The wine of the month
Every 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.
January 2025: Churchill's, Late Bottled Vintage, 2020 (23 EUR/27 USD in Sweden) port wine, Porto, Douro, Portugal, 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points) (31-01-2026 by Nenad Jelisic)
There is the fairy tale The Lord of the Rings, but there is also the fairy tale of the Churchill's Late Bottled Vintage, and this fairy tale seems never ending. It is extremely fascinating that a winery manages to produce a wine that seven years in a row receives 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points). In my 43 years as ... Read more
News and other things about wine
DID YOU KNOW THAT (By Nenad Jelisic)
Here, NJ Wines will present brief wine news and wine facts every month.
Absolutely crazy, on the 6th of December 2025, the most expensive bottle ever was sold at Christie's. A bottle of the legendary Bouchard Père et Fils La Tâche 1886 was sold for a record price of 325,000 GBP (over 435,000 USD) in London. This extraordinary bottle was part of the Historic Wines from the Bouchard Père & Fils’s wine cellar. (20-12-2025)
Appassimento, is an Italian winemaking method that is used to produce Amarone-wines and Recioto-wines. The grapes (Corvina, Rondinella and Molinara, and other permitted grapes) are harvested in September/October. The grapes are then air-dried for 100 to 120 days. This process is called appassimento. (20-12-2025)
Appellation, French (appellation = origin), is an area where various regulations regulate which wines may be made within the area. A wine country is first divided into wine regions, then the wine regions are divided into wine districts and finally the wine districts are divided into appellations. Today there are 386 (AOP; formerly AOC) appellations in France. (20-12-2025)
Arenas, is a soil that occurs in the Spanish wine region of Jerez-Xérès-Sherry. It is yellowish and consists of 10% lime and the rest is dominated by sand. (20-12-2025)
Argentine wine regions, Argentina as a wine country is divided into seven wine regions: Catamarca, La Rioja, Mendoza, Neuquén, Rio Negro, Salta and San Juan. Mendoza dominates with approximately 70 to 75% of the total wine production. There are over 100 official appellations within these wine regions, which are known for their different grapes, especially Malbec (Argentina's national grape), and their unique climate at the foot of the Andes. (20-12-2025)
The 1855 Classification, is the first "legendary" classification of the Bordeaux châteaux (wines), which is still the most important and relevant. The châteaux/wines were divided into five crus (cru = growing area): 1. Premier Cru, 2. Deuxième Cru, 3. Troisième Cru, 4. Quatrième Cru and 5. Cinquième Cru. 61 châteaux were classified. The 1855 classification of the Médoc wines was revised in 1973 by elevating Château Mouton Rothschild from Deuxième Cru to Premier Cru. (20-12-2025)
The 1855 Classification for Sauternes and Barsac, the wine châteaux/wines were divided into three crus (cru = growing area): 1. Premier Cru Supérieur, 2. Premiers Cru and 3. Deuxième Cru. (20-12-2025)
Aszú, is a sweet mass of noble rot (Botrytis cinerea) attacked grapes. (20-12-2025)
NEW WINES IN REGULAR ASSORTMENT DECEMBER 2025 (11-01-2026 by Nenad Jelisic)
NJ Wines has tasted all Systembolaget's new wines in regular assortment December 2025. 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. Adega de Monção, Alvarinho, 2024 (9 EUR/11 USD in Sweden) white dry wine, Portugal, 1,5 NJP, 2. Almodí, Especial, Garnatxa Peluda, 2023 (12 EUR/14 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Spain, 1,0 NJP, 3. Brown & Co, Chardonnay, 2024 (12 EUR/14 USD in Sweden) white dry wine, Australia, 1,0 NJP, 4. Casa de Cambres, Reserva, Red, 2021 (12 EUR/14 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Portugal, 0,5 NJP, 5. Castello di Ama, San Lorenzo, Gran Selezione, 2022 (28 EUR/32 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Italy, 4,0 NJP, 6. Christina, Carnuntum, Organic, 2024 (11 EUR/13 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Austria, 1,5 NJP, 7. Domaine Helena, Mount St Helena Vineyard, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2023 (23 EUR/27 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, USA, 2,0 NJP, 8. Emily, Blanc de Blancs, NV (8 EUR/9 USD in Sweden) white semi-dry blend sparkling wine, Spain, 0,0 NJP, 9. Fonseca, Crusted Port, NV (23 EUR/27 USD in Sweden) port wine, Portugal, 2,0 NJP, 10. Grower's Club, Malbec, 2025 (7 EUR/9 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, South Africa, 0,0 NJP.
THE TOP 10 WINES 2025 AND THE BEST WINE 2025 (07-12-2025 by Nenad Jelisic)
This is the thirteenth year in a row that NJ Wines presents the year's 10 Best Wines and the year's Best Wine. During 2025, NJ Wines tasted a few thousand wines that were, and still are, available on the wine market. From all these wines, NJ Wines selected the year's 10 Best Wines and the year's Best Wine. The most important criterion in the selection was of course the quality of the wines, but also the availability of the wines today. Of the year's 10 Best Wines, three come from France, two from Croatia, two from Bosnia and Herzegovina, two from Portugal and one from Spain. This year, Croatia proved with the year's best wine and the year's third best wine that it belongs to one of the world's best wine-producing countries. Note that NJ Wines' wine tasting year always starts the first week of December of the previous year and ends the last week of November of the current year, i.e. for the wine tasting year 2025 it started the first week of December 2024 and ended the last week of November 2025. This year, seven wines got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2024, eight wines got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2023, three wines got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2022, no wine got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2021, four wines got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2020, two wines got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2019 five wines got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2018 six wines got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2017 no wine got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2016 one wine got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2015 one wine got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points), in 2014 no wine got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points) and in 2013 one wine got 5,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points). NJ Wines is very happy about the positive result, but NJ Wines does not believe that the global quality of wines has changed as much in a positive direction as the tasting results show. NJ Wines was just lucky to taste some of the world's best wines in 2025.
NEW WINES IN REGULAR ASSORTMENT SEPTEMBER 2025 (24-09-2025 by Nenad Jelisic)
NJ Wines has tasted all Systembolaget's new wines in regular assortment September 2025. 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. Abrigados, Reserva, 2023 (11 EUR/13 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Portugal, 1,0 NJP, 2. Acrobat, Chardonnay, 2023 (16 EUR/19 USD in Sweden) white dry wine, USA, 1,0 NJP, 3. Alsace, Grand Cru, Schlossberg Riesling, 2023 (21 EUR/24 USD in Sweden) white semi-dry wine, France, 2,0 NJP, 4. Altos de José Ignacio, Albariño, 2024 (13 EUR/15 USD in Sweden) white dry wine, Uruguay, 1,0 NJP, 5. Antonelli, Montefalco Rosso, 2022 (14 EUR/17 USD in Sweden) red dry blend wine, Italy, 1,0 NJP, 6. Casas Patronales, Maucho, Malbec, 2024 (9 EUR/11 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, Chile, 1,0 NJP, 7. Cuvée No 7, Brut, Blanc de Blancs, NV (9 EUR/11 USD in Sweden) white dry sparkling wine, Brazil, 0,0 NJP, 8. De Bortoli, DB, Chardonnay, NV (10 EUR/12 USD in Sweden) white dry wine, Australia, 0,0 NJP, 9. Deep Roots, Riesling, NV (9 EUR/11 USD in Sweden) white semi-dry wine, Germany, 0,0 NJP, 10. Dicey, Dice, Pinot Noir, 2023 (11 EUR/13 USD in Sweden) red dry wine, New Zealand, 1,0 NJP.
Make sure to try these wines, wines that have got at least 3,5 NJP of possible 5,0 NJP
Vinogradi Nuić, Trnjak, 2021 (approx. 21 EUR/25 USD; selling price on the internet excluding delivery costs) red dry wine, Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina, 5,0 of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points) (14-12-2025 by Nenad Jelisic)
Vinogradi Nuić Trnjak 2021 is a big, complex, powerful, spicy and tannin rich wine. In the aroma one can feel dried black cherries, dried prunes, milk chocolate, bay leaves, sweet tobacco, white pepper and crème de cassis. In the flavour one can feel black cherries, red oranges, cocoa-rich dark chocolate, coffee and black pepper. ... Read more
Palmer & Co, Blanc de Blancs, 2018 (43 EUR/51 USD in Sweden) white dry sparkling wine, Montage de Reims and Côte de Sézanne, Champagne, France, 3,5 NJP of 5,0 NJP (85 points of 100 points) (23-12-2025 by Nenad Jelisic)
Here we are talking about a really good champagne that is aroma rich, flavour rich, fresh and concentrated. Palmer & Co Blanc de Blancs 2018 should be drunk at all big celebrations (New Year's Eve, weddings, birthdays, etc.) or to when one wants to reward oneself and your loved one after a demanding work week or to when you ... Read more
Enjingi, Venje, Bijelo, 2010 (approx. 18 EUR/21 USD; selling price on the internet excluding delivery costs) white dry blend wine, Kutjevo, Slavonia, Croatia, 5,0 of 5,0 NJP (100 points of 100 points) (21-11-2025 by Nenad Jelisic)
That a white wine can be so complex and concentrated and have such a good tannin structure is absolutely incredible. Unlike the 2006 vintage, this fabulous vintage, and the same applies to the 2008 vintage, is considerably more tannin rich, but still very complex, concentrated and aroma rich and flavour rich. Anyone ... Read more
Everything you need to know about Valpolicella, part 2 of 2 (01-02-2026 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".
Amarone, a DOCG-wine (DOCG = Denominazione D'Origine Controllata E Garantita; the highest classification for Italian wines) from and including 2010 vintage, and one of the most internationally well-known of the Italian red dry wines. An Amarone-wine are usually made of three grapes: Corvina and/or Corvinone (40-70%), Rondinella (20-40%) and Molinara (5-25%). According to the rules from 2010: 1. the wine must contain 5-30% Rondinella, 2. it is allowed to add 10% of other indigenous grapes as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, 3. it is allowed to add up to 15% of non-indigenous grapes as Syrah and 4. it may be not added more than 10% of a single indigenous or non-indigenous grape (except for the Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara). The grapes are harvested in September/October. Then they are air-dried from 100 to 120 days. This process of air drying is called appassimento (or passito). What is left after the drying process is raisin like grapes with high concentration that are then destemmed, crushed, fermented and then allowed to age in the Croatian or Slovenian oak barrels for about 24 to 48 months. After the barrel aging, the wine is bottled and allowed to age another 6 to 12 months before release. Many Amarone-wines are aged for 10 to 15 years before release. The best Amarone-wines have an excellent aging potential, up to 30 years. What is very worrying is that the Amarone-wine production, in just 6 years, had been increased from 11,250 hectoliters, in 1997, to 97,500 hectoliters, in 2013. An increase by extreme 88,5%; what is not good for the future of the Amarone-wines. To try to slow this dangerous trend, the winemaker’s consortium has decided that producers are allowed to dry to 50% of their total harvest. Note that in the 1970s, barely 5% of the total harvest were dried.
Amarone Classico, when an amaorone wine comes from the central part of the appellation Valopoliciella (from the municipalities: Fumane, Marano di Valpolicella, Negrar, San Pietro in Cariano and Sant'Ambrogio di Valpolicella), the part where Amarone wines started being produced, is called Amarone Classico.
Recioto, an Italian DOCG-wine, which is classed as the DOCG-wine from the vintage 2010. A Recioto-wine is usually made from three grapes: Corvina and/or Corvinone (40-70%), Rondinella (20-40%) and Molinara (5-25%). According to the rules of the year 2010: 1. the wine must contain 5-30% of Rondinella, 2. is allowed to add 10% of other domestic grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, 3. is allowed to add up to 15% of non-native grapes as Syrah and 4. may not be added more than 10% of a single domestic or non-native grape (not applicable to Corvina, Corvinone, Rondinella and Molinara). The grapes are harvested in September/October. The grapes are then air dried for 100 to 120 days. This process is called appassimento (or passito). What remains after the drying are raisins like grapes with high concentration. They are crushed, fermented and then left in Croatian or Slovenian oak barrels for about 24 to 48 months. After the barrel aging, the wine is bottled and may be aged for another 6 to 12 months before the sale. Many Recioto-wines are aged for 10 to 15 years before sale. The best Recioto-wines have a very good aging potential, can be aged up to 30 years. The Recioto-wine gets its powerful sweetness since the dried grapes do not get or cannot, due to excessive sugar content, ferment completely.
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