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).

NV Brigitte Delmotte Champagne Rosé de Saignée, France: Retail $45. Extremely Heavy Bottle (862g; 30.4oz). 90% Pinot Noir, 10% Chardonnay. Bright bubblegum pink in color with strawberry and floral notes on the nose, which is perfectly pleasant. The palate is quite fruity, so much so that it comes off as a little sweet (which works), but there is also great tartness and a hint of depth. Not a world-beater by any means, but a perfectly good option for an “everyday” kinda rosé champers. Very Good. 89 Points.

NV Antoine Derigny Champagne Brut Rosé, France: Retail $60. Extremely Heavy Bottle (834g; 29.3oz). 60% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 5% Meunier, colored with 12% Bouzy red Pinot Noir. We were about to embark on a two-week family vacation so I decided to booze it up. This rosé champagne (last tasted nearly a year ago) is fine. Yeah, I know, the last few bottles of this wine were fantastic, but this one is just, well, fine. Bits of red fruit, minerality, and yeastiness characterize the nose but the palate has this somewhat chalky, metal aspect that is close to (although not quite) off-putting. Sure, it’s “good” but one (at least me) hopes for more. OK, Very Good. 89 Points.

2011 Michel Gonet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs, France: Retail $75. Extremely Heavy Bottle (849g; 29.9oz). 100% Chardonnay. Lieu Dit: Les Haute Moltes. I bought six bottles of this wine from Last Bottle Wines back in 2017 for $39 and this is the first I’ve popped. Medium straw color with an incredibly rich nose of caramelized apple, fresh croissant, and a whole lot of verve. Whoa. The palate is tart, even on the verge of austere, which is surprising (but lovely) given that this is labeled as a Brut. Great fruit, killer acidity, and a finish that lasts well into the next sip, this is what you want from a Grand Cru BdB. I am going to try to hold onto the other five bottles for a while as this will age beautifully. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2022 Château Miraval Côtes de Provence Rosé, France: Retail $25. Heavy Bottle (604g; 21.3oz). Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle, Syrah. Under cork. I honestly did not think that I had any bottles left of this vintage, but there it was on the top of my rack since the ridiculous bottle does not fit in any rack on the planet. It is also too heavy. But I digress; the wine is, as usual, pretty fantastic. I have written more about this rosé than any other largely because the two of them (Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie, who once jointly owned the winery) continue to act like idiots. As a parent myself, I try to act in ways that my children will appreciate, and even emulate. But not these two knuckleheads. At this point, it matters little who was/is right. Act like adults and move on; neither one of you should be responsible for other humans. But the wine is great. Excellent. 92 Points.

2012 Salmon Champagne Special Club, France: Retail $120. Extremely Heavy Bottle (897g; 31.6oz). 100% Pinot Meunier. I purchased a few bottles of this wine from Last Bottle Wines for just under $50 and this is the first that I have popped. Normally, I am not a huge fan of Pinot Meunier, but I have to admit, this is pretty darn tasty. Close to golden in the glass with beautiful floral notes along with yellow apple and plenty of yeasty goodness. The palate is dry, even on the verge of austere (it is an Extra Brut) with plenty of tart apple and fresh croissant. Yeah, I didn’t want to like this Meunier as much as I do–it’s pretty fantastic. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2013 Château des Sarrins Côtes de Provence Rouge, France: Retail $25. Very Heavy Bottle (729g; 25.6 oz). Cinsault, Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre. As I mentioned in a previous note, I fell in love with this wine when I visited the winery however many years ago and bought two bottles to bring back to (then) Philly. I opened the first a couple of weeks ago with palpable anticipation. And it was god-awful. So laden with Brett that it was literally undrinkable; I poured it down the drain. I dreaded pulling this bottle for fear of more heartache but there was zero sense holding onto a god-awful wine. Zero (unless… insert “bad relatives” joke here). While there is a fair amount of Brett here (and perhaps some volatile acidity to boot), this bottle is not only drinkable, it approaches the memory I have of this wine tasting it at the winery in Provence. Approaches. Perhaps it is just the Pollyanna in me, but I like this wine. Sure, it has issues, but there is good dark fruit layered with some zingy acidity, and a bit of heft. Yeah. It’s Bretty, but at least this bottle is trying really hard not to be (unlike that first bottle, yikes). Very Good. 88 Points. 

WINE OF THE WEEK: Certainly not by design, but we popped a bunch of French wine this week. As much as I have come to appreciate wines from all over the world, the roots of my love for wine are firmly planted in France. Similarly, while I love and appreciate all the wine regions in the country, Champagne will always stand above. It was the first region I really studied and it remains my (our) favorite style of wine, by a considerable margin, and this week, the best bottle of bubbles we opened was this week’s Wine of the Week, the 2011 Michel Gonet Champagne Grand Cru Blanc de Blancs. Much to my wife’s chagrin, I like to hold on to all bottles of champagne for a bit before opening, particularly vintage wines, and especially Blanc de Blancs champagnes. I feel the extra time gives more depth and just a touch of oxidation, both of which I love (and so does my wife if she were to be honest).

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