welcome to the fifty best wines of 2006

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1   De Loach 2004
30th Anniversary Cuvée
Pinot Noir  (Russian River Valley);  $45. 
This shows winemaker Greg LaFollette's master touch in the way he's balanced the wine and kept it harmonious. It's a huge mouthful of cherry pie and cassis flavor, with the most delicate notes of raspberries, toasted meringue and vanilla, subtlely spiced and dry. A gorgeous Pinot Noir that superbly combines power with elegance.

2   Chateau St. Jean 2003
Reserve
Chardonnay  (Sonoma County);  $45. 
What a roll St. Jean has been on with Chardonnay. This wine was made from a majority of Robert Young and Belle Terre vineyard fruit, and is two-thirds new French oak. The combination is mind-blowing. The vineyards contribute concentrated spicy, tropical fruit flavors and perfect acid balance, while the oak provides elaborate seasoning. Absolutely delicious. One of the most satisfying Chards of the vintage.

3   Charles Heidsieck
NV Réserv
Brut  (Champagne);  $36. 
A big boy with almost fleshy fruit. The flavors push into exotic, tropical richness yet retain spicy citrus-rind highlights. There is nothing clumsy, despite the ripeness; the finish seems to extend almost infinitely and keeps zinging you with surprises...marshmallow, marzipan, cookie dough, etc. An added bonus: the back label clearly indicates when it was bottled and cellared (2001).

4   Sloan 2002
Red Wine  (Rutherford);  $245. 
Impossibly aromatic. Hard to imagine greater claret perfume. Shows the most refined mingling of smoky oak, cassis, cherries, roasted coconut macaroon, cocoa puff and spice scents. Absolutely first rate, as good as anything Napa Valley produces. Compellingly, addictively delicious, but so dry and voluptuous. Classic wine, with perfect alignment of fruit, acids, tannins, oak, alcohol, the works. The grapes are from Sloan's portion of the Sacrashe Vineyard, high above the Silverado Trail in the Vaca Mountains. Mostly Cabernet Sauvignon, aged in 100% new French oak. Perfection in a bottle. Drink now - 2020.

5   Warwick 2004
Estate Reserve
(Stellenbosch);  $32. 
Made from bush vines that are about 75 years old, this tremendous Grenache is a vibrant pink-purple color and has deep peppery, fruit-sweet aromas. On the palate it’s massive but controlled, like a rhinoceros behind a steel wall. Intense plum and cherry fruit warms the palate. Dry tannins persist through the long, minerally finish. Drink after 2010. Imported by Commonwealth Wine & Spirits Inc.

6   Sandrone 2001
Cannubi Boschis
(Barolo);  $135. 
Absolutely lovely. It starts off dense and tarry on the nose, with plum and chocolate fudge scents, then adds layers of bright floral and cherry notes with airing, while the palate is a whirl of mouthcoating flavors that never seem hamhanded despite the great intensity. Finishes with wonderfully plush tannins, making this approachable now, yet capable of evolving for 20 years. Imported by Vintus LLC.

7   Bollinger 1996
R.D. Extra Brut
(Champagne);  $190. 
The Bollinger R.D. (recently disgorged) is Bollinger's answer to a prestige cuvée. Keeping the wine long on its lees (this was disgorged in June 2006) yields a wine that is very much in the rich Bollinger style. This is a beautifully balanced wine, with acidity, intensity and structure in perfect harmony. It is still so young, and certainly could age for years.

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8   Château Ste. Michelle 2003
Ethos Syrah  (Columbia Valley);   $29. 
This very limited (600 cases) companion to the winery's Ethos Chardonnay marks a turnaround for Ste. Michelle's red wine program, as Bob Bertheau came on board just before the 2003 crush. The style is seductive, sharp and spicy; the tart fruits tumble out in a pile of mixed berry and cherry. Chocolate and baking spices add more flavors; the wine is seamless, smooth and long; the oak beautifully integrated.

9   Prager 2005
Achleiten Grüner Veltliner
Smaragd  (Wachau, Austria);  $45. 
Citric flavors dominate this floral, very focused wine, from the steep Achleiten vineyard. It has some sweetness, or more precisely, richness, but this is only a small part of the vibrant, lively structure of a delicious wine.

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10   Quilceda Creek 2003
Cabernet Sauvignon  (Washington);  $95. 
Lovely color and aromatics, this supremely powerful yet graceful wine sends up a mix of plum, berry, dust, mint and menthol. It's spicy and young, and surprisingly light on its feet. The concentration here is different from a top-tier Napa Cabernet; the fruit has a pleasing elegance. The acids are firm but unobtrusive, the tannins are ripe, smooth but substantial, giving the wine some weight and power. As good as anything this superb producer has ever done.

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