This very dark ruby colored “Grand Reserve” level Cabernet Sauvignon from Kendall Jackson was very well received by the Panel. It opens with a black currant bouquet with hints of black raspberry, Oreo cookie, nutmeg, and cigar box. On the palate, this wine is medium plus bodied with medium plus acidity. We found it to have a smooth mouthfeel. The flavor profile is a black currant and blackberry blend with notes of oak, gentle minerality and black licorice. We also picked up a hint of toffee mixed in as well. The finish is dry and its medium-plus chunky tannins build-up and drift away nicely. The Panel suggested pairing this very good Cab with smoked brisket or Korean barbeque.

Les Cadrans de Lassègue Saint-Émilion Grand Cru 2015 Bordeaux Red Wine poured a deep candy-apple red with a medium clear meniscus and copious stained legs.Aromas of underbrush, black grapes in the warm sunshine, black plums, with hints of cloves, cinnamon, and just a whisper of a horse stable were quite good.Full-bodied red wine with good acidity, a firm supportive plank of tannins, and flavors of plums, fennel, and subtle dried cooking herbs.Finished long on the fading palate, a bit chalky, mildly spicy, and with a robust balanced 14% alcohol.Paired well with our "meat-lovers" pizza.

Pinot Noirs are food-friendly for Thanksgiving and other occasions

Pinot Noirs are food-friendly for Thanksgiving and other occasions

Pinot Noirs are food-friendly for Thanksgiving and other occasionsLook for cranberry, raspberry, laurel and damp earth aromas. Lots of fruit on the palate, big raspberry accented with black cherry, boysenberry and pie spice. Grilled tuna or salmon or medium-rare duck breast go well.

Pinot Noirs are food-friendly for Thanksgiving and other occasionsLook for cranberry, raspberry, laurel and damp earth aromas. Lots of fruit on the palate, big raspberry accented with black cherry, boysenberry and pie spice. Grilled tuna or salmon or medium-rare duck breast go well.

We can always give thanks for wineThere’s a rich spice note that comes with the ripe cherry, blueberry, vanilla and leather aromas of this Pinot. It’s medium-bodied, with bright red berry and cherry flavours, underlying blueberry notes and a white pepper and earthy component on the slightly warm finish. Slightly heavier and more approachable than lighter, savoury/funky Pinots, the La Crema should still satisfy those who are more well-versed in the grape.

Created from three vineyards in the AVA, this is a richer Pinot than the Copain, showing riper fruit flavours such as black cherry, root beer, blueberry, thyme, wild raspberry, vanilla, violet, black tea and orange. A delicious, riper Pinot.

Copain’s entry-level Pinot, the Tous Ensemble, which means stronger together, offers enticing aromas of violet, sandalwood, black cherry, black tea and wild strawberry. It’s medium-bodied, with bright acid, moderate tannins and vivid fruit flavours.

La Crema’s more entry-level bottlings always tend toward beefiness, and this expression is no exception, kicking off with a somewhat tough and decidedly meaty character that feels like it will never let up. Give it some time in glass, and the picture changes, albeit slowly. Notes of blackberry and blueberry cobbler emerge, alongside notes of sweet tea and some baking spice notes. The finish is brambly, classic Russian River stuff, with hints of cola and a bit of clove.

Wine recommendations to ease you into fallFor Chardonnay fans, the Kendall-Jackson Vintner’s Reserve 2018 combines fruit from four prime growing regions delivers a nose of banana, mango, vanilla and buttered toast that lead to flavours suggesting nougat, almond and pineapple all wrapped around a ripe, balanced core.

This is from an estate block within the original Durell Vineyard, 100% barrel fermented and aged, only 27% of the French oak new. Complex and exotic in baked pear, nuts, tangerine and crushed rock, it offers a fulsomerichness balanced by mineral-laden tension and lasting acidity.

Intensely flavored and full bodied in style, this wine shows golden oak, honey and flint, with a floral earthiness throughout. Fig, pear and quince dance around the opulence and texture, as forest mushroom and a touch of spice tease on the finish.

From a far coastal site dipped in Goldridge soils at 700-feet elevation, this white is adorned in mineral-laden earth, stone and briny fog. Pear, vanilla and orange peel contrast a refined richness, buzzing in tension and acidity.

A low-yielding site set on exposed north-facing slopes, Sexton vineyard produces wines of depth and concentration. There's more richness here than the other 2019 chardonnay releases from this winery, with stone fruit coming into play on the bouquet and palate and a more textural feeling. There's width and length to the flavour profile, the oak a well-integrated component throughout. The finish shows a chalky minerality with real persistence.

From a site planted in 1995 to a myriad of clones, Three Jacks is richly woven in a mix of tropical pineapple, succulent peach and crème brûlée. The mix contrasts well, offering both richness and juicy freshness, compelling in the glass in lengthy tension and grace.

From a late-ripening site in the cool, windy Sebastopol Hills, Jennifer’s gives off a rounded richness and voluptuous texture, alongside flavors of pear compote and baking spice. Classically structured and racy, it has undeniable weight and concentration that taste unexpectedly light on the palate.

A tempting fresh-bread aroma tops this ripe, buttery and creamy-textured wine that is medium bodied and beautifully concentrated. It offers complexity of flavor, as notes of earth and mineral join in, and a rich lingering finish. Built to improve with age, it should keep gaining through at least 2028.

This elegant, superbly balanced wine offers tempting, just-ripe fruit flavors on a medium to full body, and has a lively, slightly grippy mouthfeel that showcases the vivid redand black-cherry flavors and subtle baking-spiceaccents. Best through 2027.

The lead-up to vintage 2019 in the Yarra was very warm but Tarraford, with its distinctive and cooler microclimate, fared well. The typical minerality that this site provides its defining character, absorbing 10 months in oak with ease. The fruit is mainly on the citrus spectrum, but it's more the overall structure of the wine that stands out. The palate is juicy but fine, the finish long and crisp.

Matured in French oak barriques (25% new) for 8 months, no fining or filtration. Balance is the outstanding quality of this wine. You don't really need to pick it apart, just enjoy the flow of ripe cherry and other typically varietal pinot characters that run through the bouquet and palate. The tannin, although quite light, melds in seamlessly and there's a feeling of freshness on the finish.

Upper Yarra fruit from this vineyard at Woori Yallock. MV6 and 115 clones, pre-ferment handling; 8 months in French oak barriques (25% new). Soft red fruit, a touch of green herb and a little bit of coffee oak on the bouquet, all nicely in harmony. Quite broad through the palate, and mouthfilling in a way, but holds its shape courtesy of the gently persistent tannins which maintain well through the finish.

Lisa Valtenbergs blends this wine from parcels on the Jackson family’s Alexander Mountain Estate, a 5,500-acre property on the western slopes of the Mayacamas Mountains. This is a classic California chardonnay in the best sense: A fresh, oak-guided beauty in shades of green-gold and white. Oak contributes a hint of butterscotch sweetness to an otherwise savory wine, layering scents of white roses, apples and wildflower honey through a lasting finish. The wine feels gracious, perplexing, intense and pure.

Hearty and robust, this wine tastes of tropical honey, brioche and caramel. Thickly concentrated, it retains enough acidity to balance and complement the richness, deftly represented by a lasting character of lemon meringue.