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).

2014 Domaine Adrien Besson Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu, Burgundy, France: Retail $45. Heavy bottle (618 grams; 1 lb, 5.8 oz). Under cork. 100% Chardonnay. Well, this wine, which I purchased from Last Bottle Wines just about seven years ago, has been all over the place. The previous bottle that I opened was more than disappointing, so I had low hopes for this bottle. But whoa. This was easily the best bottle of the six bottle lot (for which I paid $20/bottle): bright lemon along with a hint of nuttiness on the nose. The palate is simply delightful with plenty of tart fruit, even quite tart, with a level of depth that I was frankly not expecting. I said it before, but whoa. Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Digby Fine English Non Vintage Brut, England: Retail $60. 40% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 25% Pinot Meunier. While I have tried a few English sparklers, this is the first time (I believe) that I actually opened a bottle from the British Isles. I think. A friend brought this over a whopping four years ago and I have been waiting for the two of them to come back ever since (they will be here any day, right??). Light straw in the glass with a yeasty nose, even quite yeasty and the theme continues on the palate. The yeasty component is upfront and present, followed by some tart fruit, accompanied by a fervent sparkle. Excellent. 91 Points.

2016 Domaine de la Haute Olive Chinon Vieilles Vignes, Loire Valley, France: Retail $18. Responsible bottle (445g; 15.7oz). 100% Cabernet Franc. I have stated before that Chinon is not only home to my favorite Cab Francs, it is perhaps my favorite city in all of France (outside of Paris, natch). Medium to dark color in the glass with a rather shy nose but one that eventually reveals subtle fruit of dark cherry and black raspberry. The palate is on the reserved side as well, with tart cherry, mineral notes, plenty of “zing” and just the slightest hint of tannin on the finish. This wine might not win a ton of awards, but it is a quintessential Chinon. Bravo. Excellent. 91 Points.

2002 Louis Jadot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode, Burgundy, France: Retail $70. 100% Pinot Noir. From the Southern half of the Côte d’Or, I had high hopes for this Savigny-les-Beaune as I paid under $30 for it back in 2008 in an online auction. I figured since it was a Premier Cru, how bad could it be? Well, the first bottle, while not a disaster, was certainly a disappointment which is an all-to-common theme these days with Burgundy. Once my favorite appellation (OK, second, next to Champagne), I would now have to classify Burgundy as the most overrated of all regions in the world. Yeah. Well, this bottle helped restore a modicum of faith in Burgundy. Rich and layered on the nose with some baked cherry compote, considerable earth, leather, pencil shavings, and just a touch of funk. I love the funk. The palate is predictably reserved with subtle fruit but great tartness and earth. OK. Whoa. Yeah, while this might be a bit past its prime(?), it is still a lovely quaff, worthy of contemplation and introspection. $30? You bet. $70? Not so much? Outstanding. 93 Points.

2003 Mauro Veglio Barolo, Piedmont, Italy: Retail $50. 100% Nebbiolo. It has been about three and a half years since I last opened a bottle of this wine and while my waistline has changed for the worse in the interim, this wine is still gangbusters. Earthy, menthol, dried cherry, tobacco leaf, mocha, and maybe violet on the nose. In other words, there is plenty going on and it is all good. The palate is bright, tart, and complex; the fruit is subtle, for sure, but that tartness? Whoa. While this is not perhaps the most prestigious Barolo, it is layered, balanced, and even has some noticeable tannins on the finish. Yeah, this is gangbusters and might even have a bit of time left. While I might be slightly less enamored this go around, I am still quite bullish on this wine. Alas, it is my last. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2010 Morlet Family Vineyards Chardonnay Ma Princesse, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $100(?). Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (900g; 1lb 16.7oz). I was a bit trepidatious opening this bottle as it has been a while. Well, despite the nearly two inch cork (for which I am sure Luc paid a pretty penny), the wine was corked. I wrote to the winery to let them know, not expecting anything in return at all, but I thought they would like to have the feedback. In return? I’ve heard nothing at all. Oh well. Another $100 down the drain. Literally. Flawed.

WINE OF THE WEEK: While choosing the Wine of the Week often comes down to two competing wines in this spot, this week there was a three-way battle. Two of the wines were from Burgundy and the third from Piedmont. I thought since one of the French wines, the 2014 Domaine Adrien Besson Chablis 1er Cru Mont de Milieu, was both from Burgundy and it was a surprise, would be the clear winner, but it wasn’t. Then there was the 2003 Mauro Veglio Barolo, a surprise on at least a few levels and was two decades old, a combo which usually suffices for garnering the top spot. But. The third wine, this week’s Wine of the Week, the 2002 Louis Jadot Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru La Dominode, was not only a surprise of sorts, it was also two decades plus old, and was a Burgundy. What I call a triple threat for sure.

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