Drum Roll: 2006 best-of-tastings

I can’t rightly think of the clear tasting winners among the wines I sampled in Ought-Six. Or is that Ought-ought Six? Anywho, I rummaged through the recycling bin to refresh my reliably faulty memory, and of course there’s the Marian’s Reserve bottle, winking richly at me. But it’s not available to the rest of you mortals, who do not belong to Seghesio’s wine club. Sorry. Go console yourself with the widely available Seghesio bluecap Zin, good every year. And a dam’ sight cheaper.

The short list of 2006 so-glad-to-have-tasted-yous includes the 2001 Dry Creek Mood Hill Cabernet; the 2003 Green and Red Zin; the aforementioned Marian’s Reserve; and the 1991 Cascina Morassino Barbaresco. I’m smacking my lips as I write this. . .

Next up: the velvet sipping offered by the Jacob’s Creek Reserve Shiraz 2003. Right now, this is the wine that makes me happiest. I found it – quel choc! – in the clearance bin at a Sunfresh grocery store, and recognized it as a Wine Spectator shout-out. The bonus on this 91-pointer was the price: $9.99. It’s a yummalicious wine, far removed from its non-reserved brother, the regular JC Shiraz, which is also cheap but much less memorable. The 2003 JC Shiraz Reserve is quietly brimming with silky, blackberry charm. It’s also rapidly disappearing from shelves, so hurry.

The Columbia Crest Grand Estates Merlot 2003 is another good wine at a bargain price, about $10. Berries, cocoa, spice – and a big hint: let it breathe. I didn’t, on the first bottle, and was disappointed. Even after it’s breathed, however, I don’t find it as delicious as its older sister, the CCGE Merlot 2001, which knocked me out with its depth. Both of these earned at least 90 WS points, so don’t go sneezing or sneering like Miles in Sideways just because, well, you know: it’s a Merlot.

I was just a bit underwhelmed by the Concannon Limited Release Petite Sirah 2004. It’s well worth the modest $12 price tag – heck, the handsome, heavy bottle alone looks to be worth that – but although it’s got nice black cherry fruit up front, it’s too plummy for me. Too mellow, not big and PS-y enough. Or something.

Which was not the case with a new favorite, the 2003 Bogle Phantom, a big bold baby that includes my two favorite grapes, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, in its luscious mix.

The Falesco Vitiano 2004 is a great everyday wine, a nice mix of earth, berries and chocolate reflecting the blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. But I knock off a point or two because the spice notes are a bit licorice-y for my taste. Still, at $9 – get a case!

In the white department, once again I liked every single wine I tried from New Zealand’s Marlborough County. But the U.S. of A. wins on the smooth complexity of the Ferrari Carano Fume Blanc 2005, at least as good as the supple 2004 – and that’s saying something.

Here’s a weird recommendation for ya: the Bonny Doon NV Framboise “Infusion of Raspberries.” It’s a bit pricey, at $13 the half-bottle, but it’s not as if you’d drink this sweet baby straight up. Pour it into a sparkling wine, just a half-ounce or so, and it’s delish.

Which brings us to the bubbly: of course I’m going to sing the praises, once again, of the Cristalino Brut Cava. It drinks like the $36 Veuve Cliquot NV, and it’s $10. I like it better than the dozen sparklers I’ve tried in the $10-to-$25 range. It’s crisp, dry and with just a hint of citrus fruit. A great way to see in the new year, or complement a seafood dish.

I saved the best for last, as I couldn’t think of a clever ending to this piece. Let me say, without further preamble, that the best, my favorite, the yummerliciousest wine I drank in 2006, was the Mollydooker, The Boxer Shiraz 2005. Grand Canyon. My 50th birthday. My sweetest, oldest friend Linda. And the Mollydooker.