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 Christophe Dechannes Champagne Tradition Brut, France: Retail $50. Extremely Heavy Bottle (838g; 29.5oz). 100% Pinot Noir. 10g/l dosage. I don’t remember buying this from Last Bubbles, but that is not all that unusual. What is unusual, perhaps, is that the bottle indicates that the wine is also imported by Last Bottle (or at least its sister company). Does that create a bit of skepticism when reading the website’s glowing description of the wine? Maybe. This is the first cork I have popped, though, and I guess it is “worth” the $35 I paid. It comes from the Côte de Bar, the newly(-ish) added region to Champagne that is producing some solid Pinot Noir. Fairly light in the glass with nice citrus and yeasty notes, while the palate is tart and engaging with solid fruit and a bit of depth, but it lacks the pizzazz that I want in my champagnes. Sure, it is quaffable and even Very Good, but I would not put this at the same level as some of the more popular large house Bruts. Very Good. 89 Points.

2007 De Ponte Cellars Pinot Noir Baldwin Family Reserve, Dundee Hills, Willamette Valley, OR: Retail $80. Under cork. Heavy bottle (669g; 23.6oz). Well, it has been just over three years since I last popped a cork of this beauty, and it seems I might have waited just a bit too long. Don’t get me wrong, this is still delightful, but it is certainly showing its age at this point. Dark in the glass, considerably darker than most Pinots, in fact, with plenty of stewed fruit on the nose. There is also some eucalyptus and dark earth, but this has definitely seen better days. The palate tries its best to change that perception, and initially it works, with some muted fruit and nice acidity. But by the midpalate, that fruit becomes stewed and tired, and while the acidity persists, it can’t mask the aging fruit. Again, this is (was) a wonderful wine, but the time to “drink now” has passed, sadly. Very Good. 89 Points.

2014 Gilles Bouton Blanc, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly, Burgundy, France: Retail $65. 100% Chardonnay. Heavy Bottle (612g; 21.5oz). Under DIAM5. These bottles have a bit of baggage associated with them. They were purchased by my former “boss” and dear friend, and I “inherited” them when he passed away quite unexpectedly almost four years ago. The first three bottles were stellar, the fourth a little less so. But this is a definite return to those first three with that classic white Burgundy lemon curd, just the right amount of oak and “butter” and a balance that is truly remarkable. I have been hesitant to drink these wines since, in a way, they are keeping my dear friend “alive”. But I know if he were able to send me a message, it would be “drink them, you moron.” And he would be right, of course, as much as I would hate to admit that to him. Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Piper-Heidsieck Champagne Essentiel Extra Brut, Champagne. France: Retail $65. Extremely Heavy Bottle (859g; 30.2oz). Based on the 2019 vintage. 44% Pinot Noir, 34% Pinot Meunier, 22% Chardonnay. 27% reserve wine. Disgorged 01/23. So this is a newer bottle, based on the 2019 vintage. As one would expect with a non-vintage wine, this still carries many of the hallmarks of the house style. Straw to light yellow in color with tons of tree fruit (green apple, pear, a bit of peach) with hints of brioche and fresh croissant, but there is more of a hazelnut here. The palate is tart, even quite tart, with a slight savory component on the finish and a fervent sparkle. As with previous iterations, this could use a little time, but it is Outstanding right now. 93 Points.

NV Lanson Champagne Le Rosé Brut, Champagne. France: Retail $75. Really Heavy Bottle (857g; 30.2oz). 53% Pinot Noir, 32% Chardonnay,1 5% Pinot Meunier, 7% still Pinot Noir added for color. My lovely wife bought this bottle for my birthday; it was the last bottle she grabbed to get to six bottles, to receive an additional 10% off. Lovely red berry fruit, minerality, and some yeastiness on the nose of what is, I believe, the top-selling champagne brand in France. Fruity, tart, and a bit yeasty on the palate as well, with an intense, fervent sparkle. A solid rosé, but I am not sure it is worthy of the tariff. Excellent. 90 Points.

2009 Roessler Pinot Noir La Brisa, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $35. Heavy Bottle (694g; 1lb 8.4oz). While the notes are similar to the last bottle I cracked (“Pretty fantastic: bright, fresh red fruit despite its age, lovely zing to balance the fruit, and even a touch of verve. This is really quite nice”), this is now showing its age. There is still some good fruit and acidity, but it’s on the richer side of Pinot with dark fruit (plum and blackberry, even cassis) and a bit of a brooding attitude. While still drinking well at this point, I do feel it is on a downward trajectory. Excellent. 90 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Any time I open a bottle of wine and it results in powerful memories being evoked, that bottle has a really good shot at becoming the Wine of the Week. That was the case here as the 2014 Gilles Bouton Blanc, Saint-Aubin 1er Cru En Remilly is this week’s top wine. As I mentioned in the note above, it was also bittersweet as I feel as though with each time I open a bottle of my friend’s wine, a bit more of him leaves this world. I know I shouldn’t feel that way (he certainly wouldn’t have wanted me to), but that is yet another fascinating aspect of the power of wine. Something you don’t feel with, I don’t know, a banana.

What was your Wine of the Week?