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 $34. This wine was a return to the form I recorded in a previous note. It also improved notably as it warmed up. From earlier this year: 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.

2002 Domaine Pierre Gelin Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Prieur: Retail $65. A classic decade old Burg with refined, subtle flavors of dried red fruit and even some spice with mostly integrated tannin. Certainly on the austere side (especially when compared to the 2003 Domaine Drouhin), but no one expects a rambunctious Burg. Outstanding. 91-93 Points.

NV Gosset Champagne Brut Excellence: Retail $40. I might have held on to this one a tad too long—lacking in both effervescence and freshness. I know this was never a “great” champers, but still. Good. 85-87 Points.

1986 Jaffelin Clos Vougeot: Retail $80? Sadly, this was our last bottle of this wine, which we shared with our dear friends. The wine was stellar as always, with hints of fruit and intriguing complexity, this wine was truly magnificent. There was also a coarseness that I had not noticed before that was neither out of place nor harmonious, but certainly added to its allure. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.

2006 Nicolas Joly Clos de la Coulée de Serrant: Retail $100? I just pulled this one out of the cellar—no chill, no decant. There is certainly nothing like drinking a Clos de la Coulée de Serrant—it is a dessert wine without the sugar with a viscosity that seems to be more like extra virgin olive oil than wine. This is an incredible experience. Outstanding. 93-95 Points.

NV Krug Champagne Grande Cuvée Brut: Retail $125. Yes, Krug is Krug, and this was fantastic, but it fell a little short of previous bottles I have had. The depth was incredible, the finesse remarkable, but the nuttiness was a bit overpowering and too prominent. But I nitpick, this is incredible champagne. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.

NV Mailly Grand Cru Champagne Brut Réserve: Retail $40. Perhaps I was in a bit of a mood, or maybe it was not one of those ridiculous “fruit” days on the biodynamic calendar. For whatever reason, this Mailly fell a bit short of expectation. Sure, it was still very good, but it was lacking in the creamy, yeasty, biscuity department. Yeah, there is one of those departments. Very Good. 87-89 Points.

2005 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis Grand Cru Les Preuses: Retail $30. Ah Chablis, it has been far too long! Opened this along side great friends and an Epoisses, hands down my (second) favorite cheese (the first is Bleu de Termignon, but it is impossible to find anymore). The Chablis was flinty, creamy, and bracing all at once—a perfect pairing for the pungency of the Epoisses. Outstanding. 90-92 Points.

NV Taylor (Fladgate) Porto 10 Year Old Tawny: Retail $30? Every time I open a bottle of Port, I think “I do not drink enough Port.” This was an older bottle of ten year tawny that we opened for friends who were over for dinner for the first time. Raisin and allspice a-go-go here with a bit of heat. All that and more on the palate (some mocha on the finish?). Yup, need to get me some more port…. Very Good to Outstanding. 88-90 Points.

1994 Domaine Tollot-Beaut Corton: Retail $65? We drank this right after the 1986 Jaffelin Clos Vougeot and I was worried that it might not hold its own. Well, I was wrong. While certainly not as complex as the Jaffelin, this narrowly won the balance and finesse battle. Perfectly harmonious from first sip to last swallow, this was one of the more complete Cortons I have had. Outstanding. 93-95 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: We had a very good friend join us this week for just a few short hours. When other very dear friends joined in, I decided it might be a night to pull a few special corks. All of them: NV Krug, 2006 Clos de la Coulée de Serrant, 1986 Jaffelin Clos Vougeot, 1994 Tollot-Beaut Corton, and the 2005 Simonnet-Febvre Chablis Les Preuses would all have been Wine of the Week had the others had remained on the rack. So instead of one Wine of the Week this go around, I have decided to have a Wine (Night) of the Week. That was this past Wednesday when we managed to get through all those bottles and still make it to work (early, even) on Thursday. I am sure I was not the only one to wonder what might have happened if this did not take place on a “school night.”

What was your wine of the week?