2015 Alcance Vigno Old Vines Dry Farmed Carignan Maule Valley Chile 750 ml

Savory, dense, and beautifully tactile, the 2015 Alcance Vigno Old Vines Carignan is one of our absolute favorite wines from the Southern Hemisphere, and we’re thrilled to host the world premiere of this extremely special cuvée today.

The producer usually holds back inventory on its most prized old-vine offering, which won a scorching 95-point assessment from Master of Wine Tim Atkin. But thanks to our connections in the Maule Valley, we’re able to put a few bottles in the hands of our members today for less than $19 each—an incredible value at more than 45% off.

This dry-farmed Carignan hails from 60- to 70-year-old grapes bursting with edgy intensity, brought to market thanks to the efforts of a small group of vintners dedicated to protecting some of Chile’s most precious and characterful terroir.

Saturated purple in hue, with tears that stained our glass, the nose of this medium-to-full red is led by blackberry, black cherry, and cracked pepper spice, detailed with smoked game and herbs. You can practically taste the vines’ struggle in the expression of torched earth and wild brush undertones, held in place by grippy, smoky tannins and rounded by ample richness. With a long, delineated finish, this wine has a ton to show off, and will continue to grow in complexity for another ten years.

Thanks to its impressive heritage and unique microclimate, this Carignan can stand tall next to the great Grenaches of the Rhône and Priorat. For all its complexity, it’s a lavish crowd-pleaser. Wherever your tastes might lie, an under-$20 bottle with 95 points is a deal no bargain hunter should walk away from.

Founded in 1993, Alcance is one of around 16 wineries that belong to Vigno, a group formed to preserve the old-vine, dry-farmed Carignan of Chile’s Maule Valley—wines that have become highly sought-after by sommeliers. Alcance winemaker Andrés Sánchez is the co-founder and president of the group, and is an expert at coaxing out everything these ancient vines have to offer.

The winery draws from two main estate plots, the El Malten Vineyard on 150 acres in the Andes Mountain foothills, and the San Francisco Vineyard in the region’s southwest area, where quartz dots the ground and soils. These vines are bush-trained, farmed for low-yields, and capable of absorbing a great amount of abuse from Mother Nature.

The climate here is desert-like, with only around 25 inches of rain falling in the winter. The soils are poor and dry. The vines that can cut it sink roots deep underground to survive, in the process creating lasting intensity of character on the palate, combining broad-shouldered power with savory richness and elegant aromas.

This is the kind of wine that gets us most excited about what we do. Few bottles capture and express a sense of place quite like this one. To access that special terroir—with 95-point acclaim—for under $20 is a deal that most will be hard-pressed to match.