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. This is one of my standard “in-law” wines, which I pop when my father-in-law stops by. It’s solid, has bubbles, and I really don’t mind drinking it. It is no world-beater and will never be confused for a champagne, but it has decent fruit, the requisite tartness, and some minerality. Solid, for sure if unexciting. Very Good. 87 Points.

2012 Benovia Pinot Noir Tilton Hill, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $55. Responsible Bottle (554g; 19.5oz). Wow. We actually bought two bottles of this wine when we visited the winery way back in 2015. We were still living in Philly then with no intention of moving to Texas (at least I didn’t). A friend of mine was the GM of the winery at the time and we really fell in love with this Tilton Hill. Loaded with fantastic red and blue fruit which dominates the nose and the palate, with some spice coming through on the latter. There is also wonderful balance with a zingy acidity that helps keep all that fruit in line. We have another bottle, but should probably get to it sooner rather than later. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2013 Brack Mountain Wine Co. Pinot Noir Matias, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $49. Very Heavy Bottle (731g; 25.7oz). Yeah. I have no idea. At all. Back in 2016, I entered: “I have no idea where I got this bottle.” And that holds true today; no clue. All that being said? I am really enjoying this wine tonight dark fruit (with some red thrown in) on the nose with excellent earth and a smattering of spice. The palate is balanced and harmonious with a lovely zing dancing hand-in-hand with the surprisingly still supple fruit. Again, I have no idea how this ended up in my cellar, but I am not complaining in the slightest–I will just have to reach out to see if I can procure any more! Outstanding. 93 Points.

2014 Pascal Clément Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne, Burgundy, France: At Library Wine Bar $146. Whoa. I saw this on the list for $146 and I was shocked. That’s close to retail for a wine of this pedigree, honestly. Certainly yellow, even on the verge of golden with an incredible nose of lemon curd, mandarin, and a fairly intense salinity with perhaps some seashell coming in. The palate is majestic with a rich mouthfeel, plenty of weight, juicy fruit, even a decade out. But the tartness is the story here. On the verge of searing (particularly as it warmed in the glass) and drives the wine all the way to the finish and beyond. Holy cow. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2016 B Kosuge Chardonnay, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $40. Heavy Bottle (649g; 22.8oz). Agglomerated cork. Who says American Chardonnay can’t age? While the notes are similar, this is perhaps the best bottle of the lot thus far: Great fruit, fantastic acidity, and a near-impeccable balance. Holy cow. I need to get some more as I am down to the brass tacks on Byron wines, just one more bottle of this 2016 Chardonnay left. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2023 Louise d’Artois Sancerre, Loire Valley, France: Retail $32. Responsible Bottle (585g; 20.6oz). 100% Sauvignon Blanc. There were a few Sancerres at Costco all in the $20 range, and I bought each to see if there were any worth stocking up on. Might this be a contender? Everything you would want in a Sancerre: pale color, tons of citrus and green apple on the nose, bright, tart fruit on the palate (along with that characteristic minerality), and a wonderfully racy acidity that is the defining aspect of any decent Sancerre. I might need to buy some more? Excellent. 91 Points.

2022 Il Poggione (Proprietá Franceschi) Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: Retail $32. Responsible Bottle (458g; 16.1oz). Under cork. 100% Sangiovese. Based on my previous bottle, which I received as a sample, I bought a few of these for one of my wife’s work parties and this one was left over. Wonderful. Dark and red fruit on the nose with some earth and pepper (both black). The palate is quite tart, and the fruit does its best at keeping up and it does so, for the most part. This wine does not claim to be a world-beater, but it really does a fantastic job at winning at least the block. Fantastic. Excellent. 91 Points.

NV Val de Mer French Sparkling Non Dosé, Burgundy, France: Retail $26. Extremely Heavy Bottle (826g; 29.1oz). 100% Chardonnay from Chablis. I have now had a couple of bottles of this wine and it is certainly solid. I am a little confused as to why this is not a Crémant de Bourgogne, but that will have to wait for another day. Some green apple but also considerable tropical fruit (guava) on the nose with touches of salinity and wet rock. The palate is bright, fervent, and quite tart but with plenty of the aforementioned fruit and a salty aspect that really whets the appetite. At roughly twenty bucks? I think there are better, more affordable options. Very Good. 89 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: A bit over a year ago, a fantastic spot opened in our neighborhood, the Library Wine Bar. The food is good (not really a dinner spot, as it is mostly charcuterie and flat bread kind of fare), but the wine list is phenomenal. Sure, some of the bottles are a bit pricey, but there are certainly some decent “deals” as well. Like this week’s Wine of the Week, the 2014 Pascal Clément Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne. While few, I imagine, would consider $150 a “decent deal” it is virtually impossible to find a white Burgundy of this quality for much less these days. In fact, I have all but given up on the region due to the ever-escalating prices. But it was a bit of a special night, and we were at our special place, which is run and owned by some pretty special people. So why not? 

What was your Wine of the Week?