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:

2009 Clos Pepe Estate Chardonnay Barrel Fermented: Retail $25. I had to go back to the Midwest for a funeral this week and I asked my wife to throw something in the fridge for when I got back. She asked what I wanted and I told her just to pick something and this is what she chose (yeah, I married up). My last note from April still rings true: The nose reminds me of a really nice Meursault–a bit of fruit and vanilla with just a hint of oak. On the palate loads of lemon zest and even apricot with just the right amount of oak. This wine is superb and will continue to improve. Outstanding. 91-93 Points.

2005 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Bien Nacido Vineyard: Retail $45. I was craving a good bottle of Pinot and this did not disappoint. I picked this up in ’07 from the winery and it is one of the best Pinots I have had in a while. The nose (although a bit hot) explodes with fruit and some secondary notes of eucalyptus. On the palate, wow. Plenty of acidity and great fruit. Wow (again). Outstanding plus. 92-94 Points.

2004 Domaine de l’Oriel Gérard Weinzorn Riesling Sommerberg: Retail $30? I was worried. OK, I was terrified after the last bottle. I did not pay a ton for these (about $20/bottle) but I thought they were more than worth it. The last bottle was less than desirable–it was a bit scary even. This was what I had hoped/dreamed/expected. Wow. Petrol and lemon with a bit of melon. Yeah. Outstanding. 90-92 Points.

2009 Domaine Pignier Côtes du Jura: Retail $20. Even though those at the table said they liked it, this wine was really over matched by the Korean BBQ. Under perfect circumstances, this wine is a a bit “fruit-challenged” but when paired with this rich, sweet, and spicy beef, well, it is reduced to a bit of an acid bomb. What was I thinking? Very Good.  86-88 Points.

NV Pommery Champagne Brut Royal: Retail $80 (magnum). Our last magnum of the Pommery and it was fantastic–great sparkle, a bit of baked bread, and fantastic acidity. A perfect start to a Korean Barbeque. Outstanding. 89-91 Points.

2006 Sans Permis Chardonnay La Chanson Argentee De Cuillere: Retail $40? This wine continues to be one of the better purchases in recent memory at $12 from Last Bottle. Lemon and vanilla with just the right amount of oak, this wine can stand up to just about anything since the acidity is there as well. Just a phenomenal QPR. 89-91 Points.

NV Soutiran Champagne Brut Grand Cru Rosé: Retail $50. I was worried about the other Soutiran I had and finished it off last week. I thought I should give the rosés a try as well. It looks like I better finish these off in the short term as well–little sparkle and overly rich. I am not quite sure what was going on with this bottle. Not Rated.

2010 Chateau Ste. Michelle & Dr. Loosen Riesling Eroica: Retail $22. This is one of my wife’s favorites, so I popped it on her birthday. Sweeter than I remember, but certainly great acidity and a fine quaff as I tried to assemble a ton of IKEA crap. Very Good. 88-90 Points.

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut Rosé: Retail $10. These were on sale at the PLCB for $8 so I picked up a few to have around when I was in the mood for a sparkler. Not bad, but nothing really to get all excited over, either. It does, however, meet the basic criterion of my motto: “If it doesn’t sparkle, it doesn’t matter.” Good. 83-85 Points.

2003 Pierre Sparr Gewurztraminer Grand Cru Sporen: Retail $30. Certainly a bit dark, but a great nose of fruit, wildflower and lychee. On the palate, noticeably sweet, almost desert wine sweet. Still, there is a bit of acidity (even in such a tough year) and it paired very well with the Korean BBQ. Very Good to Outstanding. 89-91 Points.

NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Brut Rosé: Retail $60. I know a lot of people pan the good old Veuve since she seems to be overly popular and “chic.” Well, there might be a good reason for that–the wine is outstanding. Great nose, deep flavors, and a solid finish. The only downer is that my wife forgot about her glass and it went undrunk–she’s now cutoff. Outstanding. 91-93 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK:  As I mentioned above, I went back to Ohio for a funeral this week and, well, the “wine” choices were basically either Miller Lite or Coors Lite. I certainly love my relatives, but their choice of beverage is emblematic of why I don’t live there any more. Perhaps as a counterbalance, upon my return, I decided to open a few bottles that I had been sitting on for a while. The Clos Pepe Chardonnay was certainly a good start and the Veuve Rosé was spectacular. The wine of the week, however, was the 2005 Gary Farrell Starr Ridge Pinot Noir. As I stuck my nose into the glass, attempting to discover the wine’s inner most secrets, I remembered what my brother said about his affinity for Miller Lite: “It is exactly the same every time.” For him, apparently, there is never a need to contemplate what is in his glass. Great wine though, like the Gary Farrell, continually causes you to explore and reflect, and that is what I love about wine.

What was your wine of the week?