RdV Vineyards, Virginia (United States) 2010

Both the price and the score indicated here will likely prove surprising to most readers, but I assure you that the wine turns in a convincing performance on both counts.  Highly complex in aromatic and flavor terms, it also shows serious concentration and depth, yet manages to impress on the strength of intricacy as much as sheer power.  Similarly, the exceptionally interesting fruit (which is fully ripe but more savory than overtly fruit in character) isn’t marred but rather enhanced by tasteful use of oak.  Virginia?  Virginia.