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).

2015 Acorn Zinfandel Heritage Vines Alegría Vineyards, Russian River Valley, CA: Retail $48. Responsible Bottle (534g; 18.8oz). 78% Zinfandel, 11% Alicante Bouschet, 9% Petite Sirah. The remaining 2% includes Carignane, Trousseau, Sangiovese, Petit Bouschet, Negrette, Syrah, Plavac Mali, Tannat, Peloursin, Muscat Noir, Béclan, Palomino, Monbadon, Cinsaut, and Grenache. Well. A lot to unpack here. First, the Nachbauers have retired, so the number of extant ACORN bottles is finite. Second, this is Ah. May. Zin. Close to inky dark in the glass with a vibrant nose of dark fruit (blueberry, plum) and a slight herbal quality (sage? basil?). The palate is rich, even really rich with plenty of fruit, tartness, earthiness, and verve. Tons and tons of verve. Yeah, this deserves a “Whoa”. Maybe two. Rich, full-bodied, but also lithe and racy, this is my wheelhouse kinda Zin. Outstanding. 93 Points.

2018 Domaine Carneros Pinot Noir Estate, Carneros, CA: Retail $44. Responsible Bottle (591g; 20.8oz). Co-owned by Champagne house Taittinger and American importer Kobrand. It has been more than a minute since I tried this Pinot from perhaps the premier sparkling wine producer in the U.S. Fairly dark in color in the glass, but lighter in aromas with mostly red fruit (Bing Cherry, a touch of raspberry). The palate is fruity, yes, but also quite tart, even engagingly so, which carries from the first sip through the finish. I am a big fan of the brand, and a lover of their sparkling wines, but their still wines deserve oodles of love, too. Case in point. Similar notes to the other bottles, considering that this is another six-plus years out? Whoa, indeed. Outstanding. 94 Points.

NV J. Charpentier Champagne Paradis Blanc Extra Brut Premier Cru, Champagne, France: Retail $65? Extremely Heavy Bottle (829g; 29.1oz). 100% Chardonnay. I ran across this producer at Le Salon des Vignerons Indépendents in Paris this past December. I had planned on holding onto these three bottles for at least a couple of years, but today my son decided what he will do next year. No, it’s not college, nor is it a “gap year”, or even a job at Walmart. No, he is going to do a Post-Graduate year at a boarding school in New York State. The same school, coincidentally, where I taught and coached thirty years ago. That was a lot. But we were celebrating, and this was the first bottle I saw in the cellar. Well? Whoa. Pale straw in the glass with plenty of tree fruit and a touch of citrus, paired with a yeasty goodness that all champagnes exhibit. The palate is fruity, tart, layered, and balanced. I really loved this at Le Salon, and I think I might like it more now. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2013 La Follette Pinot Noir Van der Kamp, Sonoma Mountain, CA: Retail $42. Responsible Bottle (584g; 20.6oz). It has been yet another minute since I popped one of these (another three years to be precise) and this might be the best of the three thus far. Still plenty of bright red fruit on the nose (rich, ripe cherry, strawberry, even some red currant) along with vanilla, a touch of spice, and just the slightest hint of oak. Yowza. Based on the nose, one could easily be persuaded that this beauty is half its age (or even a new release) and the palate serves to underscore that assertion. More rich, red fruit past the lips, with a decided cherry cobbler element that is simply delicious; that paired with a zingy, lip-smacking tartness, renders this one of the best domestic Pinots I have had recently. Outstanding. 94 Points.

2002 Domaine Pierre Gelin Gevrey-Chambertin 1er Cru Clos Prieur, Burgundy, France: Retail $150? Responsible Bottle (623g; 21.9oz). Under cork. 100% Pinot Noir. I bought a handful of bottles of this wine online from an internet site that no longer exists, which was a bit of the Wild, Wild West back in the day. I got these for under thirty bucks a pop, which was a steal by any metric. And this has been the best of the four I have tried. By far. Medium color with nothing short of an amazing nose. The fruit is surprisingly still prevalent (black cherry and blackberry), but also an herbal aspect that verges on intense (sweet basil, a hint of mint, maybe even oregano). The palate? Whoa. And more. Still, the very good fruit that was presented on the nose, with solid earth, and amazing acidity. Amazing, which was only surpassed by the finish, which lasted longer than a Houston summer. Whoa. Amazing. Outstanding. 95 Points.

2012 Domaine Jobard-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots, Burgundy, France: Retail $125(?). Heavy Bottle (604g; 21.2oz). Under DIAM5. 100% Chardonnay. OK, before I get started, why in the name of everything holy did the producer stop a Premier Cru Meursault with a DIAM5? I mean, come on. If you are going to do that, indicate it on the label so I can make smart choices. [As I understand it, a DIAM5 is a stopper that is used for wines that should be consumed in five years. Any self-respecting Meursault 1er Cru isn’t even getting started until it’s reached a decade-old, in my opinion.] Golden in the glass (no doubt due in part to the stopper, but with only slightly oxidized notes on the nose, along with plenty of lemon curd, a hint of oak, and some solid vanilla, too. The palate is, as one would expect with a top Meursault, creamy and weighty, voluptuous, even on the verge of decadent. But. The magic of white Burgundy in general, and Meursault specifically, is the acid. While it is far from overpowering, it certainly is present and magnificent, balancing the wine and resulting in a classic white Burg. But that cork. Outstanding. 95 Points.

WINE OF THE WEEK: I didn’t want to, I really didn’t, but after reviewing our consumption this week, there was no getting around it, the 2012 Domaine Jobard-Morey Meursault 1er Cru Les Poruzots is this week’s Wine of the Week. Why the reluctance? Don’t get me wrong, it was a fabulous wine and worthy of accolades, and I love White Burgundy. But I also really don’t like Burgundy as the wines have become so prohibitively expensive (at least for me) that I doubt that I will be buying any more. That means that while this wine was fabulous, it takes me one step closer to opening my last Burgundy. Ever.

What was your Wine of the Week?