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

Wines that have got 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP, part 5 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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Merryvale Vineyards, Profile, 2015, red dry blend wine, Napa Valley, North Coast, California, USA, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (12-05-2019 by Nenad Jelisic)

Profile 2015 is a wine that makes you happy when you taste it. It is hard to stop smiling when one has smelled and tasted the wine. The wine really shows how high class Merryvale Vineyards winemaking and vineyards holds. The aroma is very complex with blackcurrants, dark cherries, dark chocolate and a hint of cedar and roasted coffee beans. The flavour is long and elegant with a velvety tannin structure, in combination with a good acidity. A very well-balanced wine where the aftertaste remains for a long time. This wine is great to drink now and will benefit from decanting. Those who really want to enjoy how the wine develops in the glass, it is recommended not to decant it. The wine will continue to develop for at least 10 years in the wine cellar i.e. until 2029. Merryvale Vineyards Profile 2015 goes very well with grilled lamb chops with buttery mashed potatoes and red wine sauce or with a classic Coeur de filet Provencale with pan-fried potatoes with garlic or with different types of hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Svecia, Västerbottensost, Parmesan and Grana Padano. Drink the wine at 18°C in real Bordeaux glasses, if possible, from Orrefors, Kosta Boda, Spiegelau or Riedel. The grapes for the Merryvale Vineyards Profile 2015 come from a steep part of the Profile Estate Vineyard, which is located in the eastern corner of St. Helena appellation (AVA). The wine is produced from a blend of grapes of 90% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Petit Verdot and 5% Cabernet Franc. The grapes are hand-harvested at night in order to them will come in the winery early in the morning and as fresh as possible. The grapes are sorted by hand. Each part of the vineyard is fermented separately in small tanks. After that the wine has been fermented and macerated for 15 days, it is racked to oak barrels where malolactic fermentation takes place and then a 26-month long aging. 80% of the oak barrels consist of new French oak barrels. After the aging, the wine is bottled without fining and filtration.

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.

Pahlmeyer, Merlot, 2014, red dry blend wine, Napa Valley, California, USA, 4,0 NJP of 5,0 NJP (90 points of 100 points) (07-04-2017 by Nenad Jelisic)

Vintage 2014 consists of 93% Merlot, 4% Petit Verdot, 2% Malbec and 1% Cabernet Sauvignon. In the fruity, sweet and spicy aroma, one finds vanilla, white chocolate, cardamom, black cherry, violets, dried plums, espresso, and blackberry. In the concentrated, fruity and flavourful taste, one finds sweet spices, dark cherry, white pepper, ripe plums, cocoa-rich dark chocolate and raspberries. Thanks to the wonderful interplay between the wine's tannins, acidity and fruitiness, the wine feels velvety in the mouth. Pahlmeyer Merlot 2014 has a really good aging potential, up to 12 years, i.e. until 2029. It benefits from decanting, but if you want to feel how it wonderfully grows (evolves) in the glass, do not decant it. It works best with grilled lamb chops with buttery mashed potatoes and red wine sauce or with grilled rib-eye steak/fillet of beef with potato gratin and red wine sauce or with various types of hard cheeses such as Cheddar, Svecia, Västerbottensost, Parmesan and Grana Padano. After careful selection in field, the grape bunches for the wine are selected again, both mechanically and manually, when they come to the winery. After careful destemming, grapes are manually selected. Then the grapes are gently pressed, must is cold macerated for five days and then fermented from two to five weeks. The complete fermented wine is aged in 85% new American and French oak barrels for 20 months. Drink the wine at 18°C in real Bordeaux-glass, if possible, from Orrefors, Kosta Boda, Spiegelau or Riedel.