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:

2007 Domaine Auvigue Pouilly-Fuissé Solutre: Retail $25. Considerably better this time around with great citrusy acidity and depth. It was slightly lacking on the finish, but I picked this up from Last Bottle for $12. Based on this bottle, I certainly wish that I had bought at least a few more. Very Good. 87-89 Points.

NV Cave des Producteurs de Vouvray Vouvray C. Greffe Rosé: Retail $15. This continues to be a solid sparkler at a really good price (got it on closeout for $8). Ample fruit, good acidity, and vibrant bubbles–what else do you want for $8? OK, it’s also a rosé, there, are you happy? Good to Very Good. 85-87 Points.

1995 De Loach Zinfandel Papera Ranch: Retail $25. I have had a few of these now. They were all good. I held on to this one for the right moment, waited to try and impress, wanted to make a splash. Well, that is hard to do when the wine is (ever so slightly) corked. It blew off a bit and I could appreciate the fruit and the age. But the corked-ness never really left. Bummer. Still, Very Good. 87-89 Points.

2006 Fess Parker Pinot Noir Ashley’s Vineyard: Retail $50. A bit dark and brooding, this was certainly a full-throttle Pinot at one point, but the fruit has mellowed out a bit to a wonderfully well-rounded wine. I bought this at the winery a while ago, and still remember my trip there. The tasting room is a bit over-the-top (complete with coon-skin bottle stoppers), indicating the winery has gone a bit corporate, but this wine is still top-notch.  Outstanding. 90-92 Points.

2000 Pierre Gimonnet Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Gastronome 1er Cru:: Retail $55. I bought these back in 2007 for a song and waited until now to pop one. Initially, very dry and tart, and it screamed for some food, but we only had the Olympics to pair with this wine. After a couple of events, this wine was greatly improved. There is a bit of mustiness (which I like) with its austerity, but the finish is never-ending. It took a while for me to realize, but this is truly fantastic. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.

2007 Melville Chardonnay Estate:  Retail $30.We bought a case of this and are sadly coming to the end of the line. from a previous note: I have had a bunch of this wine now and this might be the best bottle so far–great fruit of pineapple, vanilla and maybe some hazelnut. On the palate near perfect balance between the fruit, the oak, and the acidity. If you are a Chard lover and you have not had any Melville, you are missing out (and great QPR). Outstanding. 90-92 Points.

NV Charles de Monrency Champagne Brut Réserve: Retail $35. My previous note: 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.

1996 Nichols Winery & Cellars Pinot Noir Pisoni Vineyard: Retail $65. I had a few of these several years ago, and I was not all that impressed. I picked up this bottle on the internet a few weeks ago, without looking at my previous luke-warm reviews. Well, I am glad I did not see them since I would have never bought this bottle for $45–this was incredible. It was open for a while and the first couple of hours this was really singing–great fruit, complexity and depth (although a tiny bit stewed). In the third hour, this faded a bit, but certainly a delight. Outstanding. 92-94 Points.

2007 Novy Family Wines Syrah Rosella’s Vineyard: Retail $30. A bit more developed than the last bottle of this we had–still great fruit, but there was deeper, more complex secondary flavors. I pulled this out to drink while watching the Olympics, since the wife said she wanted some more wine. She fell asleep before the luge, but I did not mind, I plunged ahead without her. The sacrifices I make. Outstanding. 90-92 Points.

2000 Château Potensac: Retail $30? This has certainly benefited from the additional time in the bottle. This was never an overly fruity wine (and it has not become one now), but it has developed some very interesting secondary characteristics and the tannins have mellowed nicely. Still considerable time left. Very Good to Outstanding. 89-91 Points.

2008 Pyramid Valley Pinot Noir Growers Collection Calvert Vineyard: Retail $40. This wine is perfectly fine, but i really do not get all the love for it on Cellar Tracker. A 91 average with multiple 94s? I just don’t get it. OK flavors and acidity, but rather thin and uneventful and even a bit dull. Very Good, I guess. 86-88 Points.

2005 Bodegas y Viñedos Recoletas Ribera del Duero Reserva: Retail $30? We drank this over two nights and the first night, it was solid, but not really memorable. The second night? Completely different ball game: rich, deep, strong finish. I think the tasting window might even be conservative–if this wine is this much better on day two….whoa, watch out. Outstanding. 90-92 Points.

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut Rosé: Retail $14. Cheap, but solid. And it sparkles. And it’s cheap (I paid $8). Good. 84-86 Points.

NV Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Champagne Demi-Sec: Retail $25? From half bottles. We had two bottles of this last week. The first: Well, waited too long. There might have been four bubbles total. Oxidized nose. Stupid half bottles–why did I ever think these were a good idea? Oh well, at least the wife does not want any now. I decided I needed to get to the remaining bottle right away: Better sparkle and some complexity, this was better than the last. Still, waited too long to pop this one, too. NO more half bottles….

2008 Domaine Vindemio Côtes du Ventoux Regain: Retail $20? We have had a case of this, and while good, this seems to be fading a bit. Not quite as fruity as previous bottles, but enough intrigue to keep me going. Yeah, I’m kind of simple. Good to Very Good. 85-87 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: We had several good bottles this week, and a few stinkers thrown in just to keep us humble. The Fess Parker Pinot and the Melville Chard reminded me of the time that I have spent down in Santa Barbara County, and that is a good thing. I was excited about the Recoletas Ribera del Duero since it shows great promise (and I have another three bottles). Then there was the surprise of the Novy Syrah–Adam Lee from Siduri/Novy always makes solid wines, but this was a notch better than the previous bottles. There was also the Potensac, which I bought about ten years ago, and I was very happy to see it doing so well. In the end, though, the wine of the week came down to the Nichols Pinot and the 2000 Pierre Gimonnet Champagne Blanc de Blancs Brut Gastronome 1er Cru. In the end, the Gimonnet is the Wine of the Week and goes to show that context is important. We had this on Valentine’s Day after our baby sitter cancelled, nullifying our long-anticipated date night of dinner and a play. We finally popped this after the kids (reluctantly) went to bed. And it was fabulous.

What was your Wine of the Week?