Now that Black Friday and Cyber Monday are over, this is the time to think about wines for the upcoming Holidays. With all the new releases this Fall, we haven't had space to review sparkling wines and dessert wines, so here are my recommendations.

Sparkling Wines

Some of the best values in bubbly comes from Treveri Cellars in Wapato. Most are $20 or less.

Treveri Cellars Blanc de Blancs, Extra Brut ($15) - This is a bone dry (zero dosage) 100% Chardonnay, with streaming bubbles and aromas of citrus and apple along with stony minerals. 18/20 points.

Treveri Cellars Rosé Sec ($18) - A blend of Chardonnay and Syrah, this offers an eye of the partridge color and attractive aromas and flavors of strawberry, pink pear, orange peel and wildflowers. The finish is off-dry (22 grams per liter dosage). 18.5/20 points.

Treveri Cellars Blanc de Noirs Brut ($20) - Made from Pinot Noir, this shows a pale pinkish color, streaming bubbles, and lovely strawberry, cherry and citrus flavors. The dosage is 8 grams per liter, making it an elegant Brut. 18.5/20 points.

Treveri also makes fine sparklers from Gewurztraminer, Muller-Thurgau and a distinctive, frothy Syrah.

Other fine sparklers are:

2012 Hard Row to Hoe "Good in Bed" Sparkling Wine, Lake Chelan ($42) - Produced from Estate Pinot Noir grapes, this shows a brilliant pale copper color, streaming bubbles and enticing scents of strawberries and white lilac, with fresh, vibrant flavors and bright fuit acids. 19/20 points.

2014 Isenhower Cellars Roussanne Sparkling Wine, Extra Brut, Yakima Valley ($39) - This was a hit at our Thanksgiving dinner. Sourced from the Olsen Ranch Vineyard, it offers a medium gold color and a fine mousse along with semi-tropical and litichi nut aromas and flavors. Very dry (Extra Brut) and crisp, with tangerine and lemon notes. 19/20 points.

2011 Annalema Blanc de Noirs Brut, Columbia Gorge, Avatus Vineyard ($56) - I picked up a couple of the last few bottles of the 2010 when visiting the winery last summer. Three to four years on tirage, the 2011 Blanc de Noirs (Pinot Noir) offers a pale pinkish gold color and floral aromas of strawberry, citrus, and wildflowers, with leesy, toasty flavors and fine bubbles. 19+/20 points. Also available from Full Pull ($50)

In real Champagne, our go-to bubbly is from Gaston Chiquet, a fine recoltant-manipulant (grower-producer) in Dizy.

Gaston Chiquet Champagne N/V Brut Tradition ($49.99 at Esquin) - Medium gold colored, with a fine mousse and aromas of pear, peach strawberry, orange peel and pear blossoms and an intermingling of white and red fruits (40% Pinot Meunier, 35% Chardonnay and 25% Pinot Noir) with a creamy texture. No oak, so the complexity speaks for the wine. 19+/20 points.

Chiquet also makes a fine Blanc de Blancs and Rosé.

Dessert Wines

2009 Dusted Valley Late Harvest Syrah, Walla Walla Valley ($35 - 375 ml.) - This was another hit at Thanksgiving. It showed a deep ruby color and rich aromas of blackberry and cassis, with deep, spicy varietal flavors, in a slightly sweet (5.1 grams per 100 ml. residual sugar) format, making it a delightful accompaniment to tarts. 19/20 points.

Two Washington wineries, Thurston Wolfe and Brian Carter Cellars make fine Port-style wines from Portuguese varietals such as Touriga Nacional, Souzao and Tinto Cao.

2010 Thurston Wolfe JTW's Port ($12.50 - 375 ml.) - This is a Touriga Nacional, Cabernet Sauvignon combination. It shows a deep ruby color and rich aromas and flavors of boysenberries, cherries, chocolate and spice. The residual sugar is 10%, makeing it sweet, but not cloying. 18.5/20 points.

Thurston Wolfe Tawny 8 Year Old Port ($16 - 375 ml.) - This is produced from Zinfandel that was stored outdoors, exposing it to the elements over eight years. It offers rich, spicy aroms and flavors of cherry liqueur and almonds, with rich, nutty sweetnes. 18.5/20 points.

2012 Brian Carter Cellars "Opulento" ($22 - 375 ml. $40 - 750 ml.) - This is as close to Portugese Port as you can get - 48% Touriga Nacional plus others, aged in French oak (20% new). Inky colored, it possesses aromas of caramel. orange peel and coffee, with spacious dark fruit flavors. 19/20 points. Available from Full Pull for $17.99.

For other bubblies and stickies, check out Full Pull's offering of November 30th. The wines had me drooling, and I will be placing an order.

Countdown to the Year's End

Early next week, I will be emailing our semi-annual  alphabetical complilation of wines reviewed from July through December. Then here is the timetable for upcoming Review Blogs.

December 8 - Holiday Barrel Tasting in the Walla Walla Valley

December 15 - Top Wines of 2015 - Wines scoring 20/20 and 19.5/20 points

December 22 Best Buys of 2015 - Wines scoring 19/20 points for under $40 & wines scoring 18.5/20 points for under $25.

December 29 - The January issue of the Review of Washington Wines & Looking Ahead to 2016