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).

2010 Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Minéral Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut, France: Retail $125. Extremely Heavy Bottle. 100% Chardonnay. I had just returned from Austin and my wife requested that I “make something new” for dinner (I like to think I have a fairly varied and solid repertoire, but nonetheless…). I made blackened trout with a mango, jalapeño, black bean salsa and garlic bok choy. What the heck goes with all of that? Champagne, of course, as it pairs with virtually everything. So I grabbed this. Whoa. I was not really paying attention as I extracted it from the cellar (had I, I would have put it back immediately), and just tossed it into the freezer for a bit more chill. Whoa. Floral, fruity (ripe tree fruit), and with fresh croissant on the nose, the palate is even more remarkable. Brilliant, ebullient, and electric, this is one of the best champers I have had this year. Yowza. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2009 André Clouet Champagne Brut Millésimé, France: Retail $70. Ridiculously Heavy Bottle (950g; 33.5oz). 80% Pinot Noir, 20% Chardonnay. 100% Grand Cru. I bought a couple of bottles of this André Clouet from Spec’s (the huge wine shop here in Texas) for a few reasons: 1. It was vintage (although 2009 was “so-so”), 2. It was Grand Cru, and 3. It was from Bouzy. We popped the first one fairly quickly after purchase and it was fabulous (94 Points). Over four years later, this is even better, with more concentrated fruit and a much more pronounced yeastiness. Holy cow, this is fantastic. I doubt there is any more 2009 available, but I am going back to the store to see if there is any more Clouet vintage available (and at under $50???). Outstanding. 95 Points.

2001 Dutch Henry Winery Argos Meritage Hillside, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $55. Very Responsible Bottle (492g; 17.3oz). 40% Cabernet Franc, 33% Merlot, 27% Cabernet Sauvignon. Under cork. This is now the last bottle of this wine that I purchased from the PLCB for $28 way back in 2003. I was still in grad school at the time and neither my wife nor I had really any money to spend on wine. But here we are. The first three bottles were OK, even Excellent, but this last cork was fantastic. Still quite fruity with plenty of acidity for balance and well-integrated, silky tannins. There is a hint of the characteristic Cab Franc pyrazine aspect on the nose, but unlike some, I find it compelling. It is always sad when you drink the last bottle of a wine, but it is tempered when that final encounter is the best of the bunch. Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Camille Jacquet Champagne Grand Cru Brut Le Mesnil-sur-Oger, France: Retail $50. Extremely Heavy Bottle (836g; 29.4oz). 100% Chardonnay. I am starting to believe that this wine simply needed some cellar time to settle down a bit. The first few bottles were overly tart, just way too much acid. The previous bottle was decidedly better and this one went even further in the positive direction. I have a few bottles left with my fingers decidedly crossed. Excellent. 91 Points.

2012 La Follette Pinot Noir DuNah Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $40. Responsible Bottle (594g; 20.9oz). I bought four bottles of this wine back in 2016 from Last Bottle Wines and this is the third that we have popped, but the first since 2021. And it is doing quite well, thank you very much. Really great fruit on both the nose and the palate, mostly cherry varieties, as one might expect. There is also a touch of black earth and a hint of spice in the glass while a zingy tartness is added past the lips. This improves with time open, reaching a zenith about four hours in. Really a delightful wine. Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Kirkland Signature Asolo Prosecco Superiore, Veneto, Italy: Retail $8. Heavy Bottle (694g; 24.5oz). I could not find the blend, but by law it has to be at least 85% Glera. Yeah, like I have written before in this space, this Costco brand Prosecco is fine and at eight bucks, it pretty much falls into the “who cares?” category. But those making this out to be some sort of revolutionary wine are mistaken. It’s at best an average DOCG Prosecco. At best. Good. 86 Points.

2023 Cave des Vins de Sancerre Les Champs Clos, Sancerre, Loire Valley, France: Retail $32. Restaurant $45. Incredibly Responsible Bottle (411g; 14.5oz). Under cork. I was out solo again and I opted for this Sancerre, $45 on the list. Tonight? It was a little less exciting than the first go around, still good and tasty, but there was less “energy” in the wine tonight (no, I am not going to consult the biodynamic calendar). Very Good. 89 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Another week where choosing the Wine of the Week was straightforward and easy. The 2010 Agrapart Champagne Grand Cru Minéral Blanc de Blancs Extra Brut was one of those wines that I dream about drinking (well, daydream, at least). It was everything you hope for in a vintage champagne and maybe a bit more. My only regret was that I did not hang onto it a bit longer as I am certain it would have had a long life ahead of it. Oh well, as many people are no doubt thinking: a nice first world problem to have!

What was your Wine of the Week?