salad consisting of orange, white grapes, mango, kiwi and a little of this wine or with tasty moldy cheeses such as Gorgonzola, Roquefort and Stilton or without any food at all, just enjoy its enormous complexity and aroma and flavor richness. It should be drank at 8°C from Riedel Vinum Extreme Rose/Ice wine or Orrefors Difference Sweet or Orrefors Elixir. The soil of the wine consists of sandy clay, vines are 22 years old and grapes come from vineyards located at an altitude of about 280 meters above sea level in the appellation Radgona-Kapela. The harvest takes place at the end of September by cutting off parts of the vines that have the best wine clusters. The parts are then hung under the roof where they dry for a three-month long period. After drying, the grapes are hand-picked and carefully selected. Then they are pressed very slowly and very gently over a three-day long period. The highly concentrated must is then fermented in old oak barrels from France, which hold 200 to 300 litres, over a three-month long period and a controlled temperature of 12 and 15°C. The aging takes place in the same oak barrels as the fermentation has been done for a period of thirty-six-months and then for another twelve months in a bottle. Only 1,000 0,375 litres bottles were produced from this vintage.
Morlet Family Vineyards, Cœur de Vallée, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2014, red dry blend wine, Oakville, Napa Valley, North Coast, California, USA, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (02-05-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
This wine benefits a lot from decanting. Its aroma richness, flavour richness and complexity are strongly favoured by it. The aroma is wonderful, sweet spicy and complex with sweet spices, cocoa-rich dark chocolate, sweet tobacco, dried dark cherries, crème de cassis and dried plums. The flavour is complex and sweet spicy with cocoa-rich dark chocolate, sweet spices, dark ripe cherries, sweet tobacco and black pepper. The interplay between tannins, acidity and fruitiness is really good. Morlet Family Vineyards Cœur de Vallée Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 will developed for at least 10 years i.e. until at least 2030. It consists of 75% Cabernet Sauvignon and 25% Cabernet Franc. The soils on which the grapes for this wine grow consists of alluvial soils. The grapes for the wine are harvested by hand. After careful selection in both vineyards and winery, careful destemming and crushing, the wine is fermented/macerated with natural yeast in stainless steel tanks and puncheons (600 litres oak barrels). After the fermentation and the maceration, the wine is aged in new barriques (225 litres oak barrels) for 16 months and finally in bottles for a few weeks. The wine is not filtered. Morlet Family Vineyards Cœur de Vallée Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 should be served at 18 to 19°C in Bordeaux glasses, if possible, from Orrefors, Kosta Boda, Spiegelau or Riedel. Start by serving it at 16°C (when room temperature is over 20°C or outdoor temperature is over 23°C) and then enjoy it when it starts to grow in the glass. If the wine would be drank today, it should be decanted for at least two hours. It should be enjoyed with reindeer stew with buttery mashed potatoes or with wild stew (wild boar, deer and moose or any of these) with chanterelles or porcini and jasmine rice or with burgundy meat stew (boeuf bourguignon) or with Swedish meatballs with cream sauce and buttery mashed potatoes or with hard cheeses such as Västerbottensost, Grana Padano and Parmesan. Morlet Family Vineyards Cœur de Vallée Cabernet Sauvignon 2014 is a really good wine, but if you want to get in the wine heaven, you have to taste the Morlet Family Vineyards Passionnément Cabernet Sauvignon 2012, which is a 100 Cabernet Sauvignon-wine that got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points) of NJ Wines in November 2018.
Steyer, Sauvignon, 2018, white dry wine, Radgona-Kapela, Podravje, Slovenia, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (02-02-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
This wine and Edi Simcic Sauvignon 2016, which was chosen as the wine of the month in August 2019, are the two best Sauvignon Blanc-wines that NJ Wines tasted in 2019. The wine is very fresh, very aromatic and a brilliant school example how a really good Sauvignon Blanc-wine should smell, taste and be. Aroma of black currant leaves, green tomatoes, yellow apples and yellow pears. Very fresh flavour of green tomatoes, citrus fruits and green apples. Really good balance between the sweetness and the acidity. Steyer Sauvignon 2018 fits perfectly as an aperitif, especially during hot summer days. Its high acidity will certainly increase appetite. It will fit really well with grilled white fish such as cod, turbot, plaice and halibut or with fresh oysters or with fresh tagliatelle pasta with the delights of the sea (crayfish, mussels and octopus) or with pizza Frutti di Mare or with grilled chicken with white wine sauce, lemon juice and cooked small fresh potatoes. Steyer Sauvignon 2018 should be drunk at 8 to 10°C from, if possible, glasses like Difference Crisp from Orrefors or Veritas from Riedel or Esprit from Peugeot or Atelier from Luigi Bormioli. The wine’s soil consists of sandy clay, vines are 15 years old and grapes come from two vineyards that both are located at a height of about 260 meters above sea level in the appellation Radgona-Kapela. The grapes are hand-harvested and carefully selected in both the vineyards and upon arrival at the winery. After the destemming and crushing process, the grape must, which consists of pulp, skins and seeds, goes in the press machine where the grape must is cold macerated for about 12 hours under a temperature around 10°C. When the pressing is completed, the must is poured in stainless steel tanks where it is fermented under a controlled temperature between 15 and 20 degrees. After the fermentation, the wine is aged on its lees in the same stainless steel tanks that it was fermented in. After the aging, the wine is easily filtered, bottled and then aged for a few weeks before it is released on the market.
More abut wine - Appellations and wines
Appellations and wines, Champagne (20-12-2019 by Nenad Jelisic and Robert Jonasson)
Champagne is a French wine region that is known for its sparkling wines. It consists of five wine districts: 1. Aube (also known as the Côte des Bar, 7,721 ha or 23% of the district's area planted with grapes), 2. Côte des Blancs (4,351 ha or 13%), 3. Côte de Sézanne (1,944 ha or 6%), 4. Montagne de Reims (7,959 ha or 24%) and 5. Vallée de la Marne (11,593 ha or 34%). It has 32,173 ha under vine. There are 324 villages in Champagne and all are classified in percentage (80 to 100%) according to Echelle des Crus, where the best vineyards receive 100% of the maximum price for the grapes. The region has 17 Grand Crus-villages, all of which are classified as 100% and all are located in the three most famous wine districts. 9 of those are located in Montagne de Reims, 6 in the Côte des Blancs and 2 in the Vallée de la Marne. The best Chardonnay grapes are grown in Côte des Blancs and many claim that the majority of the best vineyards are lying on the middle slopes of Le Mesnil-sur-Oger. The best Pinot Noir grapes are grown on the southern slopes of Ambonnay and Bouzy and the northern slopes of Verzenay and Verzy. Champagne annually produces 385 million bottles i.e. the average yield is incredible high, 86 hl/ha.
See 686 tasted and rated Champagnes and 45 best
Appellations and wines, Barolo (25-05-2019 by Robert Jonasson and Nenad Jelisic)
Barolo is both an Italian DOCG-appellation, which belongs to the Piedmont (Piemonte) wine region, and a DOCG-wine, one of Italy's most exclusive and best red wines. The appellation has 2,161 ha planted with Nebbiolo grapes, which can only be used for Barolo-wines. Barolo extends over 11 municipalities: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, Cherasco, Diano d'Alba, Grinzane Cavour, La Mora, Monforte d'Alba, Novello, Roddi, Searralunga d'Alba and Verduno; the most known of them are: Barolo, Castiglione Falletto, La Mora, Monforte d'Alba and Searralunga d'Alba. The allowed yield is 56 hl/ha, while the average is 48 hl/ha. The minimum age for aging is three years, two of which must be in barrel. Barolo may be designated as Riserva if it was aged in barrel for at least four years. Barolo may be also designated as Riserva Speciale if it was aged in barrel for at least five years. There are two schools: 1. modern school and 2. traditional school. The modern school ferments at a lower temperature and allows the grape skins macerate (i.e. let the grape skins remain in the must and leach) in maximum two weeks. The traditional school ferments at a higher temperature (up to 30ºC) and allows the grape skins macerate for three to four weeks, and ages wines in "botti" for many years (8 to 10 years).
See 151 tasted and rated Barolo wines and 6 best
Appellations and wines, Bordeaux (15-02-2018 by Robert Jonasson and Nenad Jelisic)
Bordeaux is a French wine region, which is divided into three wine areas. The first wine area is located on the Garonne and Gironde river's left bank and it is called the Left Bank. The second wine area lies between two rivers, the Garonne and Dordogne, and it is called Entre-Deux-Mers, the area "between two seas". The third wine area is located on the Dordogne river's right bank and it is called the Right Bank (also called Libournais). The first wine area (Left Bank) is divided into two wine districts: Medoc and Graves, there also Sauternes and Barsac are embedded. The second wine area (Entre-Duex-Mers) is divided into nine appellations. The third wine area (Right Bank) is divided into whole series of individual appellations, the most famous between them are Pomerol and Saint-Emilion, which together form the Libournais.
See 691 tasted and rated Bordeaux wines and 36 best
More abut wine - Wine producer profile
Wine producer profile: Domaine Parent (01-12-2019 by Nenad Jelisic and Robert Jonasson)
Domaine Parent is a producer in Pommard, in the heart of Côte d’Or in Burgundy in France, dating back to the 17th century. Domaine Parent is currently run by the sixth generation of Parent; Anne Parent and her sister Catherine Fages-Parent. Anne and Catherine took over the company from their father, Jacques, in 1998. Domaine Parent currently owns about 10 hectares of vineyards, mainly in Pommard. It produces 15 red wines and only 3 white wines. The heart of the production at Domaine Parent is their fine series of wines from Premier Cru vineyards in Pommard. A total of 6 different Pommard Premier Crus are produced. The wines from the vineyards north of the road Rue de la Refène are experienced as more powerful while the wines from vineyards south of the road are experienced as more elegant, e.g. Pommard Premier Cru Les Epenots. The reason why the wines are experienced so different is the soil. The soils vary in the vineyards of Pommard, but consists mainly of red clay, dolomitic limestone and marl. On the north side of the road, the soil is red colored by iron oxide, which makes the wines more powerful.
Wine producer profile: Domaine de la Romanée-Conti (24-07-2018 by Nenad Jelisic)
Domaine de la Romanée-Conti, which was founded 1869, is one of the world's most famous winery, and is located in the French wine region of Bourgogne. The winery has 7 fantastic vineyards: Echézeaux (4,67 ha), Grands Echézeaux (3,53 ha), La Tâche (6,06 ha), Montrachet (0,67 ha), Richebourg (3,51 ha), Romanée-Conti (1,81 ha) and Romanée Saint Viviant (5,29 ha). They together cover 25,51 hectares. All seven are classified as Gran Cru-vineyards. Besides Montrachet, which belongs to both the appellation Chassagne-Montrachet and the appellation Puligny-Montrachet, all other belong to the appellation Vosne-Romanée. In addition to the aforementioned vineyards, the winery rents three vineyards that are located in the French appellation of Aloxe-Corton and who are also classified as Grand Cru-vineyards: Bressandes (1,19 ha), Clos du Roi (0,57 ha) and Renardes (0,51 ha). They together cover 2,27 hectares. The vineyards: La Tâche and Romanée-Conti are 100% owned (so-called monopol) by the Domaine de la Romanée-Conti.
Wine producer profile: Ridge Vineyards (05-03-2017 by Robert Jonasson and Nenad Jelisic)
High up in the Santa Cruz Mountains, with a magnificent view over the San Andreas Fault, lies Ridge Vineyards. Ridge Vineyards is a legendary wine estate in California, which was founded in 1960. The winery and the vineyards are located at Monte Bello Ridge in the Santa Cruz Mountains appellation (AVA). Monte Bello Ridge lie at an elevation of about 800 m above sea level. The history of the Ridge Vineyards and Monte Bello Ridge began long before when Osea Perrone planted vineyards near the top of Monte Bello Ridge in 1885. In 1892, Perrone’s company Monte Bello Winery produced the first vintage from the Monte Bello Ridge vineyards. During Prohibition, the property was abandoned, and it was not until the 1940s when a man named William Short bought the abandoned winery and some of the vineyards that surrounded it. In 1949, William Short replanted Cabernet Sauvignon and planted the first vines of Chardonnay in the Monte Bello Ridge vineyards.
The world's restaurants
Here presents the restaurants that is considered to be the world's best restaurants. The restaurants, which NJ Wines has visited, tried their food and wine as well as rated food’s quality, food's taste, how the food is presented and looks, wine selection, decor, atmosphere, service and cleanliness. (NJP = Nenad Jelisic Points)
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.
The Flying Elk, Stockholm, Sweden, 2,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (18-08-2019 by Nenad Jelisic)
A new Stockholm-restaurant-disappointment again, but it is not as big as the one with the Matbaren, Mathias Dahlgren at the Grand Hôtel, which got 1,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP on my last visit, the third visit. I think that the problem with The Flying Elk's low rating lies in the fact that Björn Frantzén's small restaurant empire has become too big too quickly. So fast big that Björn has transferred control and management of his new restaurants to significantly less talented part-owners/managers. Then, their poor management and control has led to that cooks, sommeliers and waiters have stopped caring or that they had employed the cooks, the sommeliers and the waiters who would absolutely not be employed. I assert this because Björn Frantzén, one of Scandinavia's absolute best chefs, would never allow that the food, the wines and the service would end up on this level, 2,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP. It is a pity that it is so as I wrote because Björn is really passionate about food and cooking and it proves his relatively short and very successful chef-history. Björn took his first steps as a cook through the practice at the restaurant Edsbacka krog (Edsbacka Wärdshus) in Sollentuna, Sweden. Then he worked among others at the restaurant Chez Nico (Nico Ladenis, London, UK, three Michelin stars) and the restaurant Arpege (Alain Passard, Paris, France, three Michelin stars). In 2008, together with pastry chef Daniel Lindeberg, he opened the restaurant Frantzén/Lindeberg in Stockholm. The following year, the restaurant got its first Michelin star and two years later it got its two Michelin stars. In 2013, Björn and Daniel went separate ways and the restaurant was renamed to Frantzén. In 2018, the Frantzén became Sweden's first restaurant to be awarded three stars in Guide Michelin. In 2019, Guide Michelin confirmed the restaurant's three star status. Today, besides The Flying Elk and Frantzén, Björn also runs Catering Frantzén, Studio Frantzén, Corner Club and Gaston vin. In addition to all this, Björn has managed to write a book together with Daniel Lindeberg, see above, (Frantzén/Lindeberg, 2012) and a book together with Göran Lager (The Flying Elk, 2016) and two own books (Glow with Björn Frantzén, 2014 and Björn Frantzén prepares food for peckish diabetics and other people, 2017). To achieve all this and be 42 years old is absolutely incredible.
All you need to know about Chablis (28-11-2020 by Nenad Jelisic)
Here we will present text excerpts from NJ Wines' extensive wine dictionary. The text excerpts will be changed once or twice a month. You can read about other exciting wines, appellations, wine districts, wine regions, etc. by clicking above on the "Wine glossary and wine facts".
Chablis, a French wine district (and appellation), which belongs to the wine region of Burgundy. The appellation has 5,044 ha planted with vines and 25% of these are owned by cooperative La Chablisienne. A good Premier Cru Chablis can be aged for 10 years while a good Grand Cru Chablis can be aged for 20 years. The majority of other Chablis wines should be drunk before they become 6 years old. A Chablis wine usually has a very dry and fresh taste with mineral character.
Chablis Grand Cru, there are seven Chablis Grand Crus: 1. Blanchots (12,7 ha), 2. Bougros (12,6 ha), 3. Les Clos (26 ha), 4. Grenouilles (9,4 ha), 5. Les Preuses (11,4 ha), 6. Valmur (13,2 ha) and 7. Vaudésir (14,7 ha). These seven Chablis Grand Crus are clustered just outside the village of Chablis, on mostly south westerly slopes, and together they cover 100 hectares. Of these seven Chablis Grand Crus, Les Clos gives the most powerful, flavoursome and ageable wines, Blanchots the most delicate and finesse-rich wines and Grenouilles the most fragrant wines. In the best vintages, Valmur is considered to give equally powerful, flavoursome and ageable wines as Les Clos. The allowed yield is 45 hl/ha.
Chablis grapes, Chardonnay. Other grapes are also grown but they may not be included in a Chablis wine.
Chablis and Petit Chablis, the permitted yield is 60 hl/ha in both quality classes. Most of Petit Chablis wines are almost impossible to drink because they are very unbalanced and have an extremely high tartaric acid.
Chablis Premier Cru, there are 40 Premier Crus. To the best belongs: Fourchaume, Mont de Milieu and Montée de Tonnerre. These 40 Premier Crus cover 778 ha. The allowed yield is 58 hl/ha, while the average is 57 hl/ha. What is most worrying with this quality class is that more and more vineyards, which are far from suitable to be classified as Premier Cru, are classed as such.
Chablis quality classes, Chablis has four quality classes: 1. Grand Cru (the highest class, 100 ha), 2. Premier Cru (778 ha), 3. Chablis (3,318 ha) and 4. Petit Chablis (843 ha).
Chablis soils, mixed soil that consists of marl and limestone and that is rich in fossils of small oysters, so-called Kimmeridgian soil. This combination of soils gives the wines from Chablis, the specific mineral taste.
Chablis the best vintages, 1962, 1966, 1969, 1985, 1995, 1996, 2002, 2008, 2010, 2014 and 2015.
