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).

2015 Camlow Cellars Pinot Noir Magna Porcum Big Pig, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $45. Responsible Bottle (586g; 20.6oz). Under cork. It has been nearly four years since I cracked one of these that I bought back in 2019. I really liked the previous bottles we tried, and that holds true here. Fairly dark in the glass with evidence of bricking and tons of dark fruit (black cherry, blackberry, black raspberry), touches of earth, and just a hint of spice. Yowza. The palate is gorgeous but not as brooding as the nose did portend with bright cherry fruit, spice, that touch of earth, and a brilliant tang. It appears as though I have 4 or 5 bottles of this left and I should get to them sooner rather than later. Remind me? Outstanding. 93 Points.

2014 Pascal Clément Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne, Burgundy, CA: 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 of 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, and 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.

NV Antoine Derigny Champagne Blanc de Noirs, France: Retail $50? Exceedingly Heavy Bottle (825g; 29.0oz). 100%(?) Pinot Noir. Well, this wine was all over the place, from the first bottles being stellar (92 points), followed by a significant dip with the next few corks, then a brief stint in the middle, and now, with this Last Bottle, a return to the top (although I think I actually bought this from Last Bubbles). A bit dark in color, rich, caramelized fruit, tons of yeastiness, a fervent sparkle, and more than enough acidity to hold up to just about anything one could throw at it. Yeah, if all of the bottles had been like this one, I would easily say this is a definite re-buy, but with all of that bottle variation? It is a bit tougher call. Regardless, I am bumping this bottle up into the Outstanding range. 93 Points.

2001 Dutch Henry Winery Argos Meritage Hillside, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $55. 40% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon. This is now the third bottle of this wine that we have tried and it fell somewhere between the first two. The first was solid, but slightly lacking in fruit. The second was stellar, full of verve, with wonderful fruit. This bottle was dark and brooding in the glass with good fruit, structure, and finish. Not quite as glowing as the last bottle, but certainly heads and tails above the first. Excellent. 90 Points.

2007 Gardet Champagne Cuvée Charles Gardet Prestige, France: Retail $75. Stupidly Heavy Bottle (909g; 32oz). 70% Chardonnay, 30% Pinot Noir. This is now the second bottle of this wine that we have popped, and while the notes are similar to the first (“Notes of lemon curd, wet rock, and plenty of fresh croissant on the nose. The palate is loaded with much of the same with a surprisingly tart intensity. Whoa.”), this bottle is a little more golden, a tad more oxidized, and a little less fervent when it comes to the effervescence. All is understandable with a wine that has been in the bottle for close to two decades. We still have another couple of bottles to go; it will be interesting to see where they fall. Excellent. 92 Points.

2023 de Négoce Chardonnay OG N.474, Green Valley of Russian River Valley, CA: Cost: $16. Very Responsible Bottle (491g; 17.3oz). Agglomerated stopper. While I have only tried maybe a dozen of their wines, I can say without equivocation that I have been a fan of de Négoce since the onset. Sure, Cameron Hughes can be polarizing, but it is hard to argue with the results. Another stellar wine with plenty of citrus (lemon) and tree (golden apple) on the nose along with noticeable doses of vanilla and oak. The palate allays the fears of those who despise a heavy “wood ” presence in their Chardonnay as this is fresh, tart, fruit-driven with only the slightest (and in my opinion, appropriate) hint of oak. Another solid wine from de Négoce and Cameron Hughes. Excellent. 91 Points.

2022 Tongue Dancer Rambling Fox, Anderson Valley, CA: Retail $45. Heavy Bottle (621g; 21.8 oz). I first tried this about five months ago for the Seventh Annual Blind Tasting of American Pinot Noir and I loved it (93 Points). When I first opened this last night? I was a bit underwhelmed; it was closed, a bit too tart, and rather nondescript. Tonight? Yowza. Oodles of fruit, touches of earth, that tartness is still there, performing a fantastic balancing act, and a boatload of verve. Yeah. Pretty fantastic. Outstanding. 94 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: This week, the choice for Wine of the Week was an easy one, the 2014 Pascal Clément Puligny-Montrachet 1er Cru La Garenne was by far the best wine I have had in a while. I had thought about using this space to bemoan how Burgundy, and in particular White Burgundy, has become virtually unattainable for the average consumer, but instead, I would like to highlight the Library Wine Bar, a relatively new outpost for some truly wonderful wines. We do not go all that often, but when we do, we always leave saying that we need to visit more. Wonderful wines, a great staff, and an engaging atmosphere, what else could you want? So, if you find yourself in Houston, I can’t recommend the Library enough. And if you go, let me know! It is about a five-minute walk for me….

What was your Wine of the Week?