Our Top 100 Wines of the Year 2006

We taste thousands of wines a year including a large number of wines that are no longer available through traditional retail channels. This list is our top 100 picks that for the most part were released in 2006. Some may still be available somewhere in your market at better wine shops or on auction. Notes and prices are from the year they were tasted.

96 R.L. Buller & Son Calliope Rare Liqueur Muscat N/V Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia AB $89.95 (375 ml) fine wine boutiques; BC $109.95 (375 ml) speculative listing - Winspeer; ON $98.95

Big spicy, rancio, walnut, mineral, raisin-y, orange peel, toffee, stewed apricot nose. Full-bodied with unctuous textures but not cloying. Good sugar acid balance. Intense spicy, peppery, mineral, walnut flavours flecked with rancio, tobacco and a huge orange, toffee, minty, dried fig and cigar finish. Incredibly intense and long. A little goes a long way. This is great stuff.

96 R.L. Buller & Son Calliope Rare Liqueur Tokay N/V Rutherglen, Victoria, Australia AB $89.95 Fine Wine Boutiques; BC $109.95 Speculative - Winspeer; ON $98.95

The average age of the Grande will be approx 15 years old although the final blend has not been finalised. Look for a tawny green colour and a full-blown nose of toffee, spicy, creamy, walnut/pecan and cherry aromas streaked with cherry, raisin, pepper, orange peel and tobacco notes. Rich, round, concentrated and slightly fat style but with fine sugar-acid balance. Copious flavour intensity with tobacco, dried cherry, orange peel, raisin, rancio, walnut and coffee flavours. This is excellent liqueur with a full, long, elegant spicy, warm finish. The youngest wines in the Calliope Rare (muscat or Tokay) are 1986. Oldest goes back to 1946/1947.

95 Glaetzer Amon Ra Shiraz 2005  Barossa Valley, South Australia, Australia AB $72.99 fine wine boutiques; BC $84.99 specialty; MB $76.99 private wine shops

Fine use of French wood here with only 20 percent American oak in the mix. Super dark almost opaque with a peppery, spicy, licorice root, vanilla, black cherry nose with coriander, saddle leather and meaty blueberry notes. Rich on the palate with supple, fine-grained tannins and delicious smoky, vanilla, mocha, licorice, blackberry jam and blueberry fruit flavours. Warm, tart fruity savoury finish. Needs 3-5 years to reach its peak. Good value.

95 Jaboulet Hermitage La Chapelle 1978 Hermitage, Northern Rhone, Rhone Valley, France US $500 retail / auction houses

Tasted many times this has always been a great wine thanks a harvest with tiny yields. Look for an intense coffee, roasted pepper, waxy, bacon fat, meaty, smoky, floral, tobacco nose with some dried lychee, pruny notes. Dry, rich, full intense palate with still some light tannin. Very meaty, roasted, rootsy, floral, cigar, coffee, pruny, dried lychee flavours with a spicy, chilli finish. Elegant, long finish, this can still age five to seven more years.

95 Mission Hill S.L.C. Riesling Icewine 2004 Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada AB $59.95 fine wine boutiques; BC $79.99 winery direct and private wine shops

Very floral, grapefruit, mineral, orange, baked pear, light plasticene/vinyl aromas. Ripe, fresh, crisp but fat with green apple, orange, grapefruit, baked pear, honey flavours and some key lime on the finish. Very good acidity and balance in a narrower mouth profile. Fine effort. Released Feb 06

94 Dow's Vintage Port 2003 Touriga Nacional - Touriga Francesa - Tinta Roriz - Tinta Barroca Douro Valley, Northern Portugal, Portugal BC $85 specialty listing

Big black tea leaf, floral nose with black cherry jam, spicy, licorice, stewed fig aromas with lots of pepper and mint. Intense palate with plenty of tannins and structure. Huge black cherry jam, black berry, licorice, tea, peppery, clove, candied fig flavours with a smoky note. Long, well balanced with good acidity and not too sweet but very young. Will require 12-15 years more in bottle to fully mature. One for the cellar.

94 Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg Riesling Auslese 2004 Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany AB $57.95 fine wine boutiques; BC $65.95 special order - Winspeer

Big lime rind, lanolin, floral, green apple, wild yeast, tropical fruit, slate, honey and diesel nose. Crisp, full, elegant juicy round palate. Big ripe green apple, pear, orange, lime, mango honey flavours with a long honey, slate, citrus finish. Super juicy and crisp, fine effort for auslese.

94 Dr. Pauly-Bergweiler Bernkasteler alte Badstube am Doctorberg Riesling Beerenauslese 2003 Bernkastel-Kues, Mosel-Saar-Ruwer, Germany AB $89.95 fine wine boutiques; BC $94.95 specialty listing

Big apricot, honey, ripe apple, lime, floral, lanolin nose with some guava and slate notes. Rich, ripe, round and fat but fresh. On the palate an explosion of apricot, ripe apple, egg yolk, orange, guava, honey and lime with some petrol and lanolin at the end. Crisp, ripe finish with fine balance, elegance and intensity.

94 Highland Estates Camelot Highlands Chardonnay 2004 Santa Maria Valley, Santa Barbara County, Central Coast, California, United States AB $36 fine wine boutiques; BC $48.95 specialty listing

Another first rate release from KJ's Highland Estate series the Camelot Highlands Chardonnay 2004 from Santa Maria Valley in Santa Barbara County. Stunningly rich and sophisticated, it's 100 percent barrel fermented but by using only 35 per cent new French oak it has both power and elegance wrapped about a tropical fruit tour de force of pineapple, mango, baked apple pie and spicy vanilla. This is the full meal deal without being over the top. One of the best California chardonnay in the market at a highly attractive price. Think crab cakes with a sweet cherry tomato and corn relish.

94 Jackson-Triggs Okanagan Riesling Icewine Proprietors' Grand Reserve 2005 Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada BC $60 winery direct, VQA and private wine shops

Floral, lime, green apple, apricot, mineral aromas. Ripe, sweet and elegant with very good acidity and viscosity. Lime, green apple, orange, pineapple, nectarine flavours that persist throughout. Great fruit and acidity with fine balance but very young. Very fine effort.

The complete list is here.