Our Top Picks for Thanksgiving Dinner!

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Happy Thanksgiving
from Bellevue Wine & Spirits!
Looking for something special to pour on Thursday? We’re happy to help! First up: three wonderful Pinot Noirs from Calera, followed by a selection of our favorites for pairing with your Thanksgiving dinner! With the myriad of flavors in the Thanksgiving meal you need wines with some fruit and structure but not over the top or too tannic.  We have selected many below that we tasted Sunday at our Annual Thanksgiving Turkey Tasting and the crowd loved them.
Pinot Envy
Josh Jensen, owner of Calera Vineyards, was the  pioneer of Pinot Noir in California. Josh’s 2012 single vineyard Pinot Noirs are spectacular, full throttle wines, great for Thanksgiving. Inventory is limited so please accept our apologies if we sell out before we receive your order.

Calera Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard 2012 – $89.99 plus 10% 6 bottle case discount
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Rated 98pts
Deeper and richer than the Jensen, the blockbuster-style 2012 Pinot Noir Selleck Vineyard comes from vines planted in 1975 and wasn’t harvested until October 4. A big, rich, layered Pinot Noir that offers tight, reserved notes of blackcurrants, truffle, crushed rocks, forest floor and sassafras, this beauty hits the palate with full-bodied richness, beautiful acidity and building, fine tannin that come through on the awesome finish. With air, it turns more and more mineral-laced and earthy, showing even a touch of gaminess. This beauty has terrific depth and richness without ever being over the top. Still a baby, give it a few years in the cellar, and enjoy bottles over the following decade.

Calera Pinot Noir Mills Vineyard 2012 – $59.99 plus 10% 6 bottle case discount
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Rated 96pts
The 2012 Mills Vineyard Pinot Noir comes from 26-year-old own-rooted vines and was harvested September 20 to October 17. Aged 18 months in 30% new French oak, its semi-opaque ruby color is followed by sensational notes of ripe currants and darker fruits, scorched earth, smoked meats, licorice and chalky minerality. Big, rich, full-bodied and layered, with a huge core of fruit that never seems over the top or heavy, this elegant, profound Pinot Noir can be enjoyed anytime over the coming decade or more.

Calera Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard 2012 – $84.99 plus 10% 6 bottle case discount
Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate Rated 96pts
A thrilling Pinot Noir that comes from a 13.8-acre vineyard planted in 1975 on mostly on limestone, at an elevation of 2,200 feet, the 2012 Pinot Noir Jensen Vineyard was harvested September 24 to October 21 and was aged 16 months in 30% new French oak. It offers a dark ruby color to go with a big, sweet nose of cranberry, wild strawberries, crushed flowers, forest floor and spice. Full-bodied, layered and elegant, with a supple, rounded and sexy texture, it packs plenty of fruit, yet is graceful, beautifully balanced and seamless. It’s hard to resist now, yet should cruise for a decade in the cellar.

Wines for Thanksgiving Dinner

Our favorites

Laurent-Perrier Brut Champagne NV
Cleanse the palate with our favorite Champagne.  80-100% rated 1er and Grand Cru vineyards Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Muenier. A vibrant Brut, pairing high-toned cream, vanilla, and butter aromas with zesty fruit flavors and lively acidity. It’s focused, harmonious, and lush, staying sprightly on the lingering finish. $39.99

Freemark Abbey Viognier 2012
Brilliant greenish straw color introduces the vibrant aroma of ripe banana, peach, apricot, passion fruit, papaya and Angel Food. Very pleasant and full with great viscosity and balance; a refreshing wine that yields both complexity and a pleasurable lingering experience. $24.99

Caymus Conundrum White Blend 2013
This delicious blend is one of the best of its type from California. It’s a complex wine, with an array of ripe, concentrated flavors – pear, honey, fig, vanilla, peach and nectarine, finishing with lots of character and a dash of spice. Delicious. $19.99

Georges DuBoeuf Beaujolais Nouveau 2015
This is the gold standard in Nouveau, and certainly always popular. An excellent foil for holidays dishes like turkey and ham–lentil loaf, too. This new vintage is deeply colored, with flavors trending to ripe berries: black current, blackberry and blueberry. $11.99

Belle Glos Clark & Telephone Pinot Noir 2014
Rich scarlet-red, with opulent aromas of blackberry, black cherry, cinnamon, nutmeg and a hint of caramel. Flavors reminiscent of ripe raspberries, strawberry jam, warm gingerbread, and a hint of toffee. Perfectly balanced with refreshing acidity, plush on the mid-palate with a wonderfully supple texture and a long, pure and persistent finish. $49.99

Gruet Brut Blanc de Noir – $16.99
Pine Ridge Chenin Blanc/Viognier – $14.99
Truchard Roussane – $24.99
Smith-Madrone Riesling – $27.99
Chateau St. Michelle Eroica Riesling – $24.99
Newport Vineyards Riesling – $14.99
Acrobat Rosé of Pinot Noir – $13.99
Calera Vin Gris Pinot Noir – $19.99
Estancia Pinot Noir – $13.99
Mark West Black Pinot Noir – $12.99
Simi Pinot Noir – $19.99
Sonoma-Loeb Pinot Noir – $39.99
Belle Glos Las Alturas Pinot Noir – $49.99
Caymus Conundrum Red Blend – $19.99
Gloria’s Old Vines Zinfandel – $18.99
Summit Lake Zinfandel – $29.99

Beers, Ciders, and More!

Our favorite: Sonoma Cider Reserve Dry Zider (22oz)
Aged for 7 months in American oak barrels that formerly aged Zinfandel wine, this dry, pleasant cider has notes of wild berry and bramble with bright, tart apple. Each 22oz bottle is hand-wrapped & numbered. $13.99

Sonoma Cider (4pk) – $8.49
Available in Anvil, Hatchet, and Pitchfork!
Downeast Cider Cranberry (4pk) – $8.99

Leinenkugel Cranberry Ginger Shandy (6pk) – $8.99
Narragansett Big Mamie American Pale Ale (6pk) – $9.99
Grey Sail Great Ketch India Pale Lager (4pk) – $10.99
Sam Adams Utopias (24oz Limited Release) – $249

Spiked Seltzer Cranberry (6pk) – $9.99
Also available in Grapefruit, Lime, and Orange!
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