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 over the past few weeks. These are wines that were not sent as samples—in most cases, I actually paid for these wines (although a few have been given as gifts).

2021 Belles d’Eguilles Rosé, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, France: Retail $13. Under screw cap. From WTSO. Cinsault , Grenache , Syrah. This is our third and last go-around with this wine and while the first bottle was Very Good and serviceable, and the second wine had a bit more: more fruit, more tartness, more balance. This third bottle fell somewhere in between. It’s surprising how different bottles of the same wine can be. Barely pink in the glass with tree fruit, floral notes, and a bit of minerality. The palate is quite fruity, in fact, with just a hint of sweetness, and plenty of acidity. Very Good. 89 Points.

2021 Château Miraval, Côtes de Provence Rosé, France: Retail $25. Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle, Syrah. I recently read a Vanity Fair article about the whole debacle (understatement) that is going on with the whole Brangelina thing. Ugh, what a disaster. But the wine is Outstanding and I hope it survives. But I am not holding my breath on that one. Ugh. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2003 Ojai Syrah Bien Nacido Vineyard, Santa Maria Valley, CA: Retail $100? Big. Ass. Bottle. 100% Syrah. I purchased this online through a “grey market” seller back in 2011. I paid $25/bottle. Whoa right there. The seller said that he no longer “related” to the Ojai Syrahs and he thusly sold me a slew of them on the cheap. This is the very last one. Bien Nacido, by any account, is considered a “Grand Cru” vineyard and this twenty-year-old Syrah is a perfect example why. I popped this on Father’s Day since my first son was born in 2003 (we had already had the 2008 champagne for my other son) and holy mother of Jesus. Where to begin? Inky dark in the glass with no real signs of age (isn’t that what we all strive for?), the nose is one of the more compelling wines I have sniffed all year (and decade?). Intensely floral with rose petal, hibiscus, and lavender at the fore. Add some fresh tobacco leaf, clove, cardamom, and nutmeg, plenty of nutmeg, and this deserves another Whoa. Every so often, there are wines that I would rather take a moment or eleven and just sniff. This is one of those wines. Holy cow. Already open a few hours, some anise sneaks in, as does some black and white pepper. When the time came to actually taste the wine, I was more than a tad hesitant as I felt, nay knew, that there was no chance that the palate could match the wonder of the nose. I happily admit I was wrong. Even dead wrong. The palate took it all a step further. Sure, the fruit is subtle, but blackberry and plum are both still there, willing to be noticed as if sitting in the front row of the classroom, waiting patiently to be called upon. Right after the fruit? The acidity is simply remarkable: tangy, tart, lip-smackingly lovely from beginning to end, and in perfect harmony with the fruit although certainly less demure. The tannins (as witnessed by the noticeable sediment on the side of the bottle) have largely precipitated out, having done their job, of protecting this beauty until right about now. It is indeed rare that I wax on thusly over a domestic Syrah, but this just might be one for the ages. So much so that I just joined the Ojai wine club. My first in over a decade. Extraordinary. 97 Points.

2021 Vignobles Paradis Feu Follet Rosé, Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence, France: Retail $28. Synthetic stopper. 60% Grenache Noir, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10% Carignan, 10% Syrah. I picked this up from WTSO as part of a Provence four-pack, with each bottle averaging $12. A wonderful Provençal rosé with good fruit (melon, grapefruit, strawberry), a vivacious acidity, and a lengthy finish. For $28? Maybe not, but for $12? I’d drink this rosé all day, every day. Excellent. 90 points.

2021 Château de Trinquevedel, Tavel, France: Retail $23. 60% Grenache, 13% Clairette, 13% Syrah, 10% Cinsault, 3% Mourvèdre, 1% Bourboulenc. I have now tasted several vintages of this wine and this 2021 confirms my feeling that this is one of my favorite rosés on the market. Darker than most rosés, but lighter than most Tavels, this wine is bursting with aromas and flavors. Watermelon, rhubarb, and cherry all dance out of the glass and dominate the palate. There is also a considerable minerality, plenty of weight, and enough intrigue to solidify the “serious wine” reputation of the wines of Tavel. Fantastic. Outstanding. 93 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Based on the notes above, a couple things should be fairly obvious. First, given that we opened a bunch of rosé this week, one could easily come to the conclusion that it is still hotter than Hades down here in Houston. While I am a proponent of drinking rosé year-round, I also acknowledge that I live in a place where the temperature ranges from pretty warm to blazing hot. The evident point? This week’s Wine of the Week is the 2003 Ojai Bien Nacido Syrah. Simply put, it is an example of why I started to write about wine. Name another product that can take you on a voyage through your memories while pairing perfectly well with a ribeye.

What was/were your Wine(s) of the Week?