Expensive wine 132: Vina Maquis Lien 2016

Chile’s Vina Maquis Leon red blend offers something different, but also accomplished

Sometimes, out of nowhere, a wine appears that makes even someone as cranky and as irritable and as worn out as the Wine Curmudgeon go: “Wow!”

The Vina Maquis Lien 2016 ($32, sample, 13.5%) is just that kind of wine.

It’s not cabernet sauvignon. It’s not from Bordeaux or California. And, as far as I can tell, it has never gotten 95 points from one of the wine magazines. It’s a red blend from Chile’s Colchagua Valley; this vintage has mostly carmenere, not an easy grape to work with, as well as cabernet franc, cabernet sauvignon, and a splash of syrah.

So, with that as the caveat for those of you who are looking for a more polished and Winestream-y sort of wine, this is an amazing effort – young and still a little rough around the edges, but something that will show depth and power as it ages. That the carmenere – which can turn any wine green and unpleasantly herbaceous – doesn’t get in the way speaks volumes about its quality.

Look for just-picked red fruit (berries more than cherries), a surprising freshness given this is as old as it is, and a long, almost woodsy finish. Highly recommended — just the kind of wine to give someone as a gift who wants to try something different.

Imported by Imported by Global Vineyard Importers