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).

2022 Duckhorn Vineyards Merlot, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $60. Responsible Bottle (521g; 18.3oz). Under cork. 85% Merlot, 13% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc. If there is such a thing as a “legendary Merlot producer” in the U.S., Duckhorn has to be in the conversation. I’ve never been known to be a “Merlot-lover”, but here we are. It was on offer for $40/bottle at one of our neighborhood spots for restaurant week, and since I was dining solo, I figured “what the heck”? Not terrible. Even enjoyable, nay, quite enjoyable. Fairly dark in the glass with plentiful red and blue fruit, a floral touch, and just a hint of earth. The palate is juicy, with loads of fruit, ample acidity, and a nice weight. Yeah, this is not going to cause me to become a Merlot lover, but it is solid, for sure. Very Good. 89 Points.

2023 Bodegas Matarromera Melior Verdejo, Rueda, Castilla y León, Spain: Retail $15. Very Responsible Bottle (415g; 14.6oz). Under screw cap. 100% Verdejo. These were on the clearance shelf at my local H-E-B (I love my H-E-B) for six bucks, so I took a flyer. Glad I did. Sure, this is not anywhere close to “the deal of the year”, but it is a solid, crisp white that is perfect as an apéritif or with pretty much any seafood dish. Very little color in the glass, with citrus and green apple on both the nose and the palate. Pretty darned tart, which balances out the fruit nicely. There is also a mouth-coating roundness on the mid-palate, which I honestly did not expect, and it works very well. Very Good. 89 Points.

2023 Rose Gold Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France: Retail $22. Varietal composition: I have no idea; I found nothing on the internet. We got into LA late, and I was exhausted. I am no fan of the City of Angels, but we were here on a college tour (my son is a senior) and, well… I was far too worn out from travelling to venture out into the morass that is LA, so we headed to the hotel restaurant. I was fully expecting to pay through the nose for everything, but was pleasantly surprised. Not only were the prices “reasonable” (this wine was $45), but the food was actually pretty good. As for the wine? Certainly pale, and more of an orange hue than pink, with a somewhat dirty strawberry nose. The palate is fine, if unremarkable, with faint fruit but good acidity. I guess you could do a lot worse in the category, but there is also so much more out there that is worthy of note. Very Good. 87 Points.

2009 Skewis Pinot Noir, Peters Vineyard, Sonoma Coast, CA: Retail $50. Heavy Bottle (651g; 22.9oz). Under cork. It has been a couple of years (almost) since I cracked the former (and first) bottle of this wine in my possession, and while this second one has many of the same characteristics as that original bottle, I have come off that lofty perch (97 Points on the first bottle), if only a bit. This is still an incredible wine. Medium color with a stunning nose: ripe Bing cherry, a bit of eucalyptus, an herbal aspect (sweet basil), and some wet, brown earth. Scrumptious. The palate, if possible, is even better with wonderful fruit, a balancing zinginess, particularly on the finish, and just a touch of mocha. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2014 Veuve Doussot Ernestine Millésime, Champagne, France: I paid: $36 (I think). 70% Pinot Noir, 30% Chardonnay. It was last puppy night. Or something like that. And I pulled this. I am not entirely sure where or how I acquired this wine. My notes say that I bought this from the State Store in Pennsylvania, which is plausible since we lived there for 16 years, but the date of purchase was July 2019. And we were not there then. So? Plenty of oxidation and yeastiness on the nose with plenty of baked apple. The palate still has sparkle, even plenty of sparkle, with that yeasty aspect that is old champers folk adore. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2003 Weingut Reinhold Haart Piesporter Goldtröpfchen Riesling Spätlese, Mosel Saar Ruwer, Germany: Retail $35(?). Responsible Bottle (569g; 20.0oz). Under cork. Well, this is the last of the three bottles that I brought back from the last time I was in the Mosel. It has been over three and a half years since I popped the last bottle, and this is doing quite well. A little darker, perhaps, but this is every bit as good, if not better, than the previous bottle. Light in alcohol (8% ABV) but rich in aromas of candied apple, dried apricot, touches of golden delicious apple and lemon zest, and that characteristic petrol note, this wine is delightful. The palate, along with the aforementioned attributes, is also a bit nutty, incredibly rich, tart, and sweet, perhaps even a bit more than “off-dry.” But holy cow, is it good. Outstanding. 93 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: I am not sure how many times I have chosen a wine from Hank and Maggie Skewis as the Wine of the Week, but I am sure it is a lot, but it should also be more. I am fast approaching the end of my Skewis stash, and since Hank and Maggie retired several years ago, I will not be acquiring any more. That, of course, is a shame, but the bigger shame, and what this 2009 Skewis Pinot Noir, Peters Vineyard reminded me, would be to let these wines decline too much. So I vow to finish them off in the next year. OK, maybe the next two.

What was your Wine of the Week?