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).

2013 La Follette Chardonnay Sangiacomo Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $38. Responsible Bottle (580g; 20.4oz). Under cork. It has been over four years (!) since I last tasted this wine and there seems to have been some changes. First, the wine is certainly darker than I remember; it has moved past “yellow” and onto “golden” with plenty of ripe pear, lemon curd, and significant oak on the nose. The palate is rich, even really rich, with signs of oxidation. A nuttiness comes in on the mid-palate, which lasts through the finish. Yeah, this is an old-school Cali Chard at this point and while I like the genre, my wife was not a fan (but still wanted more; explain that to me?). So how to rate? I would drink any of these you might have quickly (if not sooner) but I still find it Excellent. 91 Points.

1999 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin Vouvray Moelleux, Loire Valley, France: Retail $100? Responsible Bottle (566g; 19.9oz). Under cork. 100% Chenin Blanc. I bought this back in 2009 from the PLCB for a scant $23. At the time, I was more into sweet and off-dry wines, so it seemed like a wise move. But, soon after, my love of sweet wines waned, and this wine was all but forgotten on the rack. Then, some millennials came over for dinner and one thought it would be fun to try her birth year wine. Sure. Whatever. Whoa. Dark, even really dark; more of an orange wine kinda vibe with oodles of baked apple a go-go. The palate is wonderful with a near-bracing acidity, a bruised apple cider vibe, and a caramel component that unifies. This is sweet, but far from overly so, and it certainly works with all of that acidity. As I said, I have moved away from sweet-ish wines, but this is a classic and it’s stellar. Whoa. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2017 McIntyre Vineyards Pinot Noir, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA: Retail $40. Heavy Bottle (650g; 22.9oz). Under agglomerated cork. I received a couple bottles of this wine in 2019 and I popped a bottle shortly thereafter. I liked it then, even a lot (91 Points) but that was then and this is not then. But, alas, I still really like this wine. Darker than I remember it and also intensely fruity, this is dark, rich, and voluptuous. Yeah, not necessarily what I think of when it comes to “Pinot Noir” but this is rich (have I mentioned that yet?), fruity, and a very delightful wine. Is it my style of Pinot? Nope. But this style needs love as well, and I am here to provide it. Excellent. 91 Points.

2001 Château Marbuzet, St. Estèphe, Bordeaux, France: Retail $50. Responsible Bottle (549g; 19.4oz). Under cork. Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot. I bought these a while ago (2007) and the only other bottle I popped was back in 2020 and I loved it then (92 Points). Well, not much has changed, this is still doing very well, thank you very much. Medium to dark color with plenty of black and red fruit on the nose. There are also bits of earth and some dried violet with just a hint of black pepper. Subtle fruit with a wonderful tartness that dominates from start to finish, great length, and plenty of intrigue. I am going to assert that this may have improved since 2020. Whoa. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2019 J. Moreau & Fils Chablis 1er Cru Vaucoupin, Burgundy, France: Retail $50. Costco: $30. Responsible Bottle (560g; 19.7oz). Under cork. I was picking up some Kirkland Prosecco for the night’s Kir Royals and I saw this 1er Cru Chablis. I have some familiarity with both the producer and the vineyard so I thought it was a relatively safe bet at thirty bucks. It was. And then some. Great tartness off the bat with the same lemon rind and fresh peach that was on the nose also found on the palate. There was also a hint of oak (15% in 1 to 2-year-old barrels) and plenty of creaminess (extended contact with the lees). The length is impressive, as is the complexity and depth. Yeah, I am going back for more. Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Joseph Perrier Champagne Brut, France: Retail $45. Costo: $34. Extremely Heavy Bottle (866g; 30.5oz). 35% Chardonnay, 35% Pinot Noir, 30% Pinot Meunier, including 20% reserve wines. I was strolling through the racks of wine at Costco and I saw this non-vintage Brut. Close to golden in color with a nutty pear vibe going on, strong. The palate is tart, even really tart with tons of citrus notes as well as a solid pear aspect. For just over thirty bucks? This is a solid option. Really solid, in fact, if that is, indeed, a thing. Excellent. 90 Points.

2018 Silver Ghost Cellars Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $45. Heavy Bottle (617g; 21.7oz). Under cork. 100% Cabernet Sauvignon. It has been a minute since I met with Weston Eidson, Silver Ghost owner, and tasted his wines. He is a Houston native who spends about half his time in Napa. I have loved each iteration of this wine that I have tried, including this one. Black fruit (and a bit of red) dominate the nose of this nearly ink-colored wine. There is also a bit of black pepper and just a hint of sweet basil. The palate is classic Napa Cab with fruit, sure, but intense spice, mocha, and that subtle herbal aspect. The finish has a bit of heat, but this is stellar. Outstanding. 93 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: When I opened the bottle of 1999 Foreau Domaine du Clos Naudin, I knew it was going to be the Wine of the Week. How could it not? I mean, there are not a ton of wines left from the previous millennium and just a handful in my cellar. So opening it was a big deal, at least for me. But said millennial for whom I opened the bottle split up with her boyfriend, a co-worker (of sorts) of mine, and I will likely never see her again. I am pretty sure there is a moral somewhere in that story, I am just not quite sure what it is.

What was your Wine of the Week?