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).

2012 Croce di Mezzo Rosso di Montalcino, Tuscany, Italy: Retail $15. Very Responsible Bottle (412g; 14.5oz). 100% Sangiovese. I had been away for five days with my son’s basketball team. I am a coach for the team, but by far the oldest on the staff. So, it was more akin to babysitting 16 adolescents, which included the other 20-something coaches. Surrounded by teenagers, I felt it was better to stay away from the vino. Upon my return home, and after a rather tumultuous trip, I imagined that my wife would have had several bottles of bubbles a chillin’, knowing that champagne cures all. Nope. Not only was there no cold champagne, there was no wine of any sort in the fridge. There was no plan for dinner, and even worse, we ended up eating leftovers. From a meal that I had prepared almost a week prior. Yeah, it was rather grim. On top of all of that? My wife lamented that she had been drinking champagne all week, and she was, gasp, a bit tired of it and in the mood for a red. I decided to go with this wine, which was part of a mystery case that I bought nearly a decade ago. And you know what? It is not bad. Still plenty of good red and black fruit on both the nose and the palate, with more than the requisite acidity, and more than a modicum of moxie. I was not expecting much (as compared to, say, my “welcome” home), so I was pleasantly surprised. Very Good. 89 Points.

NV Lanson Champagne Brut Black Label, Champagne, France: Retail $50. Extremely Heavy Bottle (858g; 30.2oz). 50% Pinot Noir, 35% Chardonnay, 15% Pinot Meunier. I went away for a week, and my wife went through who knows how many bottles of this wine? I do know that I will have to conduct an inventory of the cellar (not just for this wine, but in general) to determine what else might be “missing”. I will also likely need to change the lock on the cellar door in anticipation of my next trip. Not Rated (since, well, I didn’t taste it).

2012 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Garys’ Vineyard, Santa Lucia Highlands, CA: Retail $40. Very Responsible Bottle (467g; 16.4oz). Under screw cap. It’s been about ten months since I last had this wine, and this bottle may just be better than the previous. I texted a picture of this bottle to another prominent Pinot producer, and he stated, “I remember his wines being bombastic and syrupy.” While that certainly is the common narrative surrounding Brian Loring, this is absolutely beautiful. Dark berry fruit, a bit of earth, and some clove on the nose. The palate, perhaps not surprisingly, is quite fruity even a dozen years out. Body, acidity, balance, it is all there. Delightful. So delightful, in fact, that I am bumping it up a notch. Outstanding. 94. Points.

2007 Alonso del Yerro, Ribera del Duero, Spain: Retail $50. Responsible Bottle (593g; 20.9oz). 100% Tempranillo. I last had this wine a little over a year ago, and then? It was fantastic (94 Points). Now? While certainly stellar, this is not quite as amazing as the last cork. Quite dark in color and aromas, with black raspberry, somewhat stewed plum, plenty of spice, forest floor, and just a touch of anise. The palate also shows its age, with that slightly stewed fruit, plenty of tartness, and that earthy aspect that is just fabulous. While the last bottle was full of fresh fruit and verve, this bottle, while still tasty, is certainly the more tired version. Still, Excellent. 92 Points.

2007 Mongeard-Mugneret Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Narbantons, Burgundy, France: Retail $45. Heavy Bottle (664g; 23.4oz). Under cork. 100% Pinot Noir. Another year plus has passed since I last popped a cork of this wine and, well, it is every bit as good (maybe better?) than the last bottle. Seriously. The nose? Whoa. Sweet Bing cherry with a healthy dose of eucalyptus and more than a modicum of earthy goodness. Whoa. The palate is perhaps even better, with a surprising level of fruit (I would certainly consider it “juicy”) and an acidity level that one would expect from a Premier Cru Burgundy. Yowza. I have numerous older bottles of Burgundy, and I am always worried when I pop one. No worries here. At. All. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2024 Domaine du Salvard Cheverny Blanc, Loire Valley, France: Retail $20. Very Responsible Bottle (425g; 14.9oz). 85% Sauvignon Blanc, 15% Chardonnay. I was in Paris, having left, forgetting to buy the wine for my wife’s staff Christmas party. My wife has a fantastic palate and, having been married to this helpless wino for nearly a quarter century, knows her way around a wine shop. At least I thought. She went to our local H-E-B (I love my H-E-B) and was convinced by the resident wine steward to buy this Cheverny. A couple of things. Cheverny is a wine region in the Loire Valley and shares its name with the famous castle, and of all the castles in the Loire? I put Cheverny firmly in the “meh” category. On the other side of the ledger, this wine is imported by Kermit Lynch, a well-respected “wine merchant” who specializes in fantastic French (mostly?) wines. Normally, a very good sign to see that on a label. But after trying this? Yeah, it’s like the castle: “meh”. It’s fine, and at under twenty bucks? You could do worse, even a LOT worse, but there is no “wow” factor. Decent fruit and acidity, a hint of minerality, and an average finish. Meh. Very Good. 87 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: After a quick perusal of my cellar on CellarTracker, I have a solid smattering of older Burgundies. Nothing all that spectacular, but they should be consumed in the short term, but I have been avoiding them for a couple of reasons. First, I may have waited too long for some of them, and if that is true, opening one with my wife would lead to the inevitable “I told you so” that I would rather avoid. The second? Burgundy has become so ridiculously expensive that I have no plans or desire to replenish my cellar with wines from one of my two favorite regions (Champagne, in case you didn’t know that already). Well, this week’s Wine of the Week, the 2007 Mongeard-Mugneret Savigny-lès-Beaune 1er Cru Narbantons, helped allay, at least temporarily, that first concern; it was absolutely stunning, nearly two decades out.

What was your Wine of the Week?