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 Domaine Chandon Brut Rosé, California: Retail $27. Very Heavy Bottle (823g; 29.0oz). 57% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Noir, 3% Pinot Meunier. Not too long ago, I bought a bunch of less expensive sparkling wines since my father-in-law claimed to love champagne but could not tell the difference. Well, I guess karma is coming around to bite me a bit since he can no longer drink and I have a bunch of inexpensive fizz that I need to clear out. This is fine. Personally, I like Mumm better, and Gloria Ferrer more than both, but this is large, corporate bubbles. Perfect for, well, your father-in-law. Very Good. 88 Points.

2013 Estate 1856 Zinfandel Tzabaco Rancho Vineyards, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $32. Responsible Bottle (544g; 19.2oz). ABV: 14.8%. Estate 1856, which I wrote about a few times in this space (Here and Here) is now defunct, closing up shop a few years ago, which is too bad, since the wines were (are) fantastic. Case in point. This is certainly on the dark side of Zinfandel, with an opaque, nearly black color, oodles of dark fruit, black pepper, and even some clove on the nose. Given all of that Batman level darkness, I was surprised to find this wine rather lithe on the palate. Don’t get me wrong, it is still plenty dark with blackberry, black plum (is there such a thing?), cassis, and just about every other dark fruit you can conger. But. There is also a balancing acidity; a tartness that it so refreshing and lively that this wine is far from brooding, it is actually delightful. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2013 Fields Family Wines Tempranillo, Lodi, CA: Retail $25. Very Heavy Bottle (701g; 24.7oz). Under cork. Not quite two years after the last bottle (no, not that Last Bottle) and it seems as though the time has not been kind. Sure, this wine is quite tasty, with good fruit and a zingy tartness, but that fruit is certainly a bit stewed at this point and the wines comes off as a bit chalky and, well, tired. I still really like this wine, but I need to get to the final bottle soon. Excellent. 91 Points.

2014 Kemmeter Wines Riesling Sheldrake Point Medium-Sweet, Finger Lakes, NY: Retail $30. Very Responsible Bottle (462g; 16.3oz). Under screw cap. I first met Johannes Reinhardt way back in 2015, when I bought this bottle, in his tiny but tasteful tasting room within a few hundred meters of Keuka Lake in New York’s Finger Lakes region. Johannes is quintessentially German with his stern demeanor, his attention to detail, and his precise wines. While I had wanted three of this slightly sweeter versions of this wine, I obtained but two; such is the life of a Riesling producer trying to appease all palates. But this one does, at least for me, hold up to its German brethren, with tons of citrus on the nose, along with a touch of petrol (“normal for a Riesling, no?). Tons of that lemon zest on the nose, along with loads of tart fruit, a racing acidity, just a hint of minerality, and plenty of verve. Really close to a Whoa here, and maybe a Yowza. Outstanding 94 Points.

2014 Longoria Pinot Noir, Fe Ciega Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills, CA: Retail $55. Responsible Bottle (593g; 20.9oz). I bought four of these from Last Bottle Wines back in 2019 and I opened the first shortly thereafter. As I mentioned in that note, Fe Ciega is synonymous with the Longoria brand and has reached “legendary” status among Pinot enthusiasts. And this wine is gorgeous. Again, better on Day 2 (but no slouch on Day 1), the nose is loaded with red berry fruit, perhaps even strawberry rhubarb pie, with a dash of vanilla ice cream. The palate is even better than I imagined, still loaded with fruit and ringing with acidity. An impeccably balanced stunner, for sure. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2018 Ridge Zinfandel, Benito Dusi Ranch, Paso Robles, CA: Retail $40. Responsible Bottle (579g; 203.oz). Under cork. I was sent a bottle of this wine for an article I wrote for Zinfandel Advocates and Producers (ZAP), which is perhaps the vineyard in Paso for Zinfandel. The story is compelling and no history of Paso Robles could be told without including the Dusi family and the Home Ranch (which is now called the Benito Dusi Vineyard). I loved that first bottle (94 Points), and I love this one as well (which I purchased from Last Bottle Wines). Dark, rich, concentrated, and fruity, but also balanced, this wine showcases that Zinfandel can be more that a juicy, bombastic, playful wine; it can be a well-made, contemplative, and serious wine as well. Bravo to Ridge Vineyards and to the Dusi family for treating this region, vineyard, variety, and wine with the respect it deserves. Outstanding. 94 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: It seemed as though this week I was determined to take a trip down memory lane as I hit 2013 and 2014 hard this week. I am not quite sure what my subconscious was trying to tell me about those years in particular, but the wines were stellar. In all honesty, I should have made the 2013 Estate 1856 Zinfandel Tzabaco Rancho Vineyards the Wine of the Week, but I opted for the 2014 Longoria Pinot Noir, Fe Ciega Vineyard instead. Why? You may ask? Well, both wines were stellar, but I had to give the slight nod to the Longoria. Oh. And I also took a picture of that one….

What was your Wine of the Week?