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:

2008 Amelle Zinfandel Buck Hill Sonoma County: Retail $24. Being the total moron that I am, I did not decant this for nearly long enough this time. My wife requested it late in the evening though, so being the dutiful husband that I am, I acquiesced. The wine is still fantastic, but the lack of the decant affected the depth, I feel. Am I nitpicking? Perhaps. Outstanding. 90-92 Points.

NV Brice Champagne Grand Cru Bouzy: Retail $35. I am a sucker for any wine from the town of Bouzy–I admit it. It is a town that is well known for its Pinot Noir and any Champagne with “Bouzy” on the label is likely to be dominated by that grape. While this was not the best bottle from Bouzy that I have ever had, it certainly did scratch an itch (one that developed from a full day of Little League baseball). Perfectly Brut, with everything in its place. Excellent. 89-91 Points.

2004 Domaine / Maison Vincent Girardin Santenay 1er Cru Le Beauregard: Retail $45? I also have a soft spot for Santenay, having spent countless hours in the town square waiting for the bike tourers on my trips to navigate the tricky series of turns. I love the tiny little town and the somewhat coarse but fantastic (and relatively affordable) wines. I picked this bottle up in a wine shop in Chassagne back in ’06–one of those wines I kind of forgot I had. We popped this at our favorite restaurant, Bibou, and it was fabulous (both the wine and the meal). Great nose with lemon and tropical fruit, and on the palate it was rich and full. The finish was more than memorable, but more than anything, I reminisced on my time in the little burg, making the wine taste that much better. Outstanding, 91-93 Points.

2006 Dutton-Goldfield Pinot Noir Dutton Ranch: Retail $50. I let my wife chose the wine on this Father’s Day (I provided her three choices–I am not completely insane) and a fine choice it was. Every time I pop open a Dutton-Goldfield I say the same thing: I need to get more of this stuff. Incredible nose of classic Russian River/Green Vally fruit; the kind of nose that you can easily engulf you. The palate was more of the same–great balance and acidity. It also had a bit of heft along side a silky elegance which paired wonderfully with the grilled pork chops. Outstanding. 91-93 Points.

NV Mailly Grand Cru Champagne Brut Réserve: Retail $50. There are a few NV Brut Champagnes that I know I will love: Gosset Grande Réserve, Bollinger, and Mailly Grand Cru (Krug, of course, but that does not really count). Yes, I love more Pinot dominated bubbles, and Mailly fits the bill. Great nose, sparkle, body and finish with just the right dosage, adding just the slightest hint of sweetness on the midpalate. I love this wine. Outstanding. 91-93 Points.

2006 Novy Family Wines Syrah Parsons’ Vineyard: Retail $29. This took a little while to get going and certainly showed better once paired with food. Muted nose that eventually showed hints of fruit. On the palate some richness and depth, but it never really reached the apogee that many Siduri/Novy wines reach. Perhaps this is why it was on sale at the winery…. Good to Very Good. 85-87 Points.

NV Pommery Champagne Pink POP: Retail $14 (for a 187). I really want to like these (and not just because I bought 24 of them and have ten remaining–although that is a pretty good reason). First, it’s Champagne. It is even rosé Champagne. It comes in a single serving bottle. It comes with a straw. Yes, a straw. I really wanted to like it, but it just tastes old. When will I learn my lesson about buying wine from the PLCB? Not rated.

2006 Sans Permis Chardonnay La Chanson Argentee De Cuillere: Retail $30-40. I have written a ton about this wine. It all remains true–this wine rocks. Outstanding. 90-92 Points.

2001 Domaine Georges Vernay Côte-Rôtie Maison Rouge: Retail $50? What a difference a few years make for this 100% Syrah from the Northern Rhône–I last had this wine back in 2010 and it was good, but not much more. We took this bottle to a wine dinner of 12 people so each of us only got a splash. Fantastic nose of red berry fruit and simply wonderful on the palate–luscious fruit, integrated tannins, and an impressive finish. The group of winos seemed to agree and this Côte Rotie completely outshone the two Châteauneufs that were poured along side. It was so good that when I tried to steal my lively wife’s glass, she smacked my hand. Hard. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Looking back over these notes, I certainly had a good week, wine-wise  with several wines making their way up to the “Outstanding” plateau (and this is not even including the two different rosé tastings I conducted or the wine dinner where we went through another 14 wines–whoa!). The two Champagnes and the Girardin Santenay were all fantastic as were the frequently visited Amelle Zin and Sans Permis Chard. In the end, it came down to the 2006 Dutton-Goldfield Dutton Ranch Pinot Noir and the 2001 Vernay Côte Rotie Maison Rouge. Ultimately, I opted for the Côte Rotie due to the fact that I was very pleasantly surprised by its development and the other winos in the room found it just as fantastic as did I (including my pugilistic wife).

What was your Wine of the Week?