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).

2011 Amelle Zinfandel Mori Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $25. Responsible Bottle (488g; 17.1oz). 100% Zinfandel. Under cork. Just one more bottle left of this wine (I think?). My wife generally pooh-poohs just about any wine that I grab from the cellar that has more than 36 days of age on it. We had friends over, however, and I pulled this out for two reasons. First, it challenges the conception of “Zinfandel” as, given this was grown in a cool climate, more closely resembles a Pinot Noir than its jammy, big cousins from other regions. Second, this continues to age beautifully. There is virtually no sediment and no noticeable tannins, but the brilliant acidity is still alive and kicking, protecting all that lovely red berry fruit, spice, and considerable verve. Three bottles to go. How long should I wait? This is off the charts delicious and might be still improving. Whoa and Yowza. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2015 Château Bonnet (Pierre-Yves Perrachon) Saint-Amour Vieilles Vignes, Beaujolais, France: Retail $30 (?). Responsible Bottle (545g; 19.2oz). 100% Gamay. OK. Another year, another bottle of this wine. While many of the notes remain the same (“Fairly dark in the glass, tons of fruit on the nose (black cherry, raspberry, even cassis), with touches of flint and earth, this is a real delight. The palate is tart, fruity, earthy, and still has some soft (but noticeable) tannins on the finish.”), this bottle has a bit more “oomph” (more depth, character, and gravitas than the previous). Excellent. 91 Points.

2012 Fields Family Wines Old Vine Zinfandel Sherman Family Vineyards, Lodi, CA: Retail $30. Very Heavy Bottle (724g; 25.5oz). Under cork. I picked up this bottle from the winery way back in 2016 while visiting but I waited until tonight to pop it. I have been a fan of Fields and of Lodi wines in general for a while now, but that sample pipeline has run dry for whatever reason, so I am limited to wines on hand, of which there are few. Including this Zinfandel. Dark and rich with layers of complexity and a nice tartness. This wine has moved past the “fresh and fruity” phase and into a more of an”elegant and refined” period which not many people are patient enough to experience with great Zin. And this is a great Zin. Outstanding. 94 Points. 

2006 Antica Hirpinia Taurasi Riserva, Italy: Retail $38(?). Responsible Bottle (525g; 18.5oz). 100% Aglianico. It has been another couple of years and I feel this wine has improved. It was fantastic in early 2023, but this might be at a slightly higher level. I do not have much history with either Aglianico or Taurasi, but I do know that the variety (and therefore wines from the region) needs time. Even a ton of time. Thus, after I pulled the cork on this one and reviewed my previous notes, I was not surprised that I was not enthralled with this wine when I tasted it, eight years after harvest–it was still too young. Now? Over eightteen years after the grapes had been picked? Yowza. And close to a whoa. Many of the issues have been resolved and what results is s delight. Quite dark in the glass with aromas of even darker fruit (cassis, plum), a bit of spice (clove?), and a touch of heat (but even barely a touch). The palate is what one might expect with ever so slightly stewed (but also rich) fruit, oodles of acidity, and an absolutely stunning finish. Whoa. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2016 The Larsen Projekt Grenache, North Coast, CA: Retail $30. Responsible Bottle (553g; 19.5oz). Under screwcap. Sadly, this is officially the last bottle of this wine in my cellar. I would buy more, but there is no more. At least for now? I have no idea. But really juicy and delicious. Loaded with fruit (blackberry, plum) on the nose with hints of spice (clove, pepper). The palate is certainly loaded with fruit and it is front and center, but there is also great acidity and a bit of depth behind all of that fruit. Yowza. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2016 Moshin Vineyards Chardonnay Westside Crossing, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $28. Responsible Bottle (581g; 20.4oz). Under cork. Corked. Ugh. I was not expecting much out of this wine, but still it was more than disappointing when it was corked. Not Rated.

2017 Tongue Dancer Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $50. Very Heavy Bottle (777g; 27.3oz). Under DIAM10. Another couple of years, but this wine is still gangbusters. In fact, it may be getting better. Whoa. Black cherry, clove, a bit of sweet strawberry on the back end of the nose, just delightful. The palate is even more impressive with great, but balanced fruit, an exciting tanginess, and a near endless finish. Whoa. I know I must sound like an absolute shill for Tongue Dancer Wines, but I am confident in stating that these wines are at or certainly near the top of the list of best Pinot Noirs produced in the U.S. Outstanding. 95 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: As it turns out, from time to time, I pull a series of older wines from the cellar, much to the dismay of my wife. This was one of those weeks, with all of the wines at least eight years old, and half of them having a decade or so on them. Surprisingly, perhaps (although when I buy wines, I lean towards wines with a potential for aging), all but one of them showed quite well. While perhaps not the “best” wine we opened, this week’s Wine of the Week was the 2016 Larsen Projekt Grenache. As I mentioned in the note, it was my last bottle of a wine that we have really enjoyed. The last bottle of any wine is always a melancholic event, but this was particularly moving since the producer is no longer making wine and the proprietor is a solid dude and a good friend.

What was your Wine of the Week?