This is bright and spicy, with cranberry fruit at the core. It’s more like a Northwest Gamay than most Willamette Valley Pinots, dark and lively with an astringent minerally finish.

Lots of fresh apple and a touch of lemon give this medium-bodied wine an appealing, fruity profile, while a touch of good acidity keeps it feeling fresh and well balanced.

As cooler weather starts to set in, we pull out the bolder reds. Here are four standout bottles to usher in the season.Siduri produces a number of pinot noirs by sourcing directly from vineyards up and down the West Coast. What unites them? Soft velvety tannins and big fruit flavor. The Santa Rita Hills Pinot Noir is grown in sandy soil, which causes the vines to stunt in the growth process. The result is a nice pop of red fruit at the front with a long, earthy finish. The aromas are light, delicate, and floral, but there’s plenty of structure on the palate.

Wine in the time of CholeraA Selection of Rutherford Preferred WinesFreemark Abbey, Bosché Vineyard Cabernet Sauvignon, a stalwart Napa Valley producer, and the most akin to Bordeaux. Winemaker emeritus Ted Edwards celebrates his 40th harvest with Freemark Abbey this year and welcomes Kristy Melton as winemaker.

These 4 Products Will Give You A Relaxing, Fabulous Thanksgiving to RememberGive Thanks to RoséPSA: We’d love for you to consider including the versatile La Crema Monterey Rosé on your table this year. Not only is this Pinot Noir Rosé pretty in pink, it is also a deliciously crisp wine that will take you from appetizers right into dessert. Try pairing this wine with your favourite cut of turkey, as it works well with white meat, dark meat and everything in between.

The Best Wines For Thanksgiving, All Under $25Here are nine wines under $25—red, white and fizz—that play well with turkey:Bright whitesWhen it comes to Thanksgiving dinner, some chardonnays work better than others. I look for a lightly oaked or unoaked version such as Carmel Road, which is fresh and citrusy with a mellow finish. Save the well-aged, rich and buttery chardonnays for another occasion—there’s enough fat on the table without them. Carmel Road is a certified sustainable pick from Monterey, California, but if you can’t track it down, look for a young, cool-climate option from Canada.

The dark cherry, mulberry and red currant flavors at the core are juicy and lively. Peppery hints show midpalate, with a finish that offers sanguine and hot stone notes. Drink now through 2023.

This rich and ripe expression of chardonnay comes from Clark Ranch, located on the foothillsof the Santa Lucia Mountains in Monterey County, Calif. It’s made in a fruity and flavourfulstyle, with yellow apple, tropical and peach fruit flavours that carry through to a satisfyingfinish. Old oak barrels were used for a small portion of the blend to build richness and texture,without adding any of the obvious vanilla or spice notes commonly associated with oak-agedchardonnay. The majority was fermented and aged in a stainless-steel tank to preserve thefresh, fruity character. Drink now to 2023.

Pear, apple and faint citrus notes are fresh and appealing, finishing on a slightly spicy accent. Drink now.

This beauty from Oregon is a great example of what drives Pinotphiles to Oregon Pinot. It has heft without being heavy, exhibits richness and complexity and is just restrained enough to not overpower a grilled salmon, say, or roast chicken. This vintage delivers yummy red fruited aromas and a touch of fall spice.

Mostly merlot and cabernet franc with a dash of cabernet sauvignon thrown in creates a big styled St. Emilion that can stand up to any cuisine. Cassis, plums, and dried cherry elements dominate with a subtle refined oak under-note. A bit of earthiness at the end and a long rich full finish.

La Crema 40th Anniversary Pinot Noir Russian River Valley, Sonoma County 2018: Exceptional wine; 20-30% whole cluster.

4 stars. A sauvignon blanc that’s light on its feet with breezy notes of papaya, white peach and jasmine. It has nice acid, with a crisp, refreshing finish. It’s solid and balanced, yet delicate. It’s a pretty embodiment of sauvignon blanc.

Delicious, ripe, creamy. Golden in hue and ripe in style; lovely warm apple pie, toasted walnuts, browned butter, pineapple, melon and lemon meringue aromas lead to a palate with yellow fruit, spice and vanilla. Creamy and lengthy and wonderfully fresh; very appealing.

An Elevated Version of an American FavoriteAs a token of your love on the Sweetest Day, gift a bottle of Chardonnay they wouldn’t buy themselves. Producer of America’s #1 selling Chardonnay for 26+ years, Kendall-Jackson‘s 2018 Jackson Estate Camelot Highlands Chardonnay is the crème de la crème of California Chardonnay. Grown on a hillside above the Santa Maria Bench in Santa Barbara, the bottle features vibrant guava and tangerine flavors combined with notes of cinnamon, candied lime, and vanilla bean, leading to a long, rich finish, made perfect for pairing with creamy Butterfinger or a fall pasta dish. At just $45 bottle, it’ll be sure to impress the wine drinker in your life.

Expressive, silky, harmonious.Forest berries and sour cherry, vanilla, tealeaf, red plums and licorice, violets and exotic spice aromas are expressed. It is supple and fresh with generous fruit; concentrated yet vibrant it trails spice and pipe tobacco on a persistent finish.

Santa Barbara also produces great pinot in wines such as the Nielson Pinot Noir 2017 (£19.95 slurp.co.uk) which has ethereal, fresh flavours of ripe strawberries and a touch of spice. Both wines are ideal with lighter meats, duck and anything involving mushrooms.

This Merlot-dominated blend, from the historic Napa Valley winery, has such an alluring nose. A quintessential Napa scent that plays mind games. Chocolate cake, cigar box, barrel spice, and the darkest of plums and black cherries mix, mingle, and role play harmoniously like a steakhouse dessert. The decadent characteristics carry over into a silky smooth palate, but not before the finish gets lifted with great structure and acid to cut through some of the richness. The 2014 vintage is perfectly hitting its stride right now. Appealing, well-rounded, and solid for the price, this is a lush and bold Merlot that easily appeals to Cabernet drinkers out there. Purchase problems.

This is a beautifully composed, ripe and delicious California chardonnay that marries fruit purity and judicious oak. The nose is ripe yellow pear and melon with some florality and lemon. Oak toast, spice and some sap fit in well. It is full bodied yet fresh with fine lemon/orange acidity and some alcohol warmth (14.2%). The finish is dry, the flavour depth is excellent to outstanding.

A nice dichotomy exists in Stonestreet's Alexander Valley chardonnay between rich and fresh. Although this wine has seen a bit of ageing in bottle now, it hasn't lost its fruit. The toasty oak is still dominant but it doesn't fight for supremacy over the fruit. Lightly nutty with notes of caramel, apple, poached pear and candied lemon rind. Very good length.

Maturing, dense, rich, concentrated chardonnay here from Stonestreet's spectacular Alexander Mountain property in Sonoma, the richer, softer and more readily drinkable bottling. The palate is full and fleshy, soft and comforting, with good length. Ready to drink.

The first sip of the wine will let you know that La Crema is not fooling around. It has rich cherry pie flavors with subtle baking spice aromas. It is difficult finding a quality pinot in the $20 range. I sampled both the 2018 and 2019 vintages of La Crema with this dish. Both years were delicious.

Notable reduction protects and locks in freshness for Stonestreet’s ’16 construct, a chardonnay built not for speed but for strength. If 14.2 per cent (declared) is considered boozy by California chardonnay standards then you may be reading yesterday’s papers. This commands attention and stands tall, light on its fleshy feet and grants the gift of time. A generous wine of structure and solid bones. Right up there with the bigger names that charge twice the price. Drink 2021-2026.

Perfumed and smoky with toasted cherry, almond and spice on the nose, luscious, sweet oak and beautifully focused plush red fruit on the palate.

Heady and enticing, with hints of spiced red fruit, while the palate is braced with supple, soft tannins.