5 Outstanding Pinot Noirs For Thanksgiving 2025
No, we didn’t crowdsource opinions from forty Williamsburg-based sommeliers who speak of Pinot Noir as if it is Latin scripture for this Thanksgiving roundup. Instead, we trusted our instincts and selected five bottles we’ve tried and enjoyed over the last 12 months. They span a healthy range of price points, perfectly suited for surviving another round of family small talk, bringing to a Friendsgiving where you really don’t know anyone in the room, or enjoying a nice, quiet holiday meal sans friends and family. They are all ideal for pairing with tepid, flavorless gravy, performative small talk, and that annual soapbox tirade from your unemployed cousin about the NFL halftime show’s moral decay. Sip slowly, nod often, and let the Pinot do what therapy and boundaries couldn’t. It won’t fix your family, but it’ll make the time dull and soften.
2019 Xander Soren Pinot Noir Central Coast Cuvee
Earthy and gravelly up front, this pinot settles down in short order to reveal layers of surprisingly dark fruit, its black cherries rumbling into raspberries and boysenberries if given time to develop. Celebrating alone, a first Thanksgiving together, or any other occasion calling for a bit more poshness, this is a splendid selection for your special year. $125
2023 Baldacci Elizabeth Pinot Noir Carneros
Spending the holiday in the company of potential new in-laws? Bring a solid statement bottle to the table with this juicy and brooding Pinot loaded with darker textures of black tea, cherry cola and graphite, all cemented by a big backbone and rich finish filled with dark chocolate and cherries. It may be a bit pricier than usual, but if assuming the position of family patriarch is in your future, you must make intentions clear and known to all potential competitors with immediate effect, and this checks all boxes wine from a bag can’t. $65
2023 Gary Farrell Pinot Noir Sonoma Coast
This Pinot from Sonoma arrives loaded with dark fruit at first, but shifts to notes of black tea and cola before landing on a finish of light chocolate and rich berries. It’s the perfect center of a non-existent Venn diagram of price and quality, and it’s certainly a bottle to hide away somewhere in the house and keep to yourself. While everyone else is drinking Four Buck Chuck straight from the box, you’ll be secretly living it up in style with a bit of decadence. $50
2022 Paringa Estate Pinot Noir Mornington Peninsula Victoria
My colleague, comrade en vino, and brother-in-first-names Robert reviewed this Australian Pinot earlier in the year, holding it in high esteem: “There is clear Burgundian character here, showing bright floral notes as well as fruity cranberry and black cherry on the nose and palate. Midpalate, the wine introduces a savory note before transitioning to a fairly long finish with lightly drying tannins. A medium-high acidity promises it will be at its best with food, but it can be enjoyed on its own as well.” $40
2023 TerraNoble Algarrobo Pinot Noir
A bit of a dark horse and the best value on our list, this Chilean Pinot evolves from sweet to savory with relative ease. Cherry, bell pepper, roasted plum and olive tapenade all make appearances on the palate, and would work well with an assortment of dishes. Bring this to a gathering of friends old and new if a trip home isn’t in the cards this year. It will leave a good impression and possibly lead to a connection where a Pinot from this list can be selected on a first date. $15
Additional reporting by Robert Lublin and Christopher Null.
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