Eccentric Chileans: Maquis Lien 2003 $10

Most wine lovers in the US have discovered the wines of Chile. The discovery may have involved stumbling on the great values of Los Vascos or picking up a bottle of the intensely fruity Carmenere at a low price.

There is another side to Chilean wine, a side that doesn't necessarily play to the crowd but that may be of interest to serious wineheads. In a world where regional identity is becoming scarce, where Italian Cabernets taste like French which in turn, increasingly resemble Napa, there seems to be a single target for which all wineries aim.

So it's good to taste something exciting that doesn't taste like anything else.The case in point is Maquis Lien 2003, an eccentric red with all the intrigue of the big, weird Chileans at just under ten bucks. The blend is 50% Syrah, 23% Carmenere, 12% Cabernet Franc, 8% Petit Verdot, and 7% Malbec aged for 12 months in French oak.
.

The Rivadeniera-Hurtado family in Valle de Colchagua decided to make their own wine from grapes that they had been selling to other winemakers for over a hundred years. The aim was to make a “Super Chilean” blend. It's hard to tell whether they've hit on a model that's going to create a category -"super-chilean", but they have certainly created a landmark of fruitiness and concentration. This wine also has deep herbal undertones and a trace of the wonderful bitterness that makes italian reds so appetite-provoking.

Originally tasted at Canals Marlton's annual charity tasting, a subsequent bottle lit up a dinner of grilled vegetables and braised lamb shanks.