Three Glasses - The Big Names

Wine and Thanksgiving Putting the vin in Thanksgiving. For a meal or palates that call for more robust red wines, there is no shortage of candidates. ...Yangarra ‘High Sands’ Grenache (McLaren Vale, Australia) is rich and delicious…

This silky Anderson Valley pinot is light and aromatic with hints of orange peels and cherries on the palate. Pair this with a rosemary stuffed roast chicken or hold onto it for the Thanksgiving Turkey.

Best Buys in the Market, 1 star ...and the * KENDALL-JACKSON Grand Reserve Santa Barbara County 2017 ($22.00) among those that are especially attractive at the price.

Idaho native Shane Moore, a product of Washington State University’s winemaking school, took over the high-end Gran Moraine and Zena Crown programs in 2013 for Jackson Family Wines. The deft touch with Pinot Noir (56%) and Chardonnay that he honed while working for the Sonoma Coast giant comes to bear here. The lots spent two years en tirage before disgorgement in spring 2018, and the results rank alongside the most elegant and inviting brut rosés in the Pacific Northwest. Complex aromas of strawberry, raspberry and hibiscus are ushered out by bright and tight bubbles. Underneath those red fruit tones is a squirt of lime and fleck of minerality, making for terrific balance and remarkably long finish. Outstanding.

There’s a great sense of balance in this wine, with elements ranging from mint to blackberry to gingerbread — though the more iconic violets aren’t really showing here. A very light pepper element and a touch of balsamic notes both endure on the finish, giving this merlot a weight that will likely appeal to cabernet fans. Either way, I think it’s a delight. A-

Iconic notes of ammonia impregnate the nose of this classic Napa sauvignon blanc, with notes of grapefruit, lemon peel, and lime peel all coming on strong in short order. It’s fairly floral on the back end, though that significant astringency strips the delicacy down fairly quickly, concluding with a somewhat sour note. B+

Future icons of Australia? Mid to deep garnet. Meaty and fresh! Lovely stuff. Spicy with a beginning, middle and end. Dry finish. Maybe not the most luscious or sweet Grenache but very well made. 16.5

As the weather chills, wouldn't it be nice to fly to California? But if you can't afford the airfare and time off work is a problem, visit the Golden State by drinking California wines. I've come across four vintages that will do the trick. The Freemark Abbey 2017 Napa Valley Chardonnay ($40) is both typical and atypical of a Napa Chard. It has the aromas and flavours you'd expect from a warm-weather Chard – apple, lemon, toffee and vanilla. However, whereas many California Chards are too heavily oaked for my liking, the Freemark is elegantly oaked.

Three Pinots That Aren't Meiomi That Will Still Bring the Lush Pinot Vibe to Thanksgiving I remember my first visit to Siduri years ago with their bare bones tasting room in an Occidental, CA industrial park. They’ve since been purchased by Jackson Family wines but they still have their outsider ethos firmly in place. The Russian River is on the opulent end of their Pinots, but they do some whole cluster fermentation which gives the wine some earthy grip and ballast to counter the ripe fruit. It’s got a wonderful balance that will win over even die-hard Burgundians.

The 23 Best Wines to Serve at Christmas You can't go wrong with these master sommelier-approved selections. "With concentrated cinnamon and clove aromatics, this wine almost smells like Christmas," Osborn says. "It’s concentrated and pure, with loads of red and black fruit, sweet spice and a balanced structure. This old vine Grenache is a dinner-table staple for the holidays."

Another winner from Jackson Family wines, this is a modern-style blend of 85 percent syrah and 15 percent petite sirah. Blueberry, blackberry and black pepper elements make up this outdoor barbeque friendly red wine.

Top 100 Best Buys of 2019 - #48

OFF THE VINE: A case of pinot envy Ripe, fresh raspberry, red plums and strawberry along with hints of cedar. Finely textured with silky tannins that compliment the spicy finish.

OFF THE VINE: A case of pinot envy Ripe plum and cherry aromas along with a hint of blood orange construct subtle layers of spice. The bold red fruits of this wine pairs nicely a bacon-wrap or a light and airy chocolate mousse.

OFF THE VINE: A case of pinot envy Beautiful with blackberry, plum and licorice flavors that are complemented by subtle layers of ripe fruit and toasty oak. Full bodied and yet so elegant with a long, persistent finish.

Warm Up With Our Fall Wine Picks Siduri, named for the Babylonian goddess of wine, is predominantly a pinot noir house. Owned by the larger Jackson Family Wines (which includes Kendall-Jackson and more than three dozen wineries in California and around the world), Siduri was founded in Sonoma County in 1994. Displaying wild red berries, botanical and forest floor aromas, Siduri’s 2017 Russian River Valley Pinot Noir is buoyant and elegant, with sweet mouth-filling fruit.

The Top Wines from the ‘Covetable Napa’ selection: Cardinale, Cabernet Sauvignon, 2005 (imported by Fells), this felt closest to First Growth Bordeaux in terms of nose, with layers of precise red cherries and berries, forest floor and hints of soft leather and mocha. Full-bodied, with a mountain-fruit purity and opulent tannin structure.

The South African Vanguard: A Few Tasting Notes Light to medium yellow-gold in the glass, this wine smells of cold cream, melted butter and lemon curd. In the mouth, intense lemon curd and cold cream flavors have a gorgeous silky texture and a nice snap to them thanks to excellent acidity. The wood is quite well integrated and provides a sappy, toasty note in the background of the wine. Classically styled and gorgeous. 14% alcohol. Score: around 9.

Six Months of Wine Samples: A Summation of My Favorites 2017 Siduri Edmeades Pinot Noir – this is a powerful Pinot. Notes of pomegranate, plum, boysenberry, black cherry, cola, spice and earth. It’s balanced and earthy.

Six Months of Wine Samples: A Summation of My Favorites 2017 Siduri Anderson Valley Pinot Noir – this comes from three vineyards in the Anderson Valley and has notes of pomegranate, plum, red raspberry, truffle, gingerbread, herb and earth. It’s a complex wine that benefits from time in the glass.

Six Months of Wine Samples: A Summation of My Favorites 2015 Bootleg Red Wine – tons of black fruit, currant, baking spice, espresso, blueberry, vanilla and fig. This had some complexity and opened up nicely.

Six Months of Wine Samples: A Summation of My Favorites 2015 Cambria Julia Vineyard Pinot Noir – Notes of blue and black fruit which lead into red fruit, spice and earthiness.

It might be trendy again, but orange wine is nothing new — and nothing to scoff at Call them orange or amber, skin-fermented white wines are here to stay. Not just because wines have been made this way for 8,000 years, but also because more winemakers today are adopting the technique. Some are also incorporating it into more traditional (as in, modern) winemaking. I recently tasted an outstanding roussanne from Yangarra winery in Australia’s McLaren Vale region. Winemaker Peter Fraser fermented about half the grapes on the skins and aged the wine in egg-shaped ceramic vessels. Roussanne, a white grape from southern France, is rich and low in acid. The wines can be broad and flabby, but Fraser’s version was taut and lively, with a tannic snap that made it refreshing and complex.

Wine of the Week: Wines of the Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella’s vineyard is one of the most well-known farms in SLH. Owners Gary and Rosella Franscioni planted the 50-acre vineyard, which rests along the slopes of the Santa Lucia Mountain Range, back in 1996 and produces fruit that is highly sought after. One of the wineries lucky enough to source fruit from this iconic site is Siduri, whose 2016 Siduri Santa Lucia Highlands Rosella’s Vineyard Pinot Noir is simply delicious. It features pretty aromas of red plum and spring strawberry scents on the nose. The flavors of dark raspberry, bright cherry, wild strawberry and wet stone are well-balanced and nicely textured. The supple finish is simply delicious, with a touch of cinnamon for added charm.