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 Cellier d’Eguilles Coteaux d’Aix-en-Provence Mas de la Baronne, Provence, France: Retail $16. 70% Grenache Noir, 28% Syrah, 2% Vermentino. A couple more months down the road since the first bottle I tried of this wine and not much has changed: the tasting notes are similar (“Quite pale in the glass with subtle fruit aromas along with some mineral notes. The palate is classic Provence, with subtle fruit, balancing tartness, and a nice finish. And the price (I got it for $12 from WTSO) is indeed right.”). And I still think it is on the verge of criminal for this Provençal producer to refer to the main white variety in the region as “Vermentino.” If you are in Provence, it is Rolle. End of story. Very Good. 88 Points.

NV Gardet Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs, France: Retail $60. 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Pinot Meunier. We have had numerous bottles of this wine which we first purchased from Last Bottle Wines and more recently acquired from their sister site Last Bubbles. The wine continues to impress and I will certainly purchase more when it once again becomes available. Here are my previous notes: Straw to slightly golden in the glass with lovely tree fruit (tons of golden apple) paired with that scrumptious baked bread aspect that defines champagne. The palate is vibrant and tart with ample fruit and a nice finish. Excellent. 91 Points.

2018 Hugel Riesling Classic, Alsace, France: Retail $25. DIAM 5 closure. I found three bottles of this wine on sale for under 12 bucks at my local H-E-B (I love my H-E-B) so I nabbed them. Hugel is perhaps the name in Alsatian wines, with the house founded in Riquewihr in 1639, and this is their flagship wine. A light straw color with golden highlights, there is a distinct lemon zest and green apple combo on the nose with just a hint of petrol. The palate comes off as quite dry (but there is 3.7 g/l of residual sugar), with plenty of fruit and boatloads of tart, lip-smacking acidity. While this is fantastic on its own, there is no doubt that this will shine even brighter with food. Excellent. 91 Points.

2022 Château Miraval Studio by Miraval Rosé, Méditerranée IGP, France: Retail $22. Agglomerated stopper. Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Tibouren. Minuty, at least in my opinion, is trying to become a ubiquitous brand, it seems it wants to be considered along with Châtea d’Esclans (maker of Whispering Angel) and Château Miraval (maker of disastrous marriages–sorry, couldn’t resist) as part of the “new wave” of Provençal rosés. Whether that is the goal or not, I have no idea. What I do know is that while this is a pleasant enough quaff, it falls just a bit short when compared to those other wines. Tart, fruity, even “fun” this is certainly a solid choice in this price range, but it comes up a bit short in depth and length. Still, for around fifteen bucks? Sure. If the store is out of Miraval, that is. Excellent. 90 Points.

2002 Domaine Pavelot (Jean-Marc et Hugues) Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets, Burgundy, France: Retail $65? 100% Pinot Noir. From one of the appellations in the Côte de Beaune that does not get as much attention as others in the region, and certainly nowhere near the respect that wines from the Côte de Nuits garner. For a while, that was fine to me as that meant they were still (relatively) affordable. Not anymore. This wine, for which I paid around $15 in 2007? It is likely at least 3-4 times that today. I liked the first two bottles of this wine I tried several years ago (92 Points both times). This one, though, I am going to bump it up a notch. Sure, the fruit has faded, but it is still hanging on, the acidity is outstanding, and the secondary and tertiary aromas and flavors are off the charts. The nose is astounding: black cherry and raspberry with mocha, interestingly, and tons of fall aromas with clove, sage, and even pumpkin spice. The palate is reserved, as one would expect, but it is also loaded with many of the flavors that the nose suggested and the finish is lingering and impressive. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2020 Thomas Schmitt Riesling Private Selection Spätlese, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany: Retail $25. Under screw cap. When I saw this on sale at my local H-E-B for under eight bucks, I paused. For a while. I do not know the producer, but a Mosel Spätlese for eight bucks (it actually rang up for just over $7, I love my H-E-B). I knew it would be sweet (and indicated as such on the back label), but I also knew it would be ripe with intense acidity. I was correct on all three points. It is also quite good with a floral (hyacinth) and fruity (yellow apple, white peach, and a touch of lime). There is also a touch of the characteristic petrol with minerality and verve. The palate is indeed sweet, even quite sweet, but not at all cloying with all of that tartness keeping the sugar in check. The lengthy finish and low alcohol (8.5%) add to the experience. Excellent. 91 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Looking back over the wines we opened this week, I made one fatal flaw: I opened all French wines (although not by design) with the exception of the German Riesling. Some of my French friends would call that blasphemous, but they were not here so I am not really worried about it. As for the Wine of the Week, it was an exceedingly easy choice as it is not so often that we open a 20-year-old Burgundy in this house and the 2002 Domaine Pavelot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Les Peuillets certainly did not disappoint.

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