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).

2023 Bouchard Aîné & Fils Pinot Noir Rosé Héritage du Conseiller, Vin de Pays d’Oc, France: Retail $15. Ridiculously Responsible Bottle (404g; 14.2oz). Under screw cap. 100% Pinot Noir. The French, when it comes to culture, cuisine, and wine, do a lot right. A lot. But when I see “France” on a bottle as the appellation, I get a bit worried. OK. More than a bit. When the French stop following the rules, it can get a bit hairy. But the producer here is Bouchard et Fils, a respected négociant in the Rhône. And this wine delivers, regardless of the price. Fruity, tart, blanched, inexpensive–a winning combo. Very Good. 88 Points.

NV André Clouet Champagne Rose No. 3, France: Retail $50. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (882g; 31.1oz). 100% Pinot Noir Grand Cru (10% Bouzy rouge added to the vin clair). Another fantastic bottle of what is quickly becoming our favorite rosé champagne. It has to be among the fruitiest on the market with a boatload of fresh cherries to go along with plenty of verve. Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Antoine Derigny Champagne Grand Cru Brut, France: Retail $55. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (846g; 29.7oz). 100% Chardonnay. At $29, what I paid for this wine at Last Bubbles, this has to be one of the best purchases in my recent memory (although given the amount of wine I drink, my memory is at best, “presidential”). Pear fruit and brioche-like goodness proceeded the tart, fruity, and yeasty palate. Plenty of depth, and a lengthy finish. I sure hope this comes up again on Last Bubbles or Last Bottle Wines. Excellent. 92 Points.

NV Mailly Champagne Grand Cru Brut Réserve, France: From Magnum. Retail $100 (magnum). Stupidly Heavy Bottle (1750g; 3lb 13.7oz). 75% Pinot Noir, 25% Chardonnay. 100% Grand Cru. This remains at or near the top of our favorite champagnes for several reasons, not the least of which is that it is quite good. And from a magnum? It seems even better. Similar notes to previous bottles (“Mailly Grand Cru is one of the few cooperatives left in France, let alone Champagne, which produces roughly a million bottles a year. Always rock-solid in quality, this is simply fantastic: slight golden color with citrus, pear, and freshly baked croissant. Really close to a Whoa. The palate is fruity—perhaps as rich in fruit as any NV Brut I can remember with near perfect acidity, the yeasty goodness that separates champagne from most other sparklers, and a delicate yet vibrant bubble.”), but this magnum (which also has a bit of age on it and cost just $75 not even four years ago they are $100 now) comes off as creamier and loaded with more of that autolytic component. Fantastic. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2023 Château Miraval Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France: Retail $25. Heavy Bottle (616g; 21.7oz). Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle, Syrah. Under cork. Since Bradjolina took over the winery and employed the Perrin family as winemakers, Château Miraval has ascended (along with a rather quiet cherub) to rosé royalty. Say what you want about its ubiquity, Miraval consistently churns out wines of note. This 2023 certainly continues that progression. Sure, their divorce is a complete sheet show, but this wine has not suffered (yet?). Great fruit, balancing tartness, and a lengthy finish. Yes, this is fantastic and you would admit it too if you were not so hung up on being able to buy this at Walmart. Excellent. 92 Points.

NV Villebois Crémant de Loire Brut, France: Retail $20. Very Heavy Bottle (763g; 26.8oz). 60% Chenin Blanc, 35% Chardonnay, 5% Cabernet Franc. I picked up a few bottles of this wine when the were on sale for about fifteen bucks at my local H-E-B (I love my H-E-B) to serve to my father-in-law when he comes over demanding “Champagne!” And it does the trick. I have no idea if he realizes that it is not, indeed “the real stuff” but this is quite tasty in its own right, light and lively with plenty of tree fruit and tartness, this is a fantastic go-to for when her parents drop in (often unannounced–they live about 200 feet away). Very Good. 88 Points. 

Our then puppy, Mailly, with a few bottles of our favorite champagne.

WINE OF THE WEEK: As happens from time to time, I had a bit of an internal debate when it came to choosing this week’s top wine. I settled on the Mailly Grand Cru Brut for this Week’s Wine of the Week for a number of reasons, not the least of which is the fact that it is a fantastic wine. It has, however, been steadily increasing in price, particularly recently as it has shot up to $50/bottle (this has long been our “house” champagne which we used to buy at around $20/bottle “back in the day”). Now, it is more of a “special occasion” kind of wine. So this week, with some good friends over, we not only popped a Mailly, but it was a magnum. (Another reason I chose it this week? It allows me to publish one of my favorite photos–that’s our puppy, which we named “Mailly”.)

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