The Best Holiday Wines for Every Budget

A fun, friendly expression of Cabernet Sauvignon that still provides the depth and complexity that has become expected from the variety. Enjoy notes of red and black cherry, blackberry, crushed red roses and violets, freshly turned earth, black pepper, toasted wood, nutmeg, cardamom and star anise. Fine-grained tannins add a smooth, silky texture; elevated acidity provides a freshness that rides right down the center of the palate, pointing toward the long, lingering finish. 92 Points. Best Buy  — Stacy Briscoe

This wine offers red-plum and blackberry aromas. Notes of nutmeg add complexity to the bouquet leading to dried herbs and oak spice on the palate. Plum and chocolate flavors are framed by silky tannins. 90 Points. Best Buy  — Jesica Vargas

This pale-pink sparkler offers aromas of apricot jam, pomegranate and toasted almond. Softly effervescent, it has flavors of nectarine, Valencia orange, rose petal and a touch of just-baked baguette that sail into a refreshing finish. 90 Points. Best Buy  — Mike DeSimone

This wine is a study in Moscato d’Asti. Wafting aromas of white peach, lemon zest, wild mint and fresh herbs swirl together in the glass. The palate is perfectly balanced between fruit and savory, with the finish being lifted and vibrant. 93 Points. Best Buy  — Jeff Porter

The 2020 Perbacco is lights out! From the moment the cork is pulled you will be smitten with aromas of cherry, wild herbs, dried rose and anise enticing you to the glass. The wine delivers fresh and clear red-berried fruit snuggled with sweet and savory spices finishing with crunchy acidity begging you to take that next sip. 93 Points. Editor’s Choice  — J.P.

Ripe and juicy, this wine offers swathes of black fruits and a backdrop of tannins. Full of acidity and fruit, the wine is held together by a structure that is still softening. Drink from 2025. Editor’s Choice. 93 Points  — Roger Voss

From a single vineyard in Margaret River’s renowned Wilyabrup subregion, this Cab-dominant Bordeaux blend is a concentrated bottling that’s still, despite some age, a young wine. Classically structured, it opens with layers of evocative aromas from red currant and cherry to graphite, tobacco leaf, iodine and Garrigue herbs. The powerful palate is sculpted by powdery, savory, fine tannins and tangy acidity. There’s a level of austerity here now, but it should age with grace and beauty for at least a decade more. 95 Points. Cellar Selection  —Christina Pickard

This wine has benefited from time in bottle. Lemon tending towards gold in color, it has a complex nose of golden apple, brioche, toast and dried oak. On the palate, the wine has youthful acidity with a mature texture and some herbal hints. Drink now, but can age for two to three years. 93 Points. Editor’s Choice  — Reggie Solomon

Concentrated but polished, deep but silky, this quietly powerful wine integrates velvety tannins and gorgeous black-fruit flavors. Made from old vines on a three-acre plot, the wine offers an inviting blend of black cherries and black currant, spearmint, cedar and dark chocolate that are delicious now, but will gain complexity and expand with time. Best from 2030–2045. Editor’s Choice. 95 Points  — Jim Gordon

Dark garnet in the glass opens up with dark fruits of black cherries, sun-dried tomatoes and dried parsley. The palate brings those plus some hints of celery leaf. Integrated tannins make for a wine that can be drunk now or held for years to come. Editor’s Choice. 92 Points  —Craig Chamberlain

The Canary Hill is an aromatic powerhouse, combining blackberries, black tea, wet rocks and bittersweet dark chocolate. The wine’s rich, smooth texture is a perfect foil for flavors of cherry-vanilla gelato flecked with dark chocolate chips. There’s more than enough acidity and mildly chewy tannins to provide balance. Editor’s Choice. 96 Points  — Michael Alberty

A finely textured rosé Champagne, this wine is rich yet with a fine dry core. It is 100% Pinot Noir, structured with acidity as well as red fruits. Drink this fine wine now. Editor’s Choice. 94 Points   — R.V.