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:

2011 Cave des Producteurs de Vouvray Vouvray De Chanceny Tête de Cuvée, Brut Excellence: Retail $22. I was rather excited when I saw this swine as it was the same wine (albeit a different vintage) that figured prominently in Ohmygod #13. I bought it right away, and popped it as soon as I was able to chill it. Quite dry and very nutty both on the nose and the palate with some distinct Chenin characteristics coming through. Low in  bubbles but a lingering finish. Very Good but I was hoping for more. 86-88 Points.

2008 Faiveley Bourgogne Blanc: Retail $20. There are times in your life that you should not listen to your wife. There are other times that you should not listen to reason. Then there are the rare times that you should not listen to either your wife or to reason and just go with your gut. This was one of those times. I should have bought more than the measly four bottles I purchased from Last Bottle back in April. This is a fantastic wine—full of citrusy acidity and by no means showing any age. I got it for $11. A steal. Very Good. 88-90 Points.

2004 Domaine Marc Kreydenweiss Riesling Wiebelsberg La Dame “Partager avec toi”: Retail $25. One is unfortunate, two is a trend. This wine, like the last one, was oxidized: dark golden color with a sherried nose. Perhaps this was not as bad as the last bottle, but still undrinkable. One more bottle to go, keep your fingers crossed. Flawed.

2008 Nk’mip Cellars Chardonnay Qwam Qwmt: Retail $35. This Chard came from Canada by way of my wife—she was at a conference in Vancouver and picked this up at the airport of all places. Great citrus nose, with no sign of oak or butter. Tons of lemon curd and vibrant acidity. Surprisingly, the fruit disappeared with food. Nonetheless, this is Very Good to Outstanding. 89-91 Points.

1987 Santa Cruz Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Sauvignon Bates Ranch: Retail $35. I am not really sure what to think about this wine. 25 years old and on the nose it seems that way. A bit stewed and even a tiny bit acrid, the nose screams “musty and tired.” On the palate, quite the difference—the wine has considerable complexity and depth. Sure the fruit is a bit wanting, but once it gets past the nose and through the lips, this is quite good. Unrated.

2008 Skewis Pinot Noir Peters Vineyard: Retail $50. We opened this on Christmas Eve when neither one of us were very interested in drinking, but it was Christmas Eve and we figured we should have something on the special side. We are huge fans of Hank Skewis’ wine, so I figured this would do the trick. Perhaps it was our collective mood, perhaps the wine was a bit closed, but I was not all that impressed. We struggled to get through half of the bottle. I popped a cork on it and figured I would get to the rest on Christmas. Our guests bailed on us for dinner so we ate in front of the television, watching A Christmas Story. Near the end of the movie, I grabbed the other half of this bottle since I figured it would only get worse with each subsequent day. Wow. Double wow. Black cherry bursting out of the glass, great fruit and complexity on the palate, with a finish that makes one believe in the Christmas miracle. Outstanding to Extraordinary. 93-95 Points.

NV Peter Weber Crémant d’Alsace Pinot Noir: Retail $22. Picked this up at the PLCB for $12 (claiming a $22 retail). Good sparkle with grapefruit and lemon. Very tart on the palate and quite refreshing, a very good deal at $12. I will likely go out and grab a few more. Very Good. 86-88 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Some weeks it can be a bit of a challenge to pick a wine of the week. Not this one. The 2008 Skewis Pinot Noir Peters Vineyard blew everything else away this week. We have been fans of Hank and Maggie’s wines for some time now, and we have yet to be disappointed. I thought this bottle was going to be the first, as I was not all that enamored with it upon opening—and I even contemplated not finishing the bottle! Both my wife and I were sick the first half of the week and really did not feel like drinking at all. The wine sat there, though, calling my name on Christmas, and at the end of dinner, I gave it a go. What started as a potential disappointment ended as a contender for wine of the year. Incredible.

What was your Wine of the Week?