Wines served with our by-now traditional Thanksgiving dinner of brined roast turkey; tamale pie with poblanos and corn; mashed sweet potatoes; Brussel sprouts with spiced walnuts; salad of broccoli, grapes and bacon; and cranberry sauce.

2005 Erbacher Marcobrunn Riesling Kabinett, Schloss Schönborn, Rheingau

A bit less sweetness than the Hexamer (just below), and a touch less depth, but otherwise very similar. Regular price $17 (Sam's Wine and Spirits, Chicago).
Rating: Very Good -

2005 Meddersheimer Rheingrafenberg Riesling Kabinett, Hexamer, Nahe

One of my favorite producers. Lovely balance between Kabinett-level sweetness and acidity; fine riesling aroma and taste; moderate intensity and long taste. Will probably get even better with a little age. Regular price $17 (Sam's Wine and Spirits, Chicago).
Rating: Very Good

2006 Patricia Green Pinot Noir, Eason, Dundee Hills, Oregon

Somewhat lighter Oregon PN: some firmness, though not noticeable tannin; less forward than the Nautilus PN (just below); acidity in balance; fairly long taste. Regular price $30 (Sam's Wine and Spirits, Chicago).
Rating: Good ++

2005 Nautilus Pinot Noir, Marlborough, New Zealand

Distinct PN character, with warm fruit and some cloves and spice, but also acidity that's a bit too high. Medium-bodied, with fairly long taste. Regular price $22 (Sam's Wine and Spirits, Chicago).
Rating: Good ++

2006 Muscadet de Sevre et Maine, sur Lie, Domaine de Beauregard, France

Although used as the base for kir, it tastes like a good wine in its own right. Bright acidity, dry, but also good flavor of moderate intensity, and good length. Regular price $10 (Sam's Wine and Spirits, Chicago).
Rating: Good +

2001 Conde de Valdemar Rioja, Reserva, Spain

A good dinner wine though nothing to get excited about, with firmness and some tannin. Medium-bodied, with moderate depth, length and aroma. Balanced acidity and wood. Dark red color. Close-out price $12, regular price $18.
Rating: Good +

2005 Sancerre, Clos des Bouffants, Roger Neveu et Fils, France

Well-balanced and elegant in a superb French style, with bright acidity. Sauvignon blanc fruit without grassiness, no noticeable wood; medium intensity with lingering taste. It has the flavors of a very good champagne without bubbles. Close-out price $20, regular price $29.
Rating: Very Good

2004 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine de la Millière. Vin non filtré, France

Not a big wine - had some elegance and nice aroma rather than raw power. Fairly deep red color. Still has tannin that needs softening with age. Good fruitiness, moderate intensity and taste. Close-out price $24, regular price $36.
Rating: Good ++

2001 Châteauneuf-du-Pape, Cuvée du Baron, Château Fortia, France

Deep dark color, with firmness from tannin and wood supporting good fruit intensity without sweetness. On the other hand, there's only moderate depth and a bit of complexity, with a reasonably long taste. Subdued aroma. Close-out price $24.
Rating: Good ++

2003 Acacia Pinot Noir, Napa Valley - Carneros

Some firmness, without much floral PN character in taste and aroma. Fairly deep red color, good acidity and intensity, light on wood, with moderately long taste. Good, but other years seem to have been better. Discount price $20.
Rating: Good +

2004 Santenay "Clos de Malte", Louis Jadot, France

Flavorful, with good intensity, more than medium-bodied, well-balanced between fruit and oak with good acidity. Some butteriness. Lingering taste with some complexity. Close-out price $29, regular price $42.
Rating: Very Good

2004 Rutherford Grove Rutherford Sauvignon Blanc, Pestoni Estate, Napa Valley

With just a nod toward being full-bodied, this SB has full flavor and and good balance. Moderate acidity, no grassiness or excess wood. The taste is fairly long. Close-out price $9, regular price $13.
Rating: Good ++

2002 Riesling Burgreben de Zellenberg, Domaine Bott-Geyl, Alsace, France

Golden color. Good intensity and depth, as well as length of taste. Los of varietal character in a dry package, though not as perfumed as a German riesling. At its peak. Close-out price $11, regular price $22.
Rating: Very Good

2001 Ockfener Bockstein Riesling Kabinett, St. Urbans-Hof, M-S-R

On the low side of the sweetness scale for a Kabinett, as befits a Saar wine. There's that bit of flintiness too. Moderate intensity and length, good riesling character with some floweriness in the aroma. Original price $13.
Rating: Good ++

2003 Chalone Pinot Blanc, Estate grown, Chalone

Deep golden color; full-bodied without heaviness. Some depth and a fairly long taste. Moderate acidity, lots of vanillin oak but in balance, good varietal character. Close-out price $16, regular price $27.
Rating: Very Good

NV Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut, Columbia Valley Sparkling Wine, Methode Champenoise, Washington

Surprisingly good, with a clean taste, good acidity, good length, and perhaps just a bit of residual sugar. Less bubbliness than finer and more expensive sparkling wines; bubbles also not as long-lasting. Still, even when there just some fizziness left, this tastes good as a clean, flavorful wine. Discount price $12 at Trader Joe's.
Rating: Good ++

NV Cristallino Cava Brut, Metodo Tradicional, Spain

Very similar in flavor and characteristics to the Domaine Ste. Michelle Brut (just above), but with noticeably less bubbliness. Also tastes similar as as white wine after the bubbles have been replaced by a slight fizz. Discount price $7 at Trader Joe's.
Rating: Good +

Red-tag close-out sales this month:

Whites:

2002	Riesling Burgreben de Zellenberg, Domaine Bott-Geyl, Alsace, France	($11, orig. $22)
2006	Babich Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand	($10, orig. $15)
2004	Sauvignon Republic Sauvignon Blanc, Marlborough, New Zealand	($11, orig. $15)
2004	Pouilly Fumé, Les Rabichottes, Célestin Blondeau, France	($16, orig. $23)
2005	Sancerre, Clos des Bouffants, Roger Neveu et Fils, France	($20, orig. $29)

Reds:

2001	Conde de Valdemar Rioja, Reserva, Spain	($12, orig. $18)
2004	Lynmar Pinot Noir, Russian River Valley	($27, orig. $39)