2008 Loring Wine Company Pinot Noir Central Coast (California)
Offers mineral and loamy earth flavors, with dried berry, sage, herb and cedar. Full-bodied, with a touch of porcini mushroom, ending with dried graphite and earth flavors. Rated 89 Wine Spectator
2003 Peter Michael Knights Valley Winery Pinot Noir Santa Lucia Highlands (California)
This Pinot is huge and full, and has intensely ripe fruit. Not for the elegant Pinot drinker, this wine, at 14.9% alcohol, has so much fruit that lots of Californian producers are embracing it and trying to emulate it. The huge flavors of wild cherry, intertwined with sage and other spices, all in balance. snooth.com
2008 Vina Von Siebenthal Carmenere Gran Reserva Single Vineyard Aconcagua Valley (Chile)
The 2007 Carmenere Reserva Single Vineyard for the staggering price of $10 delivers a sexy, exotic nose of mineral, underbrush, black cherry, and blueberry pie. Rich, layered, yet elegant on the palate, this impeccably balanced, hedonistic Carmenere must be tasted to be believed. It is likely to evolve for 1-2 years but it is hard to imagine anyone delaying their gratification. If I were awarding an Oscar for finest performance by a winery, Von Siebenthal would be my winner. All of their wines are amazing values with the under $20 wines being nothing short of mind-boggling. Rated 90 Wine Advocate
2009 Casa Silva Carmenere Reserva Colchagua Valley (Chile)
Casa Silva Carmenere Reserva a is a beautiful expression of the Carmenere grape that is now flourishing in South America. Vina Casa Silva was founded in 1892 by French wine pioneer Emilio Bouchon and is owned today by Mario Silva, the fifth generation of winemakers. Many of the vines are more than 90 years old, carried over from Bordeaux pre-phylloxera. After decades of selling its juice to bulk wineries, Casa Silva began a bold estate bottling initiative in 1997, establishing the winery as a leader of the new generation of premium wine producers. Purple/black; complex nose of balsamic, herbs, spice box, blueberry; easy-going, no hard edges. Rated 90 Wine Advocate
2004 Alejandro Fernandez Dehesa La Granja Castilla y Leon (Spain)
The 2004 Dehesa la Granja offers similar but more expressive aromatics, is rounder and more supple on the palate, and has outstanding depth, concentration, and length. It is more forward than the 2003 but should offer a similar drinking window. It will be at its best from 2010-2020. Rated 92 Wine Advocate
2007 Bodegas Pagos de Mogar Ribera del Duero Valbuena de Duero (Spain)
Located just 1km from the Vega Sicilia winery in the same town, Bodegas Pagos de Mogar is a family owned winery producing high quality wines, following a self dictated strict level of standards. All estate owned vineyards are located on the hillsides surrounding the winery. The vines are worked so that the vigor is moderated and green pruning and crop thinning are done when necessary, leading to yields below 5,000 kg/Ha. All of the 14 hectares belonging to Mogar are planted with Tinta Pais, the local adaptation of Tempranillo. www.enyegroup.com