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 Argyle Pinot Noir Spirithouse Reserve Series: Retail $50. I have had far more than my than my fair share of Argyle. I also have about five cases of various wines and vintages still in the cellar. Most of it is Pinot and almost all comes from a guy that would repeatedly hook me up. Recently, though, my contact left his job and I no longer can get my Argyle at a discount. Oh well, this wine is fantastic, as have been all the upper end Pinots from Argyle. Outstanding. 91-93 Points.

2005 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark & Telephone Vineyard: Retail $45. Whoa. Skip double whoa and right to triple whoa. I worried since members of Cellar Tracker says this wine is way past its prime. Um, no. One of the better US Pinots I have had recently. Whoa. There I said it again. Outstanding. 93-95 Points.

2006 Buena Vista Pinot Noir Estate Vineyard Series Ramal Vineyard: Retail $35. We have had this on numerous occasions thus far and it seems to be getting better. At $13 this was a good pick-up, but I would be a bit miffed if I had paid $38. Very Good. 86-88 Points.

2007 Coelho Winery Pinot Noir Paciência: Retail $35. This was what I chose for our second wine on a week night. I had just returned from my ten-year old’s basketball practice and I needed some more wine (yes, I had some wine before practice, so shoot me). The first wine we had was also an Oregon Pinot, so twist my arm, I pulled another. This wine was not mind-blowing, but it was a solid wine from one of my favorite vintages (a vintage that was panned by most of the “experts”). Very Good. 86-88 Points.

2004 Domaine du Mas Blanc (Docteur Parcé) Banyuls Rimage: Retail $25. I popped this very late in the evening after several other bottles. I do not have a tasting note. I do not have a clue. I am pretty sure that I liked it though since we finished it. But that is just a guess. Unrated.

2005 Faiveley Rully Les Villeranges: Retail $25. I bought quite a few of these a while ago and this was the last bottle. The previous bottles were a real mixed bag—a couple good ones, a couple so-so bottles, and a couple of real stinkers. I was more than worried about this one, so I had a back-up plan (which we also ended up drinking, but that one was only a half bottle, so I am only partially embarrassed about it). Well, this bottle was perhaps the best of the lot—by no means a superstar, but a solid reminder that white Burgundies are among the greatest treats in the world of wine. Very Good. 87-89 Points.

2010 Gary Farrell Chardonnay Carneros Selection: Retail $30. This is another wine that we bought a couple of cases of when they went on sale for $13 at the PLCB. These wines as well seem to be improving and certainly go beyond the $13. Not quite sure it is up to $30 yet, but it is getting really close.  Very Good. 88-90 Points.

2003 Hubert Lamy Saint-Aubin 1er Cru Les Frionnes: Retail $35. I was worried. I had even put an emergency backup in the fridge (I seem to do that a lot). This wine has some age, it is from a vineyard that I do not really know at all (although I have had plenty of St. Aubin–it is really the only quality white Burg that I can afford these days), and the vintage was more than difficult. The wine? Heavenly. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.

NV Charles de Monrency Champagne Brut Réserve:  Retail $35. From a few months ago: A very nice Champagne for the price ($20 from WTSO). Not very complex, but great citrus and apple with the great acidity you would expect from a Champagne. This would work perfectly with milder Asian fare or even popcorn on the couch, watching a movie. Very Good. 86-88 Points.

2009 Panther Creek Pinot Noir Freedom Hill Vineyard`: Retail $35. The other night, I ordered a few more of these from WTSO during their Cheapskate Tuesday sale, despite being placed officially on a wine buying moratorium by my wife. Needless to say she was not pleased. The first Oregon Pinot I ever had was a Panther Creek, though, so I thought there was certainly a valid reason to buy a few bottles (forget for the moment that I already had a few in the cellar). I decided to pull one tonight to see if the trip to the dog house was worth it. Well, it was. Initially, it was a bit closed, but with some time, it opened up with some sour cherry, a bit of tobacco, and even a little coffee ground. Not a blockbuster, but  Very Good. 87-89 Points.

NV Pfaffenheim Crémant d’Alsace Brut Excellence: Retail $22. I picked up a few bottles from WTSO during their Cheapskate Tuesday a few weeks ago. A solid sparkler, but the bubbles dissipate rather quickly. After looking at the cork an hour after opening, it is clear that these wines have been in the bottle for a while (the cork did not expand at all). If you have any of these, you need to get to them quickly. Very Good. 85-87 Points.

1995 Pommery Champagne Brut Grand Cru: Retail $80. This is not a champagne for everyone. After a slight sigh on opening, not a lot of bubble to go around and a bit of oxidation but this is completely in my wheelhouse. It has moved beyond champagne and developed a more vinous character. The finish is incredible. Like I said, I think I was the only one that liked this, but boy did I like it. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.

1989 Rosenblum Cellars Zinfandel Hendry Ranch: Retail $25? My wife pretends to be a Denver fan (and I oblige her), but when I pulled this out, she did not blink an eye (nor did I know until I looked it up). Following the 1989 season, Denver lost to the San Francisco 49ers in the biggest blowout in Super Bowl history (55-10). So it is my fault all you Broncos fans out there. Sorry. Wine was Outstanding, though. 90-92 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Last week, we did not have anyone over and therefore did not pull out too many wines. We tried to make up for it this week, though. Looking back over the list, it is clear that I went back to my roots: champagne (and sparkling wines), Pinot, and Chardonnay (with an old Zin thrown in). There were several wines this week that would have easily been wine of the week just seven days ago: the ’06 Argyle Spirithouse, the ’95 Pommery, the ’03 Lamy St. Aubin, and even the ’89 Rosenblum Hendry Ranch. All fantastic wines. The one that stood out, though, was the 2005 Belle Glos Pinot Noir Clark & Telephone Vineyard. I took it with us almost as an after thought when we went out to dinner with some friends (and it followed the Pommery). As I said in the note, this is one of the better domestic Pinots I have had in a while.

What was your Wine of the Week?