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 Caves de Bussy Crémant de Loire Rosé, Loire Valley, France: Retail $25. Very Heavy Bottle (785g; 27.6oz). 100% (?) Cabernet Franc. I bought a bunch of relatively inexpensive sparking wine for when my father-in-law would visit. Well, he recently passed away and I decided that there was really no need to hold onto these anymore. More than a bit sad, for sure, as I pretty much hit the lottery when it came to in-laws. It is a decent enough sparkler, but on the shelf for $17? I just think there are other options out there that offer more complexity. Mumm Napa comes to mind, as does Gloria Ferrer. Very Good. 87 Points.

2010 Bodegas Cenit Tempranillo Cenit, Vino de la Tierra de Zamora, Castilla y León, Spain:
Retail $30. Extremely Heavy Bottle (848g; 29.9oz). 100% Tempranillo. This wine is made from about six hectares (~14 acres) of historic, own-rooted (pre-phylloxera vines in Tierra del Vino de Zamora, with vines aged between 80 and 100 years (in 2010). The fruit is certainly on the downward slope (a bit stewed and not a ton of it), but the tartness is what is (and has been) the story here, with both being stellar. I really loved the first bottle we had last year (94 Points), but this one is certainly a step down from that memorable wine. Excellent. 92 Points.

NV Collery Champagne Grand Cru Extra Brut, Champagne, France: Retail $70. Extremely Heavy Bottle (828g; 29.2oz). 100% Chardonnay. I really loved the first 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, the second was “just” Excellent, as it certainly stoped short of the lofty note that I left just a few days prior. Nonetheless, I was still excited about the remaining ten bottles. Well, #3 was much more in line with #2 than #1 as this lacks much of the complexity of that first bottle. Sure, this is still a solid effort, but this wine is much more focused on the concentrated citrus than the deeper, more introspective aspects that I experienced in bottle #1. Still? Excellent. 90 Points.

2017 Jean-Ernest Descombes Côte du Py, Morgon, Beaujolais, France: Retail $30. Responsible Bottle (580g; 20.4oz). 100% Gamay. I visited the winery a while ago, and learned about the relationship with Georges Dubœuf, which is a partner with Descombes; Dubœuf has partnered with dozens of wineries in Beaujolais, elevating the wineries and the region at the same time. While this bottle might be on the downward slope, there is still plenty here. Sure, the fruit has faded and the focus is more on secondary and tertiary aromas (leather, dried blueberry, cardamom) and flavors (dried cranberry, dried herbs), but there is still driving acidity that really shapes and guides this wine. No, it is not perhaps what it used to be, but it is still quite the star, albeit fading. Excellent. 91 Points.

NV Gardet Champagne Premier Cru Blanc de Noirs, Champagne, France: Retail $60. Extremely Heavy Bottle (836g; 29.5oz). 60% Pinot Noir, 40% Meunier. This holds true with previous bottles. While maybe worth the $29 we paid at Last Bottle Wines, the $38 at Vivino? I would pass. It is a solid sparkler, certainly, but this latest shipment (I bought a case from LBW then another from Vivino, based on that first case) is coming off a tad sweet. I am hoping it is just some good old bottle variation, but I fear that it is not. Very Good. 88 Points.

2018 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay, Bacigalupi Vineyard, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $50. Extremely Heavy Bottle (891g; 31.3oz). Under cork. The other day, I opened one of my two remaining bottles of this wine and it was oxidized. It was still “good” even “Excellent” (91 Points), but it was clearly a departure from what I had come to expect from this wine. So I did what anyone else in my place would do; I panicked. I went to the cellar and immediately opened the last remaining bottle. If it was oxidized, too, I rationalized, there was no point keeping it in my cellar any longer. Well, it wasn’t. In fact, it was its “normal” glorious self. I was so relieved that I forgot to write a formal note about the wine. My advice? If you have any of these gems, you might want to get to them soon; I spoke to the producer and they are trying to figure out what is going on… Outstanding. 96 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: Thie week’s Wine of the Week, the 2018 Tongue Dancer Chardonnay, Bacigalupi Vineyard, probably would have been the top wine in most weeks. But in a week that was largely filled with wines that failed to impress, it really stood out. Add that I was a bit worried about the state of the wine, given the previous bottle that I opened, and this bottle turned out to be its norm, i.e., fantastic, and I was elated. How can a wine that makes you feel “elated” not be the best wine of the week?

What was your Wine of the Week?