This historic bodega in Spain’s most famous wine region represents the ultimate in traditional winemaking, subjecting their wines to exceptionally long aging regimens in barrel and bottle before releasing them to the market. “Viña Bosconia,” from a high-elevation single vineyard in Rioja called “El Bosque,” is aged for a minimum of five years in American oak barrels hand-crafted by the estate’s in-house coopers. During this time, the wine is “racked” (i.e. transferred from barrel to barrel) several times per year, a practice which briefly exposes the juice to oxygen and helps facilitate the wine’s graceful maturation. Viña Bosconia is also matured for an extended period in bottle before release, resulting in an endlessly complex red redolent of red and black currant, dried cherries, crushed stones, vintage leather, mushroom stock, red flowers, sweet and sour plum, coconut husk, damp clay, bergamot oil, and sandalwood. It’s incredibly nuanced, with subtle complexities that unfold with time.

This Fifth-Growth cru classé, located right next to famed “super second” Château Cos d’Estournel and within jogging distance of First Growths Lafite and Mouton Rothschild, is one of the greatest under-the-radar steals in Bordeaux. In fact, Cos Labory was owned by Cos d’Estournel at one point in its history, so close are the two properties and their vineyards. This opulent and elegant Saint-Estèphe represents the ultimate in gravelly, Cabernet Sauvignon-driven, Left Bank Bordeaux opulence—and hails from one of Bordeaux’s most celebrated recent vintages. Now roaring into its prime drinking window, this still has at least another decade of positive evolution ahead of it.

Over the last few years, we’ve been given access to the back-vintage “library” of this iconic Napa Valley property—to the delight of serious collectors everywhere. This represents the essence of Napa Valley “mountain” Cabernet, boasting the mix of power and tension that characterizes the growing zones in the upper reaches of the Mayacamas Range. Every antique treasure we taste from Spring Mountain so vividly captures the traditional essence of this storied region (dark savory fruit, crushed minerals, supple earthiness) and wines are the reason Napa Valley conquered the world back in the 1970s. As always, this ’11 comes to us direct from Spring Mountain’s cool, dark caves—perfect provenance that shows in the still-youthful power of the wine.

Sourced almost entirely from vineyards on the famed “La Crau” plateau—the region’s most acclaimed subzone—Cuvée Vieilles Vignes makes extra-good on its “old vine” promise: This silky, perfumed, Grenache-dominant Châteauneuf comes from vines between 75-100 years of age. The Maret family has crafted the wines of La Charbonnière for more than 100 years, and, to the delight of purists, they’ve resisted the trend toward low-acid, high-alcohol wines. They’ve opted instead for age-worthiness, organic farming, and highlighting the superior fruit from naturally low-yielding vines. Domaine Charbonnière controls approximately 43 acres of vines peppered throughout the Châteauneuf-du-Pape appellation, with their finest parcels located in La Crau, a sandy plateau littered with the rounded river stones known as galets roulés. “Cuvée Vieilles Vignes” typically contains 90% Grenache and 10% Mourvèdre, with vinification taking place in conical oak vats élevage (aging) in demi-muids and smaller barrels, a percentage of which are new. The entire production of this wine is a scant 350 cases.