In most vintages I like the Central Coast as an interesting, ripe take on the W-S house style, but this one didn’t have a lot of character – not particularly ripe, but not burgundian either – just sort of played it safe and boring up the middle. Traditional notes of black cherry and plum.

I wouldn’t have picked this out as W-S if tasted blind – shows a ripe, K-B style and does it reasonably well, although perhaps too much candy and not enough fruit – flavors and aromas of kirsch, framboise, almond extract and vanilla.

Muted and uninspiring on Thanksgiving Day and was a pass for most guests, but on day 2 it really shined and clearly was opened too early. NR

Crowd favorite at Thanksgiving dinner and probably also my WOTN, eclipsing the Vosne over the course of the meal. Fit KB “hey look at me” profile – upfront fruit with potent boysenberry and ripe raspberry flavors but held itself together on a slightly tannic, sophisticated frame.

Made in a restrained, continental style, which I liked, but I was probably expecting more of an expressive Carlisle signature. Notes of Rhone bacon/meat and tobacco, along with blue fruits.

Possible WOTY – bold and thick but balanced with evolving flavors and aromas, among them gingerbread, espresso, cigar box, and nutmeg, along with some fruity flashes of ripe blackberry and boysenberry. Love the Saxum syrahs.

My go-to entry-level CDP, although I've liked other vintages better – this was a little too “down the middle” for me – not classic or modern – just there. Notes of black tea and clove dominate, with some kirsch in the background.

Corsican wines are new to me and I picked it mainly because I needed something unique on the Thanksgiving wine list and I’m a fan of Kermit Lynch products. And this met my expectations and was popular with my guests who proved more adventurous than I thought they’d be! Notes of earth, mineral, cypress, garrigue, the sea …

Guests who are used to drinking, ahem, cheaper Bordeaux loved this wine because it is classy (tannic, dense, silky and long) but it was not particularly aromatic and the flavor profile lacked pop – subdued flavors of cassis, fig, red licorice.

Wonderful bouquet, smooth texture and nice tannic backbone. Notes of black currant, cherry and underbrush. In a good drinking window although on the early side of it. More fragrant and classy than the American pinots on the card. Like a lot of burgundies, picked up weight over time and perhaps got less interesting.

Fleshy, showing ripe raspberries and baking spices, but with a good core of minerals and a sophisticated tar-driven finish. Chermette hits my bojo sweetspot.