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).

2011 Amelle Pinot Noir Pratt Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $45. Under cork. Getting down to the nitty-gritty on Amelle in general and this Pratt Pinot in particular. And that certainly saddens me as there will never be any more. The Pratt Vineyard has reached close to legendary status in the Sonoma Coast appellation, with some of the top producers in California making wines from its fruit. Quite dark in the glass with dark cherry, considerable earth, eucalyptus, and even a bit of pine. The palate is juicy and fleshy, but incredibly balanced as the tartness keeps all that fruit in check. Going to be sad to see these go, but I fear that we are near (or even past) the peak for these wines. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2011 Amelle Zinfandel Mori Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $25. 100% Zinfandel. Under cork. It has been another two and a half years since we last popped one of these, and this wine is doing great. The bad news? We only have two bottles left. And there will never be another. This wine, which I have often called a Pinot-lover’s Zinfandel, has been remarkably consistent and utterly fantastic. This continues to age beautifully, with curiously virtually no sediment and no noticeable tannins, but the brilliant acidity is still alive and kicking, protecting all that lovely red berry fruit, spice, and considerable verve. Three bottles to go. How long should I wait? This is off the charts delicious and might be still improving. This gets both a whoa and a yowza. Is that a “wowza”? Or a “whoza”? Outstanding. 95 Points.

NV Drappier Champagne Brut Nature Dosage Zero, France: Retail $60. $79 at the Humble Wine Bar in Lakewood, Ohio. 100% Pinot Noir. Zero Dosage. I was with my older son, Nathan, who had just returned from a semester in France and as a result, he now has an interest in wine for the first time. I have no idea how long the restaurant had this bottle, but it took the cork a good half an hour to expand only a tiny bit. That sucker had been in there a while. A bit of color in the glass with a slight sparkle. Evidence of some oxidation and is slightly lacking in fruit on the nose (although some bruised apple and pear sneak through). The palate is gloriously dry, well on the way to austere with an intense nuttiness, touches of lemon and under ripe Granny Smith showing off a bit. The oxidative note comes in on the lengthy, fantastic finish. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2015 Elyse Zinfandel York Creek Vineyard, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $40. Heavy Bottle. 100% Zinfandel. Under cork. I bought a half-dozen bottles of this wine from Last Bottle Wines a few years ago and this was bottle number five (I now have one left for those of you who struggle with math). Dark in color and aromas with earth and a bit of anise. The palate, even two days later, is rather delightful: fruity, on the verge of rich, with said earth and finishes quite tart. Lovely. Excellent. 91 Points.

2012 Firriato Perricone Sicilia Ribeca, Sicily, Italy: Retail $35(?). Under cork. 100% Perricone. I bought this at the airport in Palermo for under $20 back in 2017. I was really looking forward to this wine as Perricone is really only found in Western Sicily and virtually none is exported. But, alas, …it was corked. UGH. Unrated.

2012 Gary Farrell Zinfandel Maffei Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $50. Under cork. 100% Zinfandel. It has been a whopping decade since I last tried this wine and I have to say it is even better than I remember it (although my “memory” is 100% based on my previous tasting note). Dark in the glass with oodles of fruit, still, nearly a dozen years after harvest. Mostly blackberry and plum but also cassis and black cherry. Plenty of spice along with all of that fruit, too: black pepper, clove, and cardamom. Perhaps some mint? Yowza. The palate is perhaps even more impressive with a boatload of fruit, yes, but also depth, complexity, and impeccable balance. Whoa. Some silky tannins, too, that are nearly 100% integrated. Maybe the best Zin I have ever had? Extraordinary. 97 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: I am not quite sure what got into me this week, but I typically do not go through multiple bottles of Zinfandel in any given seven day period. I do not buy a ton of Zin, but I should likely rethink that as Zinfandel perhaps presents one of the best values in red wine. Sure, there is a lot produced that is not very good, but when you find a really good one, it can alter your path. Such was the case with both the 2011 Amelle More Vineyard Zinfandel and this week’s Wine of the Week, the 2012 Gary Farrell Zinfandel Maffei Vineyard, both outstanding (or better sines), both made from a variety that does not get nearly enough recognition as having the capability of producing really fantastic wines.

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