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 Collery Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne, France: Retail $70. Extremely Heavy Bottle (828g; 29.2oz). 100% Chardonnay. Retail $70. Extremely Heavy Bottle (828g; 29.2oz). 100% Chardonnay. I really loved the last bottle of this wine (96 Points), which was the first bottle of the case that I purchased from  Last Bubbles  and I was so excited about the other eleven bottles. Well, while this is Excellent, it certainly stops short of the lofty note that I left just a few days prior. The fruit is not quite as vibrant, the acidity not quite as tangy, the yeastiness not quite as, well, yeasty. We also popped this at home in Houston, while the first we had in Austin, watching the new season of one of our favorite Netflix shows (I won’t tell you what that is because you would rightfully judge me). Does context matter? Of course it does. Nonetheless, I remain excited about the remaining ten bottles. Excellent. 92 Points.

NV Gallimard Père et Fils Champagne Grande Réserve Chardonnay, Champagne, France: Retail $50. 100% Chardonnay. A bit golden in the glass, suggesting a bit of age on this non-vintage Blanc de Blancs with loads of baked Granny Smith apple pie with a lovely yeasty, flaky crust. The palate is quite nice as well with a lip-smacking tartness to go along with all that freshly-baked apple pie goodness. I have said dozens of times that I am not a fan of the Blanc de Blancs style, but when it has a bit of age on it (like it seems this bottle does), the body intensifies while the elegance remains. A winning combo in my book. Excellent. 91 Points.

NV Gallimard Père et Fils Champagne Les Meurgers Blanc de Noirs, Champagne, France: Retail $50. 100% Pinot Noir. I have had a few cuvées from Gallimard now, all of which (I think) I received from Last Bottle Wines. This might just be the best of the bunch. Fairly dark, more of an amber than a straw, with plenty of baked apple and fresh croissant on the nose. The palate is quite rich and layered with good fruit, fantastic tartness, and off the charts yeastiness. Excellent. 92 Points.

NV Michel Genet Champagne Grand Cru Brut Rosé “Redblend 9208”, Champagne, France: Retail $50. Extremely Heavy Bottle (845g; 29.7oz). $39 at Garagiste. 92% Chardonnay, 8% Pinot Noir (which is represented in the “Redblend 9208”). The last bottle I popped, about six months ago, was fantastic, better than the first, which is always better than the reverse. This third (and last) bottle is more aligned to that previous experience (again, the preferred outcome). A bit nutty, quite fruity, and exhibiting a healthy yeastiness, this is a fabulous rosé champers. Dare I say that it could even benefit from a little more cellar time? Oh well, that won’t be an option here, but it certainly was a hit; pairing well with my Wagyu skirt steak fajitas. Yeah. Incredible. Outstanding. 93 Points.

NV Montaudon Champagne Brut Tradition, Champagne, France: Retail $45. Extremely Heavy Bottle (839g; 29.5oz). 80% Pinot Noir & Pinot Meunier, 20% Chardonnay. Back in the day, this used to be our go to champagne. As a grad student, I had a limited budget and I ate a ton of ramen so that I could have an occasional bottle of Montaudon. It is a fairly large cooperative in the region and, at least to me, represented a pretty good value. As our collective incomes and experience grew, we moved on to other brands, but I always reserved a soft spot for good ‘ole Monty (I just made that up, I have never called it that, and I doubt anyone else does either, but it kind of fit with the vibe I am trying to convey). So, when this popped up on sale at Total wine, we bought a case based on our collective memory of what this used to be. Either the wine has changed or we have, as this is not nearly as good as I remember it. I doubt we would buy this again as there are better champagnes at this price. Tart and vibrant, but a bit overly mineral/chalky and lacking in the yeastiness that I seek in “real” champagne. Very Good. 87 Points.

NV Michel Tixier Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé de Saignée, Champagne, France: Retail $45. Extremely Heavy bottle (847g; 29.6ov). 100% Pinot Meunier. Oddly, I have had several bottles of this wine in the last 12 months, a relatively small independent producer in the Premier Cru village of Chigny-les-Roses. The first? Well, I came across it somehow, not entirely sure why or where, and it was lovely, one of the fruitiest, richest champagnes I had come across. Then, a dear friend brought me a bottle from France, with similar results. Then (we’re almost there), I bought six bottles on Last Bottle Wines and tried one (loved it, 92 Points). Last, I went to a large tasting in Paris and met the family and tasted through the whole “gamme” (entire lineup). That is a long prelude to say that this is the second bottle from that sic-pack, and it is as equally delightful as the previous iterations I have tried. This has to be the darkest rosé champagne on the market with a brilliant cherry in the glass. The abundant red berry fruit, though, tends more toward strawberry, but certainly includes plenty of cherry as well as blueberry and even blackberry. The palate is quite fruity, so much so that it somewhat masks that characteristic yeasty component that sets champagne apart from most other sparkling wines. The zesty acidity brings balance though, leading up to the lengthy finish. Really close to a Whoa. Outstanding. 93 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Several weeks ago, I was in Paris for a large wine exposition called Le Salon des Vignerons Indépendants. It is a huge, four day event with over 600 producers from every appellation in France, all relatively small, almost all family-owned and run, with the owners/winemakers usually the folk pouring the wine. As was the case when I visited Benoît Tixier, son of Michel Tixier, producer of excellent (mostly) Pinot Meunier-based champagnes. I left with a case of this months Wine of the Week, the Michel Tixier Champagne Premier Cru Brut Rosé de Saignée (half of which I left in Paris), and I couldn’t be happier with the purchase.

What was your Wine of the Week?