The Seasonal Table: Sommelier's Thanksgiving Grand Collection

Thanksgiving asks a lot of a wine list: a long afternoon, a dozen dishes, and guests who want something different in every glass. A master sommelier built this six-bottle pack to follow the meal from start to finish. It opens with a grower Champagne for the toast, offers a red and a white for the turkey so everyone is happy, and closes with a Sauternes that turns pie into an event.

The Line Up

• MV André Clouet, Champagne Brut Grand Cru "Grande Réserve"
• 2023 Domaine des Berthiers, Pouilly-Fumé "Cuvée Saint-Andelain"
• 2023 Domaine des Malandes, Chablis 1er Cru "Vau de Vey"
• 2025 Domaine Besancenot, Beaune "Les Mariages"
• 2024 Domaine Xavier Gérard, Saint-Joseph "La Combe de Saint-Pierre"
• 2016 Château Rieussec, Sauternes, Premier Cru Classé

MV André Clouet, Champagne Brut Grand Cru "Grande Réserve" — Bouzy, France

"The Printers' Champagne"

The Clouet family were the official printers to the Royal Court at Versailles in the 18th century, and their estate sits in the Grand Cru village of Bouzy, long considered Champagne's top site for Pinot Noir. Jean-François Clouet works eight hectares of Grand Cru vines, fermenting in stainless steel with a small share of neutral oak, then marrying the base vintage with older reserve wines and aging at least 36 months on the lees. The result is a bold, sumptuous Champagne of sliced yellow apple, brioche, honeysuckle, and toasted nuts, with a crisp, stony finish.

Pair with: gougères and a charcuterie board for the toast, while guests arrive. Serve at 48-50°F in an all-purpose stem or a flared tulip.

2023 Domaine des Berthiers, Pouilly-Fumé "Cuvée Saint-Andelain" — Loire Valley, France

"Sancerre's Flinty Neighbor"

The Fournier family farms the Saint-Andelain hill facing Sancerre, on flint bedrock that shows in every glass. This unoaked Sauvignon Blanc is all green apple, citrus zest, and struck flint, with electric acidity and a steely finish.

Pair with: butternut squash soup with brown butter and sage, or roasted Brussels sprouts. Its acidity cuts through the cream and butter. Serve at 48-52°F in all-purpose white wine stems.

2023 Domaine des Malandes, Chablis 1er Cru "Vau de Vey" — Chablis, France

"Chablis from the Steep Slope"

Domaine des Malandes is a family-owned, organically farmed estate led today by Amandine Marchive and winemaker Guénolé Hureau. Vau de Vey is one of the most striking Premier Cru slopes on the left bank of the Serein, steep and east-facing, with Kimmeridgian limestone marl at the surface. The 2023 ferments with native yeasts and ages 10 to 12 months on fine lees, about 60% in stainless steel and 40% in neutral French oak. Expect green apple, lemon oil, and white flowers over crushed oyster shell, with a satiny texture and a long, saline finish.

Pair with: roast turkey with tarragon, mashed potatoes, and sweet potatoes with pecans and brown butter. This is the pick if you prefer white with your turkey. Decant 15 minutes and serve at 48-52°F in all-purpose white wine stems.

2025 Domaine Besancenot, Beaune "Les Mariages" — Burgundy, France

"Beaune's Wedding-Walk Pinot"

Farmed by the Besancenot family since 1850 to France's highest environmental standard, "Les Mariages" takes its name from the wedding-party tradition of walking this village parcel after the banquet. Clay-limestone soil and ten months in oak give a fruit-forward Pinot Noir, red fruit and warm spice, approachable now.

Pair with: roast turkey with gravy and cranberry. This is the classic red for the bird. Red fruit and warm spice meet the cranberry without overwhelming the meat. Serve at 61-66°F in Burgundy stems.

2024 Domaine Xavier Gérard, Saint-Joseph "La Combe de Saint-Pierre" — Northern Rhône, France

"The Peppery Northern Rhône Syrah"

Xavier Gérard works from his family's home base in Condrieu, farming organically and making traditional Northern Rhône Syrah. "La Combe de Saint-Pierre" comes from 35- to 45-year-old vines on steep slopes in Saint-Joseph's northernmost sector, in decomposed granite and mica-schist soils. It's wild and aromatic, with cracked black pepper, violets, and smoked bacon fat leading to blackberry and olive tapenade, fine-grained tannins, and a long, mineral finish.

Pair with: wild mushroom stuffing and sausage-and-herb dressing. The pepper and smoky, savory notes suit the sides. Decant 30 minutes and serve at 60-62°F in large Syrah or Burgundy stems.

2016 Château Rieussec, Sauternes, Premier Cru Classé — Bordeaux, France

"The Dessert Course in a Glass"

Rieussec has been one of Sauternes' benchmark estates since the 18th century. Its vines sit on gravelly soils planted largely to Sémillon, and the Ciron and Garonne rivers bring the morning mists that let noble rot develop slowly and evenly. The 2016 (83% Sémillon, 12% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Muscadelle) is opulent but fresh, with orange blossom, pink grapefruit, honeycomb, mandarin peel, and candied ginger, and a long, fragrant finish. Wine Advocate and Wine Enthusiast each scored it 96 points.

Pair with: pumpkin or pecan pie, or a cheese plate of Roquefort, aged Comté, and walnuts. Serve chilled at 46-50°F in all-purpose white wine stems.