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).

1985 Chimney Rock Cabernet Sauvignon, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $200? My note from 2022 is spot-on: “Fruitier perhaps than the 1984, with black pepper and clove, a hint of tobacco. Mocha. The palate is tart and lovely perhaps not as layered, but amazing. Another wine to drink up as I doubt this will improve.” Well, I love when I am wrong; this has improved (still, drink up). Outstanding. 94 Points.

2020 Corollary Brut Namaste Vineyard, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $65. Heavy Bottle (). 100% Chardonnay, Van Duzer corridor. I am a huge fan of the Corollary brand and what they are doing in Oregon. Huge. And while this wine checks many boxes, I think it needs more time, both on the lees and in the bottle. Close to colorless in the glass, with aromas of white pear and lemon zest, this is bright and lively on the palate with intense acidity and vocal fruit. Yes, this is a lovely quaff with plenty of body and a fervent sparkle with some complexity and more than an ounce of verve. But. I feel this has more, even much more, potential if the wine were given more time (both sur lie and en bouteille). So how to rate? Yeah, this is lively, fun, and quaffable but to enter into the “serious sparkling wine” arena? It needs more time at several moments during the process. Just my humble opinion. Excellent. 91 Points.

1996 Duval-Leroy Champagne Brut Millésimé, France: Retail $120. 82% Chardonnay, 18% Pinot Noir. I last popped a bottle of this a *while* ago and while many of the notes remain the same, holy cow. This is what I wrote then: “I normally shy away from Chardonnay-dominated champagnes as they do not seem to have the backbone and heft that comes with additional Pinot Noir. Except. As quality Chardonnay-driven champagnes age, they take on much more heft and power. Such is the case here. Slight lemon but plenty of bakery goodness—not as the bread is baking, but about thirty minutes after the ovens have been shut down. Still active in the air, but the cooler atmosphere focuses on the more subtle aspects. Whoa. Rich, deep, full. Holy cow.” Yeah. That is all there and maybe more. Yowza. 96 Points.

2022 Failla Pinot Noir Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $30. My wife had a work dinner at a local restaurant and this is one of the wines she chose for the event. I was not invited. She came home with a little more than a glass left and offered it as some sort of consolation prize (she has no idea that I really had no desire to go, so don’t tell her). The wine is good, even really good, but it does not seem like “Willamette” to me. Big fruit, even really big fruit with maybe a hint of earth, but this is certainly all about the fruit and that seems antithetical to the region. I still like it, and it is worthy of a taste, but… Very Good. 89 Points.

2008 Littorai Pinot Noir Platt Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $85 (?). Heavy Bottle (602g; 21.2oz). There was a time when I held Littorai at the top of domestic Pinot producers. That has not changed as this wine is 100% amazeballs (technical term). Rich, yet reserved, unctuous yet refined, fruity yet, OK, it is still pretty damned fruity, with a dark color that belies both the variety and the appellation, this is fruity and then some. Rich Bing cherry with just a touch of earth, this Pinot had the folks in attendance guessing anywhere from Cabernet to Australia (although my wife came close to nailing it–atta girl!). This might be both my last Littorai and also the best. Bravo, M. Lemon, bravo. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2022 Turley Zinfandel Old Vines, California: Retail $35. 95% Zinfandel, 5% Mataro, Alicante Bouschet, Petite Syrah, Grenache, Cinsault. My wife had a work event at a local restaurant and I was not invited. So I made her choose all of the wines and, well, she did a fabulous job. This Old Vines Zin was one that I certainly would have selected from the list even though it is a rather large production wine from vineyards across the state. Really fruity in the glass with oodles of red, blue, and black berries, a touch of oak, and plenty of spice. Those same highlights hit the palate as well, and it certainly is big, even really big, but one should expect that from the brand and variety, no? Excellent. 91 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Another week chockfull of fantastic wines that we pulled from the cellar and while many were possibly deserving of the top honors, when there is a nearly thirty-year-old champagne involved? Yeah, not much time needed for deliberation. This week’s Wine of the Week, the 1996 Duval-Leroy Champagne, was an absolute gem. My wife always expresses her concern that I hold onto wines for too long, but she does not seem to say a word when it works out like this bottle did.

What was your Wine of the Week?