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 Lucien Albrecht Crémant d’Alsace Brut, France: Retail $25. Very Heavy Bottle (793g; 27.9oz). 50% Pinot Blanc, 50% Auxerrois. When this went on sale at my local H-E-B (I love my H-E-B), I bought a few bottles to serve my in-laws when they come over for dinner. Always a solid wine and a solid deal at twenty bucks, this is loaded with tons of tree fruit and a brilliant acidity. It doesn’t hurt that it is from Alsace, my “home” of sorts in France. Very Good. 89 Points.

NV André Clouet Champagne Silver Brut Nature, France: Retail $50. 100% Pinot Noir. Zero Dosage (no extra sugar added). I have been a fan of the wines from Bouzy in general and André Clouet specifically for a couple of decades now. And this wine is why. Bold, sharp, balanced, delicious. Yeasty and oaky on the nose, it is tough to discern much fruit here. The palate, however, has plenty of pear and golden apple. There is also that yeastiness and a driving tartness. Yowza. There are a few Clouets in Bouzy, and they all seem to be spectacular. Excellent. 92 Points.

1997 Paul Jaboulet Aîné Cornas Domaine de Saint Pierre, Rhône Valley, France: Retail $90? Responsible Bottle (599g; 21.1oz). 100% Syrah. Under cork. A friend, whom we had not seen forever, was in town and my wife showed him into the cellar. He pulled out this. While I normally don’t let just anyone perform such a maneuver, this guy knows his wine (or at least does a good job pretending) and this wine needed to be popped. The last time I opened this wine was nearly a decade ago in Philly (which, more than likely, we also consumed with tonight’s guest). Sure, it is old, sure, it is a bit stewed, but holy cow is it also delicious. Leather, smoked brisket, clove, and a hint of prune. Yowza. The palate is even more, with remarkable fruit, an astonishing acidity, and a finish that lasts well into overtime. Yeah, I know, this wine is not for everyone, but that is just fine; leave it for me. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2017 McIntyre Vineyards Chardonnay, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA: Retail $30. Heavy Bottle (647g; 22.8oz). Agglomerated stopper. I really have no idea how I came across this bottle. I obtained it at a time that I was not keeping the best records (I think I have that corrected, for the most part), but since I had two bottles of this wine, I am fairly confident that I received them as samples. Regardless, I liked this back when I first tasted it in 2019, and I like it even more now: yellow, on the verge of golden with some golden apple, a touch of lemon, oak (but far from overdone), and hints of vanilla. The palate is simply lovely with great fruit and tartness and several layers worth of intrigue. Really very nice. Excellent. 92 Points.

2012 Copain Syrah Weed Farms, Dry Creek Valley, CA: Retail $65? Very Responsible Bottle (495g; 17.4oz). Under cork. This is my last bottle of Copain, period. But it is also the last bottle of the wines that were made by Copain founder Wells Guthrie. Wells sold the winery to the Jackson Family in 2016 and well, I am sad to see this last “Wells” botle go. Fruity, even really fruity on both the nose and the palate with wild cherry and black raspberry predominant. The palate? Pretty close to magical with oodles of fruit an plenty of intrigue. Excellent. 91 Points.

2012 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia, Super Tuscan, Italy: Retail $310. Heavy Bottle (622g; 21.9oz). 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 10% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot. When friends come over, you never know what to expect. When your wife’s friend shows up with a 2006 and a 2012 Ornellaia? He immediately becomes a “best friend”. Yowza and Whoa. Quite dry in color and aromas with oodles of blackberry, plum, and spice on the nose. Whoa. The palate is equally glorious with earthy fruit, a unifying acidity, and a boatload of intrigue. Again, I am no Super Tuscan expert, but holy cow, this is good. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2006 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia, Super Tuscan, Italy: Retail $325. Heavy Bottle (621g; 21.9oz). 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 27% Merlot, 12% Cabernet Franc, 5% Petit Verdot. Whoa. I have tasted but a handful of Orenllaias and on this night I was lucky enough to taste two. This 2006, a classic blend of Bordeaux varieties, was amazing. Dark red fruit of blackberry, plum, cigar smoke, and the slightest herbal hint (mint? sage?). The palate is rich and lucious with all of that fruit and earth but also touches of anise and spice. Holy cow. Yeah, I do not drink a ton of Super Tuscans, but holy cow, this is the pinnacle of the genre for a reason. Yowza. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2009 Skewis Pinot Noir Lingenfelder, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $50. Heavy Bottle (659g; 23.2oz). Under cork. It has been a minute since I have popped a Skewis and since I am now under two total cases left, these are becoming more and more precious. Precious rhymes with delicious (I think) and this bottle was certainly both. Great, rich fruit with some vanilla and a hint of oak on the nose and each of those characteristics were on the palate as well but accentuated. Incredibly rich and layered, if I had tasted this blind, I am sure I would never have guessed that it was 15 years old, it is just amazing. Extraordinary. 97 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Another pretty incredible week, I have to say, when it came to our personal consumption, with four of the wines rated at Outstanding or higher. While the Skewis Lingenfelder was transformational and the Jaboulet Cornas incredible (still that way after nearly thirty years!), it is just not “normal” for me to have a bottle of Ornellaia, much less two. Thus, this week’s Wines of the Week are the 2006 and 2016 Tenuta dell’Ornellaia Bolgheri Superiore Ornellaia, one of the legendary wines in Tuscany.

What was your Wine of the Week?