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).

2008 Boizel Champagne Grand Vintage, France: Retail $80. 50% Chardonnay, 50% Pinot Noir. I purchased three bottles of this wine from Garagiste for a little over $70/bottle two and a half years ago and this was the first we’ve opened. Fantastic. Yes, 2008 was a phenomenal year in Champagne and Boizel is a fine producer, but still, this is top-notch. A deep straw color with magnificent aromas of bruised golden delicious apple, almond croissant, marzipan, and even a hint of orange rind all characterize the nose. The palate is equally complex and enticing with the fruit and acidity in harmony allowing the yeastiness to come through. Perhaps even more remarkable is the finish, which is not only long but also rich, layered, and complex. A superb wine. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2008 Edouard Brun & Cie Champagne Premier Cru Brut, France: Retail $75. 50% Chardonnay and 50% Pinot Noir. I opened the first bottle of this wine for my wife’s birthday a few months ago, and while we liked it, it was slightly less than we had hoped. Not so with this bottle. Yum. In particular, in my previous note, I mentioned that I did not find it all that complex, well this bottle tried very hard to make up for it. I previously wrote: “it is loaded with fruit, bakery goodness, and hazelnut, with a finish is off the charts.” Yes, all of that is still true, but this bottle seems more layered and, yes, complex. Mainly it is due to the yeasty, autolytic aspect which this bottle has in spades. Thus, I am bumping it up a notch from my previous 92 points. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2019 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir The Famous Gate, Carneros, CA: Retail $95. Heavy bottle. Fairly dark in the glass with oodles of dark fruit on the nose: blackberry, black cherry, a touch of anise, and plenty of spice. It is basically a Christmas morning kind of vibe when it comes to aromas. Yum. The palate is rich, really rich, even unctuous with plenty of fruit, vanilla, clove, and even some fruit cake (yeah, I know that sounds odd, but I love me some fruit cake). There is just the ever-so-slight hint of tannin, but what is there is silky smooth and completely integrated. Look, this is a big, juicy, California Pinot; if you are looking for a “Burgundian” style Pinot, um, no. But this is particularly compelling and Domaine Carneros is at the top of my list of best producers in California. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2014 Château de La Chaize Brouilly, Beaujolais, France: Retail $26. 100% Gamay. Back in the day, I bought a bunch of the 2003 vintage of this wine online for under $10/bottle. Thus, when I saw this at Costco for just north of $12, I had to grab a bottle. That was way back in 2017 and I am just now popping it. Well. Classic Brouilly. And close to a whoa. Fruity and surprisingly fresh on the nose with oodles of red berry fruit, a touch of earth, and the classic bubblegum Beaujolais note. The palate is fruity, yes, but measured (cherry and cranberry) along with a rather intense zinginess and some zesty earth. OK, whoa. Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Mailly Champagne Grand Cru Brut Rosé, France: Retail $65. 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay. Another fantastic bottle with similar notes, I just wish the price had not escalated to the point that I’ve been forced to look elsewhere for a “house” rosé champagne. Deep pink color, one of the darker rosé champagnes on the market. Lovely, rich nose of strawberry, cherry, croissant, and a slight mineral aspect. The palate is laden with fruit, plenty of tartness, and considerable verve. Yowza. Yes, I am a fan of this brand and this wine, but there is a reason: it’s damned good. Whoa. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2013 Mezzacorona Teroldego Rotaliano Castel Firmian, Trentino, Italy: Retail $25. Responsible bottle. 100% Teroldego. I bought this wine on a press trip to the region way back in 2016 and I have held on to this wine since then. Whoa. I bought this wine way back when at the winery since its effect on me was rather profound. Yowza. The palate has plenty of fruit, of course, but it seems to have faded just a touch. It is still dark and juicy with a bit of intrigue, but I fear I may have waited a tad too long to pop this one. Very Good. 89 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: There were several viable options for this week’s Wine of the Week and the fact that we consumed not one but two vintage champagnes (and both from the fantastic 2008 vintage), one would likely conclude that a bottle of bubbles would be this week’s top wine. Normally, that would be a safe bet but seeing that there is an extra day added this month, I decided to stray a bit from the norm and opt for the 2014 Château de La Chaize Brouilly. I have stated often that we should drink more Cru Beaujolais and this Brouilly was a beautiful testament to that sentiment.

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