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).

2020 Caminhos Cruzados Dão Titular Branco, Portugal: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (472g; 16.6oz). 35% Encruzado, 35% Bical, 30% Malvasia Fina. A friend brought this over one night and it is quite refreshing. In the mode of perhaps a zesty Sauvignon Blanc or even a Chenin, this has nice tree and citrus fruit along with a zingy finish. Very Good. 88 Points.

2019 Georges Dubœuf Beaujolais, France: Retail $15. Responsible Bottle (555g; 19.5oz). 100% Gamay. I did not know I had a third bottle of this wine until I started to try to do some inventory in the cellar. I tell you, for a wine that goes for about ten bucks on the shelf? I am not sure you could do any better. Still going strong, even really strong. What a joy. And rest in peace, Monsieur Dubœuf. Excellent. 90 Points.

NV Jean-Noël Haton Champagne Brut Classic, France: Retail $45(?). Exceedingly Heavy Bottle (836g; 1lb 13.5oz). 60% Pinot Meunier, 40% Pinot Noir. Technically a Blanc de Noirs (although not labeled as such), when I saw this for under $30 at the wine superstore Spec’s here in Texas, I bought a case. Good thing. While it has been a few years since I have last tasted this cuvée, this bottle seems to be better than previous iterations: tart, yeast, balanced, plenty of citrus fruit, and a slight herbal note (celery seed). Yum. Yeah, for $27-ish? Maybe I should pick up another case? Excellent. 90 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.

2022 Peju Province Winery Chardonnay, Carneros, CA: Retail $40. Heavy Bottle (641g; 22.6oz). Under cork. Honestly, I do not taste a ton of Peju these days and by a ton, I mean none. There was a time that I visited the winery quite a bit, but it has fallen off my radar for the most part. So, I was excited when a friend brought this over for dinner last night. Make no mistake, this is a bigger style Chard with plenty of oak (100% French, 40% new). Lemon curd and minerality on the nose along with that wood, and full-bodied on the palate (with a hint of residual sugar?). Again, a fuller-bodied more “traditional” Cali Chard, but it works for me. Very Good. 88 Points.

2016 István Szepsy Furmint Tokaji Hasznos, Hungary: Retail $40. Responsible Bottle (506g;17.8oz). 100% Furmint. Glass Stopper. I do not try a ton of Furmint for the simple reason that there is not a ton of it available in the U.S. This bottle, however, I picked up several years ago while in Budapest and tonight seemed like the right night. Plenty of color in the glass, I would say it is a medium straw, on its way to yellow, with healthy petrol notes and plenty of citrus. The palate is lively, loaded with zing, with all that citrus fruit dominating. There is some surprising heft on the mid-palate, though, and the weight certainly adds to the appeal. I make this type of comment frequently, but I need to drink more Furmint. Now if only I could find some? Excellent. 91 Points.

Budapest is one of my favorite cities on the planet (and I took this photo, by the way).

WINE OF THE WEEK: By almost any standard, the wines I pulled from the cellar this week were solid but somewhat underwhelming. Sure, the Dubœuf Beaujolais was a pleasant surprise, bringing back some nice memories, and it was one of several wines from regions I don’t typically “explore” on a weekly basis. This week’s Wine of the Week, the 2016 István Szepsy Furmint Tokaji Hasznos, certainly falls into that category. Like the Dubœuf Beaujolais, it also evoked some pleasant memories, in particular, a week that my wife and I spent in Prague and Budapest (we enjoyed the latter much more than the former, by the way).

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