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 André Delorme Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs Brut, Burgundy, France: Retail $20. Very Heavy Bottle (753g; 26.5oz). 100%(?) Chardonnay. I saw this at my local H-E-B (I love my H-E-B) and I took a flyer. I was looking for a reasonable sparkling wine that I could serve to my in-laws without feeling too guilty. This was the choice. Initially, it was around $15, but this go around it was on clearance and just over ten bucks. Giddy-up! We had a few, which were fine and then it dropped to just above ten bucks. Yeah. Bring it. Bright and cheery but not all that complex, yet still a solid wine for middle-week consumption. Very Good. 89 Points.

NV Duval-Leroy Champagne Grand Brut, France: Retail $50. Extremely Heavy Bottle (832g; 29.2oz). Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, Pinot Meunier. My wife was at Costco and texted me a picture of this wine with the accompanying price: $40. She asked if I thought it was worth it. My answer: I don’t know. But I told her that forty bucks seemed like a fair (not great, but fair) price and sure, give it a shot. Well, meh. Sure, there is nice fruit (citrus, golden apple) and plenty of brioche on the nose of this near-golden wine, but the palate is a bit odd. Don’t get me wrong, it is still a nice champagne, but it is a bit lacking in pizazz. Sure, I would crush this at a wedding, but on my own dinner table? It seems there are better wines out there at this price. Very Good. 88 Points.

2015 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime, France: Retail $120. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (1048g; 36.9oz). 59% Pinot Noir, 41% Chardonnay. Near golden in the glass with plenty of ripe apple and peach with touches of baked croissant. On the palate, the first impression is the fervent sparkle, the zingy tartness, and then the rather intense fruit (golden apple, Bosc pear). There is also a boatload of that autolytic aspect that so many (including me) seek out in sparkling wine and champagne. I have been a fan of Gosset for some time; I frequently listed the house’s Grand Réserve at the top of my list of favorite non-vintage champagnes. This, when I saw this pop up on Last Bubbles, I had to buy a few bottles. If it comes up again, I will certainly buy more. Outstanding. 95 Points.

NV Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Cuvée Brut, France: Retail $45. 50-55% Pinot Noir, 20-25% Pinot Meunier, 15-20% Chardonnay with 10-20% Reserve wines. Yeasty, citrusy, lovely on the nose, with a straw color with a slightly golden hue, there are delicate, yet persistent streams of bubbles, looking to escape after their years of captivity. The palate is crisp, fresh, fruity, yeasty, and delicious. A return to the quality of our more recent bottles. Fantastic. This has become our de facto house champagne at this point. Excellent. 92 Points.

NV Piper Sonoma Brut Rosé, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $22. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (836g; 29.5oz It should be noted that this is about an 8% reduction over previous bottles). 53% Chardonnay, 39% Pinot Noir, 6% Pinot Blanc, 2% Aged Reserve Blend. I last tasted this for the Sixth Annual World’s Largest Blind Tasting of American Sparkling Wine and I really liked it then (92 Points) and while the tasting notes remain largely the same, this bottle is just not doing it for me tonight. Sure, it is still Very Good, it just doesn’t have the magic that the other bottle did a few months ago. Oh well. Bottle variation? Very Good. 89 Points.

NV Tribaut-Schloesser Champagne Brut Origine, France: Retail $45. Extremely Heavy Bottle (838g; 29.5oz). 50% Pinot Meunier, 30% Chardonnay, 20% Pinot Noir. 10% Reserve Wines (in cask). When I saw this at Costco for around thirty bucks, I thought I would try it. Meh (seems to be a theme with Costco champagnes?). Sure, it’s champagne and better than a sharp stick in the eye, but it is a bit odd. Citrus, apple, and flinty on the nose, without much autolytic expression. The palate is also a bit meh with some fruit and tartness, but a lackluster sparkle and a not-quite-astringent-but-still-odd aspect throw me for a loop. At $30? You could do worse, I guess, but for me? It’s a pass. Very Good. 87 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: I was prepared this week to have no Wine of the Week and celebrate the big win last night by my Eagles last night, but then, looking through my notes, I found the 2015 Gosset Champagne Brut Grand Millésime. To say the least, it was a fantastic bottle of bubbles in a week full of rather mediocre sparklers. And, no, I did not pop it last night (although it would have been a great finish to a great night). We hosted a Super Bowl party and rule #1 when hosting a large gathering is to never pop your best stuff for a large group as most will not appreciate it. Yeah, I know that sounds snobby, but when you come over, I will be sure to pull a good bottle. As long as you are wearing green. Go Birds!

What was your Wine of the Week?