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).

2009 Amelle Zinfandel Buck Hill, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $25. Very Responsible Bottle (494g; 17.4oz). 100% Zinfandel. Under cork. I was amazed, stunned, even, to realize that I had zero tasting notes on this wine. I have written over two dozen notes, combined on the two previous vintages (2007, 2008), but this is the first for the 2009 vintage. And holy cow. I really loved the previous two vintages, but this 2009 might be on another level. Rich, fruity, layered, complex, and fruity (wait, I’ve already mentioned that, but it is worthy of it). The palate is much the same–this fruit is amazing, but there is the acidity, the earth, the depth, the balance. Whoa. This has to be up there with the best Zins I have ever had. Whoa. Yowza. And a Holy Cow. Outstanding. 96 Points.

NV Caves de Bussy Crémant de Loire Rosé, Loire Valley, France: Retail $25. Very Heavy Bottle (777g; 27.3oz). 100% (?) Cabernet Franc. And it’s fine. Sure, I had hoped for a bit more, but there is decent fruit, a lovely mousse, and enough acidity to keep one’s interest, at least for one glass. At $17? I think there are better options out there. Very Good. 87 Points.

2007 Cosentino Winery Cabernet Franc Reserve, Napa Valley, CA: Retail $100(?). Heavy Bottle (641g; 22.5oz). 100% Cabernet Franc. Cosentino was my introduction to California wine, in effect, and it was the first wine club I ever joined. Even after I moved away from the Bay Area, every return to the region included a stop at Cosentino. On one such visit, I bought this bottle for my father-in-law, who was living in the East Bay at the time. Fast forward close to two decades, and while going through what was left of his cellar (they had moved here to Texas shortly after we did), I came across this beauty. My FIL no longer drinks for health reasons, but I sure do, so I rescued this bottle from eventually ending up as cooking wine for my mother-in-law. Glad I did; this is amazing. Fairly dark in the glass with a touch of bricking at the rim, with plenty of fruit (blackberry, cassis), a touch of earth, and a distinct mintiness that is ever so enticing. The palate is perhaps more remarkable with velvety dark fruit, incredible balance from a still vibrant tartness, and silky, integrated tannins. No sediment to speak of, so I was able to drain this beauty dry. As I mentioned to my wife, this was a happy accident and proof that well-made wines can indeed age beautifully. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2013 Fritz Winery Malbec, Dry Creek Valley, CA: Retail $45(?). Very Responsible Bottle (467g; 16.4oz). Under cork. I really have no idea how I acquired this bottle, but I do know it was in early 2016, before we moved to hot and humid Houston in 2016. So I have no idea. I do know, however, that I am a huge Dry Creek Valley fan and that this goes great with a late-night Netflix movie. Fairly dark in the glass, as one would expect with tons of black fruit (blackberry, cassis, plum) on the nose, along with an earthy aspect and a touch of spice. The palate? Whoa. While I would stop short of calling this wine “fruity”, the fruit is certainly the player here, even a dozen years out. Rich, velvety, and complex, yeah, this one is a doozy. Excellent. 92 Points.

2023 Château Miraval Rosé, Côtes de Provence, France: Retail $25. Heavy Bottle (604g; 21.3oz). Cinsault, Grenache, Rolle, Syrah. Under cork. This, along with Whispering Angel, has always been a favorite, and I decided that it was time to rip through the handful of bottles from the 2o23 vintage that I still had occupying the top shelf in the cellar (as much as I like the wine, the size and shape of the bottle proclude it from fitting in any wine rack, which I find incredibly stupid). Great fruit, acidity, and balance; I am glad that this wine has not missed a beat among the idiocy of the whole Bradgelina breakup. Sadly, the price has increased to north of $20 at my local grocery store (I used to get it for around $15). Is that a result of the tariffs? Probably. But I imagine it will stay there no matter what happens after the next election. That means this might be the end of the line for me with this wine as there are less-expensive and/or more interesting options out there. Excellent. 92 Points.

2023 Caves d’Esclans Whispering Angel, Côtes de Provence, France: Retail $25. Responsible Bottle (567g; 20.0oz). Grenache, Cinsault, Rolle. Similar to the Miraval (above), I figured it was time to finish off the last of the 2023 vintage of perhaps my favorite rosé on the market (OK, I prefer Les Sarrins, but this is a close second). Juicy, fruity, tart, well-balanced; say what you want about the fact that this wine is available in Walmart, it is a darned good quaff. Outstanding. 93 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: I am not going to lie: it was a bit difficult choosing between two wines for the Wine of the Week. The 2007 Cosentino Winery Cabernet Franc Reserve was stellar for sure and had the added benefits of a personal story and the “forgotten treasure” aspect. But there was also a bit of that going on with this week’s top wine, the 2009 Amelle Zinfandel Buck Hill. It was made by Eric Buffington, who “retired” from the wine game not too long after getting this beauty into bottle. I am still holding out hope that he gets back into “the game” at some point. That reminds me; I owe him a call….

What was your Wine of the Week?