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).

2014 Axis Mundi Grenache/Syrah, Santa Ynez Valley, CA: Retail $22. Heavy Bottle (641g; 22.6oz). Screw cap. 67% Grenache, 33% Syrah. Sigh. This is now the last bottle (no, not that Last Bottle) of this wine and I am honestly a bit remorseful. Sure, Wes Hagen is still making wine, but the magic that was Clos Pepe is long gone, and that is too bad. While this not a Clos Pepe, it still has that vibe, that energy that characterized Wes’ wines from that era. Medium to dark color in the glass with plenty of fruit, spice, and verve on the nose. The palate is still loaded with fruit, but there is certainly evidence of age, too. Rich, even concentrated fruit initially, along with some spice, a touch of earth, and oodles of swagger, this really is fantastic. But. The acidity? A Whoa upon itself. And even a Wowza. Almost a dozen years out and this wine is really singing beautifully. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2011 Cargasacchi Pinot Noir Estate, Cargasacchi Vineyard, Sta Rita Hills, CA: Retail $45. Responsible Bottle (539g; 19.0oz). Under cork. 100% Pinot Noir. As I mentioned in the previous note, I have not had the opportunity to taste much wine from Cargasacchi since there is (was?) very little made. The name “Cargasacchi”, from what I have been able to glean, is revered on the Central Coast, mostly from his vineyards, but also from the wines, which by all accounts are stellar. As is this one. Whoa. Dark and concentrated on the nose with some cherry, sure, but loads of raspberry, blackberry, and even cassis; this is certainly on the dark side of Pinot Noir. Add in touches of earth and an herbal aspect (basil? oregano?) and it is clear that this is a complex wine. The palate confirms that assertion with an initial wave of fruit, followed by an intense, but short of aggressive, acidity, and wave after wave of complexity. Whoa. I love wine. I love Pinot. And I would be hard pressed to place many wines above this one. At least tonight. Outstanding. 96 Points.

2012 Matanzas Creek Winery Merlot, Sonoma County, CA: Retail $32. Heavy Bottle (610g; 21.4oz). 97.7% Merlot, 2.3% Cabernet Sauvignon. I am not entirely sure how I acquired this bottle, but I delved into the cellar looking for another “sip,” and this one fit the bill. I am not a huge Merlot fan (nor do I hate the variety), but this was just right for a bit of late-night binging on Netflix, and this an above, even well-above, average Merlot. Sure, the fruit is a bit faded and it is a bit “less” than one would expect from a California red wine, but there is still plenty of red and black fruit on both the nose and the palate of this beauty. Plenty of acidity to go around as well, with an above-average, tasty finish. Excellent. 91 Points.

NV Moët & Chandon Champagne Brut Imperial Rosé, Champagne, France: Retail $60. Extremely Heavy Bottle (839g; 29.5oz). 40-50% Pinot Noir, 30-40% Pinot Meunier, 10-20% Chardonnay. My wife received this as a gift (including gift box) from someone, I am not entirely sure whom. But we had a home basketball game that night, and, on the way to the game, I called her to put this in the fridge for after the game, since I had completely forgotten to have some wine ready upon our return. Dark, even really dark for a rosé, this clearly has been in the bottle for a while as the cork did not expand one iota once extracted. The nose is much more of a darker red fruit (raspberry; even surprisingly close to black raspberry), and just the slightest hint of yeastiness. The palate is all about the fruit, though, with oodles of that darker red fruit even given its (suspected) age. For whatever reason, most rosé champagnes do not age as well as their “standard brut” counterparts, and while this is certainly quite tasty, it shades a bit to the “overly-vinous” side for me (which normally is a “good” thing, but is apparently not here). Very Good. 89 Points.

2009 Skewis Pinot Noir, Lingenfelder, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $50. Heavy Bottle (659g; 23.2oz). Under cork. Sigh, before I popped this cork, I realized that I had less than two cases of Skewis left in my cellar. Yeah, I know this is a first-world problem, but it is likely a first-world problem of the first magnitude? OK. As my son might say, I am tweaking. But “low-key”, this is a “banger”. Dark, opaque, and loaded (still) with fruit (blackberry, plum, and, surprisingly, cassis), an herbal quality (sage, mint?) on the nose. Yowza. Given the nose of mostly secondary and tertiary aromas, the palate is an explosion of fruit; yes, even seventeen years out, with plenty of acidity to match that fruit, an earthiness that defines the best of the variety. Whoa. This is stellar, even beyond. Rich, but balanced, tart, but inviting, and intriguing, yet quaffable, this is incredible. Outstanding. 96 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: This week, choosing a top wine was certainly difficult as they were a few that were not only fantastic wines, but several also evoked pleasant memories, which always elevates the experience. In the end, I opted for the 2011 Cargasacchi Pinot Noir Estate as this week’s Wine of the Week. It also served as a reminder that I need to get back down to the Central Coast and visit some of my favorites, hopefully find a few new ones, and, of course, get in some stellar bike riding.

What was your Wine of the Week?