Barboursville Vineyards, Octagon, Monticello, Virginia, USA 2014

Michael Broadbent put just-blooming Virginia on the international wine map when he reviewed the 1998 vintage of this Merlot-dominant Bordeaux blend. Regarded as one of the most important wines in the state for evincing the quality and ageability of its reds, it’s a dead ringer for Right Bank Bordeaux. Pretty, bright and complex palate of chocolate, cherries and tanned Italian leather.

Proof Virginia wines can age, especially one of the state's earliest star wines, Octagon. With a texture that's pure velvet, this Bordeaux blend's primary blackberry fruits still whisper on the palate, but leather, black olive, and spiced cocoa deliver the long, balanced finish.