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).

2010 Amelle Pinot Noir La Cruz Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $50. Responsible bottle (576g; 1lb 4.3oz). Under cork. I have had a ton of wine from this now-defunct producer and I have lauded it repeatedly. And this bottle? More youthful and vibrant than the others, despite having more than three years pass since we last opened one. Incredible red berry fruit, a bit of anise, and black pepper on the nose. The palate is still light and lively with great fruit and depth. I only have two bottles left and if they are both as good as this one, I fear I might cry when the last drop is poured. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2008 Argyle Pinot Noir Nuthouse, Eola – Amity Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65. Responsible bottle (547g; 1lb 3.2oz). Under screw cap. I bought a case of this wine more than a dozen years ago and the first nine wines were spectacular and proof that a Stelvin closure is a legitimate option for long-term storage. But. This wine slipped a bit from previous iterations. Sure, there is fruit and plenty of acidity, which are in balance. But. The depth, the intrigue, and the chutzpah are all a bit lacking, particularly compared with previous bottles. Don’t get me wrong, this is an Excellent wine, just a slight step below previous iterations (two bottles left). Excellent. 92 Points.

NV Paul Berthelot Champagne Premier Cru Eminence, France: Retail $45. Really Heavy Bottle (829g; 11lb 13.2 oz). 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. My son made the travel team for his AAU basketball team and while he is excited about it, the “honor” includes traveling much farther than the 1-2 hours to which we have grown accustomed the last several years. My wife and I have a tag-team agreement: we swap off every other tournament. This weekend, it was her turn and the tournament was in Monroe, Louisiana which is a not-so-fun six-hour drive from Houston. The team did not fare so well; they lost all four games. In preparation for their return, I put a bottle of champagne in the fridge (and cleaned up the house, naturally). Perhaps I was channeling my inner Napoléon (“In victory, you deserve Champagne; in defeat, you need it”) and I knew my wife would want to wind down after the excruciating drive. Golden in the glass with an active sparkle, which faded fairly quickly. There is not much fruit on the nose but plenty of rich tree fruit on the palate and plenty of yeastiness all the way through. I am not sure how next weekend will go (it is my turn and the tournament is outside of Dallas), but I will be sure to put at least one bottle of champers in the fridge before I leave. Excellent. 92 Points.

2022 Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel, Côtes de Provence, France: Retail $25. Responsible Bottle (586g; 1lb 4.6oz). Under cork. Grenache, Cinsault and Rolle. I have lost count as to how many vintages of this wine I have tried, but I am pretty sure I have tried each vintage since about 2013. So however many that is (math is hard). Fairly pale in the glass with oodles of wild strawberry and ripe cherry, with floral notes and minerality. The palate is tart, fruity, and balanced. Once again, another stellar wine from perhaps the leader in Provençal rosé. Excellent. 92 Points.

2004 Damien Laureau Le Bel Ouvrage, Savennières, Loire Valley, France: Retail $25? Very Heavy Bottle (785g; 1lb 11.7oz). Under cork. 100% Chenin Blanc. I bought this online a dozen years ago and it has been waiting patiently since. I am not sure what this is supposed to be like, but it is heavily oxidized. I have had several wines from the region, and they have all been oxidized to a certain extent but not like this. Maybe I should look into this a bit more…

It’s not “bad” it’s, um, interesting. Not Rated.

2007 Zind-Humbrecht Riesling Clos Häuserer. Alsace, France: Retail $80(?). Very Heavy bottle (757g; 1lb 10.6oz). Under cork. It has been some time since I popped a bottle of this wine that I purchased from the PLCB for a mere twenty bucks. While the previous three were all on the verge of spectacular, this bottle seems a bit tired. Sure, the nose of this clearly golden wine is inviting with aromas of petrol, lemon rind, and honey blossom, and the palate still has nice fruit notes, some tartness, and just a hint of sweetness (7g/l RS), it just falls a little flat. There is no spark, no zeal, no chutzpah. Of course, it is still a wonderful wine and we had no problem finishing it, but I will get to the remaining two bottles soon. Very Good. 89 points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: As I mentioned in the note above, I am coming to the end of the road with the Amelle wines and while I would have to check, I have the feeling that this tiny winery has won the Wine of the Week honor more than just about any other producer. Add the 2010 Amelle Pinot Noir La Cruz Vineyard to the list (I did check and this wine also won the WotW back in February 2019). While I doubt that the winemaker, Eric Buffington, will return to winemaking any time soon, I do have a few more bottles across several wines to go. Who knows how many more times I will be writing about Amelle in this space? I would be willing to wager more than a few.

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