Over the course of a week, I taste a bunch of wine, usually with friends, and almost always with my wife. Here are some of the wines we tasted this last week that stood out:

2006 Bergström Pinot Noir Cumberland Reserve: Retail ~$60. I was very excited to pop this bottle since I am a very big fan of Bergström. We took it to a local BYOB and initially, there was not much to be gleaned other than a bit of heat and a hint of stewed berries. On the palate it was much the same, so we put a cork in it and carried it home. I poured some more as we were watching Downton Abbey (yes, we finally succumbed) and it gradually opened up some. I am hoping for the sake of the other three bottles that it is just going through a bit of a “dumb” phase… Very Good. 87-89 Points.

2007 Coelho Winery Pinot Noir Paciência: Retail ~$30. I bought several of these a while ago from Wines Til Sold Out for about $16. Although this bottle was not as enticing as the previous, this was an outstanding purchase. The wine, while not remarkable, was certainly enjoyable. Great flavors and weight, I would drink this just about everyday if I could. But that would make me a bit of an alcoholic (more than I already am, I guess). Very Good. 86-88 Points.

2007 Demuth Family Vineyards Pinot Noir Demuth Vineyard: Retail ~$40. I was not as thrilled with this wine this time around for whatever reason. Maybe it was my long day at work, maybe it was my whinny four-year-old, maybe it was just different. Who knows? It was a bit thinner and not as exciting as I recall from the previous bottles…. Good to Very Good. 85-87 Points.

2006 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch: Retail $40. At the last moment, at the end of a long week, I decided to go with this. Popped and poured. Absolutely fantastic. Rich cherry fruit, great acidity, impeccable balance. Dan Goldfield is originally from Philly, but this is all California. As the bottle wore on, it achieved greater heights. Simply put, this completely rocked. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.

1991 Elyse Zinfandel Morisoli Vineyard: Retail: No flipping idea. Um. Not sure what to say. First, I am a complete sucker for old Zins–once the fruit mellows, they become much more like Pinot for me (and that is a very good thing). They also seem to achieve a greater sense of balance since that fruit is not pounding you over the head. This wine? Still a ton of fruit (chocolate covered cherries), but with secondary flavors associated with an older wine. The alcohol is low by any standard of Zin (12.9%) which enables a closer exploration of what is going on here. This is the wine of the week already and it is only Monday. Outstanding. Really Outstanding. 93-95 Points.

2011 St. Supéry Vineyards Sauvignon Blanc: Retail: ~$15. Had a synthetic cork closure (which do not make any sense to me). A distinct green hue, and a typical SB nose. Mouth puckeringly tart. Overly so. I tried very hard to like this wine more (since I have another bottle), but I eventually gave up and used the rest for Kirs, which seemed to be a good remedy for all that acidity…. Good. 84-86 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: This week I thought was going to be a rather easy one in determining the WOTW–I had the 1991 Elyse Morisoli Vineyard Zinfandel on Monday and I was so “wowed” by it that I thought there would be no chance of supplanting it from the WOTW perch. And I was right. It was one of the more remarkable wines I have had in a while–round and rich with the right balance of fruit (which was really surprising given its age), alcohol, acidity, and tannin. It was only Monday and the WOTW was all wrapped up.

Until Sunday night.

At the end of a long week, I decided to “harvest” a nice Pinot for our grilled pork tenderloin. I opted for the 2006 Dutton-Goldfield Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir.

Wow.

Another spectacular wine to “bookend” the week. Bold rich distinct Pinot character with enough “oomph” to stand up to the grilled meat. This was truly a delight, made all the more exciting since I have another four bottles in the cellar. It also helps that I have met Dan Goldfield a couple of times and he is a really nice (and accommodating) guy who claims to be from Philly (but he really is from the suburbs).

Thus, I have two Wine(s) of the Week this go around, which is fine since I make up the rules.