Wine Enthusiast Magazine - Top Best Buys of 2006

Top 100 Wines of 2006

Top 100 Best Buys

Top Spirits

There may be a great deal of subjectivity in judging wine quality, but when it comes to selecting a wine for a “Best Buy” designation, objective standards reign: If a wine is given a certain numerical score (on the high side of the 100-point scale), and its suggested retail price is at a certain level (somewhere south of $15), it is singled out as a “Best Buy.” Out of the nearly 10,000 wines we tasted this year, less than 10% (907) achieved this distinction.

What you will find on the following pages is the best of these Best Buys, a veritable bargain bonanza but without the cheesy aspects that term implies. Although media scrutiny of the worldwide wine glut has subsided, the glut itself has not gone away. There is a surplus of good to excellent wine on the market, and prices are doing what are expected of them: staying low.

It is an excellent time to experiment with varieties, regions and producers that are unfamiliar. And the wines on the following pages are a great start. Enjoy.

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Quadri 2005 Mátraalja Pinot Grigio

Italy, Trento / $8 White
Zippy and fresh, with floral aromas and beautifully underscored mineral notes that reinforce its overall snap and pop. More stone fruit and floral flavors in the mouth are accompanied by mouth-cleansing acidity. Imported by Banville & Jones Wine Merchants.

Quinta da Cortezia 2004 Vinha Conchas

Portugal, Estremadura / $8 Red
A great value in everyday table wine, Quinta da Cortezia's second label offers bright cherry fruit accented by just enough mineral and spice elements to keep you coming back for another sip. A slightly creamy texture is balanced by crisp acids on the finish. Drink now.

Delicato 2004 Pinot Grigio

California, California / $7 White
Bone dry and crisp, with fairly intense grapefruit and lime flavors, it's a nice sipper that shows some real complexity in the balanced and long finish.

Hedges 2004 CMS Red

Washington, Columbia Valley / $11 Red
Classic, rich and supple; this tastes like a far more expensive wine. It has a European polish, mixing plum, berry and cherry fruit with darker streaks of tar, coffee and smoke. The 13.5% alcohol is perfectly ripe and stylish, and the wine has good length, precision and complexity.

Dr. Fischer 2005 Classic Riesling

Germany, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer / $14 White
From the family's estate holdings in the Saar, this is a steely, minerally wine, but the ripeness of the vintage has given it a saber's heft rather than the more typical rapier-like weight. A bit austere, but long, dry and minerally on the finish.

Gallo Family Vineyards 2004 Reserve Zinfandel

California, Sonoma County / $13 Red
Perhaps because this is a new line and the Gallos are putting their best foot forward, this Zin is far richer than Gallo's Dancing Bull Zin, which is only a dollar less. It's lush in briary wild berry, cherry pie, blueberry, cocoa and coffee flavors, and nicely dry. Good enough to accompany your best Zin-friendly food.

Bolla 2004 Nero d'Avola

Italy, Sicilia / $9 Red
This wine has sweet cherry flavors, accented with toast and bacon fat notes. Tannins are soft, and there's an herbal note on the finish. Bring on the pasta. Imported by Brown-Forman Corp.

MandraRossa 2004 Shiraz

Italy, Sicilia / $9 Red
This is one of those hammer-over-your-head reds that takes aromatic intensity to the stratosphere. Inky black in color with cracked white pepper, exotic spice, resin, crushed stone, cedar, cherry fruit marmalade; there are no subtle nuances here, only bold statements. Imported by Palm Bay Imports.

Querceto 2004 Chianti

Italy, Chianti / $8 Red
Lightweight but smooth, with open-knit aromas of red fruits. The palate shows more richness than you might expect, with black cherry and dark plums controlling the flavor profile. With meat on its bones and a persistent finish, this is bargain Chianti at its best.

100

Seidelberg 2004 Sauvignon Blanc

South Africa, Paarl / $12 White
With a golden hue and a fuller body than many other Sauvignon Blancs tasted from South Africa, this wine oozes mango and apple on the nose. It carries through with more apple and tropical fruit in the mouth and finish, and balancing acidity. Imported by 57 Main Street Wine Co.

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