Viña Maquis, 2016 Maquis Franco, Palmilla, Colchagua, Central Valley, Chile
Cab Franc du Jour #156
Based in the region of Palmilla in the heart of Chile’s Colchagua Valley, the viticultural history of the Maquis estate stretches back over 300 years, to when the land was first planted to vine by Jesuit missionaries. The modern story begins in 1916, when the property was purchased by José María Hurtado Larraín, who built a cellar and began making wines alongside his son Ignacio. The winery remains in the hands of the Hurtado family today, led by fourth-generation Ricardo Rivadeneira Hurtado.
Viña Maquis occupies a unique place in Chilean wine, not only in Colchagua but across the country as a whole, because the estate’s history and identity are deeply rooted in Cabernet Franc. Among the first wines made by José and Ignacio were expressions based on Cabernet Franc from vines planted on the property in the late 1800s, and some of that heritage plant material remains in the ground today. That commitment to the variety was further solidified with the creation of Maquis Franco in 2008, the estate’s flagship wine and Chile’s first icon wine made from 100% Cabernet Franc, a wine that consistently ranks as the finest expression of the variety in the country.
The passion for Cabernet Franc has extended to the Hurtado family’s sister estate, Viña Calcu, in the Colchagua Costa region of Marchigüe, where the variety is also grown for a single-varietal bottling. Across both estates the family farms approximately 39 hectares of Cabernet Franc and produces three single-varietal expressions: the Maquis Revela Cabernet Franc and the Maquis Franco at the home estate, where Cabernet Franc also plays an important role in their top red blend Lien, and the Tiny Blocks Cabernet Franc Gran Reserva at Viña Calcu. The vineyards are certified sustainable, and Maquis was among the first wineries in Chile to receive that certification. Ricardo is supported by head winemaker Rodrigo Romero, along with renowned viticulturalist Xavier Choné and consultant Eric Boissenot, son of the legendary Bordeaux consultant Jacques Boissenot.
Cabernet Franc in Chile
As of 2022, there were 1,702 hectares of Cabernet Franc planted in Chile, representing just 1.3% of the country’s total vineyard area. The vast majority, around 95%, is concentrated in the Central Valley, with Colchagua leading all regions with approximately 647 hectares, followed by Maule at 463 hectares and Maipo at around 300 hectares. While 1,702 hectares may not sound like much, the growth has been substantial: in 1997 there were only 64 hectares planted across the entire country, making the increase over the last three decades quite remarkable.
Colchagua and Palmilla Sub-Region
The Maquis Franco takes us to Colchagua, and more specifically to the sub-region of Palmilla in the Entre Cordilleras zone. Colchagua was the powerhouse at the centre of Chile’s wine boom in the 1990s and today has over 32,000 hectares of vines planted across a relatively compact region stretching less than 90km from the Andes in the east to the Cordillera de la Costa in the west. The region is emblematic of the diversity of Chilean wine more broadly, encompassing a wide range of estates from small polyculture farms to state-of-the-art icon properties, approximately 45 grape varieties, a myriad of wine styles, and meaningfully different microclimates across the Costa, Entre Cordilleras, and Andes zones. The climate overall is Mediterranean, with warm to hot, long summers and relatively low rainfall, with the Costa and Andes zones generally cooler than the Entre Cordilleras.
Palmilla is the second largest sub-region in Colchagua and is situated in the western part of the Entre Cordilleras. By most accounts this is Cabernet Sauvignon and Carmenère country, and much of the region is frankly too warm for Cabernet Franc. But Maquis occupies a genuinely distinctive part of Palmilla, which goes a long way toward explaining why Cabernet Franc has been the cornerstone of this estate for more than a century. The property sits in the southern part of Palmilla, at the confluence of two major rivers, the Tinguiririca and Chimbarongo, which meet at the northernmost edge of the Maquis vineyard. These rivers exert an important cooling influence, moderating summer temperatures and channelling cooling breezes through the area, dropping temperatures by 2 to 3C during the warmer months.
The second defining feature of this site is the soil. The vineyard is planted on deep alluvial clays, with approximately 2m of clay over a subsoil of gravels and river stones. Clay soils are particularly well suited to Cabernet Franc in warmer climates: their moisture-retaining capacity creates a cooler, more humid root environment that slows ripening and minimises the risk of drought stress. At the same time, the gravelly subsoil provides the drainage that Cabernet Franc equally requires, giving the vine cool, moist conditions without wet feet.
The Vineyard
The Maquis Franco is sourced from approximately 2 hectares of vines planted on their own roots in 1999 by massale selection, using heritage vine material of Bordeaux origin brought to Chile at the end of the 19th century. The vines are planted in the southeast corner of the estate, very close to the Tinguiririca River, at around 160m above sea level with a gentle west-facing exposure. The Cabernet Franc was deliberately planted in the coolest parts of the vineyard, while Carmenère and other varieties occupy the warmer blocks.
Winemaker Rodrigo Romero notes that the deep clay soils play a critical role not only in moderating the growing environment but also in managing pyrazines. By providing optimal vine balance, the soils eliminate the need for shoot thinning or green harvesting. A slightly more generous canopy is maintained to promote photosynthesis and help burn off pyrazines naturally, while the cooler soil environment slows ripening, supports greater phenolic development, preserves higher acidities, and keeps alcohol levels in check.
In the Cellar
The fruit is hand-harvested with hand-sorting of both bunches and individual berries. The fruit is 100% destemmed, with about 30% of the berries crushed and the remainder left whole to encourage a gentler extraction of tannins. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel with selected yeast at a relatively cool 22 to 24C for a red wine, with gentle pump-overs during fermentation only and total skin contact of approximately 21 days. The finished wine is predominantly free-run with about 5% press wine incorporated. The final assemblage is determined by Eric Boissenot before élevage, and the wine is then aged for 24 months in 225L French oak barrels with approximately one third new oak.
In the Glass
Stunning on the nose with lifted and perfumed aromatics and a beautiful freshness that gives no indication of its warmer, sunnier origins. The profile leans earthy and savoury, with fruit in a supporting role. Sweet-tart red fruits lead (morello cherry, red plum, pomegranate, black raspberry) alongside early tertiary development. The herbal profile is exotic and layered with notes of hoja santa, mint, rosemary, eucalyptus, with a distinctive coolness and brisk, almost menthol-edged character.
The palate shifts slightly fruit-forward, with a bit of black raspberry alongside the sweet-tart red fruits. The palate is spicy with both varietal and wood spice notes of clove, allspice, cinnamon, white pepper, liquorice-anise. There are also additional floral layers (dry rose petal, jasmine, potpourri) that emerge more fully on the palate adding another dimension to the wine. Acidity is lively, bright, persistent, and cleansing. Tannins are silky, finely polished, and elegantly managed, finishing with a crushed velvet grip that adds structure without weight. The oak is seamlessly integrated on both the nose and the palate. Medium-plus body, rich, broad and tactile through the mid-palate, yet also weightless and lifted. Concentrated, layered, and supremely harmonious. Priced at around $100USD, the wine merits its icon status and delivers a compelling experience in the glass that marries power and depth beautifully with restraint and finesse.
Wine Details
Producer: Viña Maquis
Region: Central Valley, Chile
Region: Colchagua (Entre Cordilleras)
Sub-region: Palmilla
Soils: 2m of clay over a subsoil of gravels and river stones
Assemblage: 94% Cabernet Franc, 6% Cabernet Sauvignon
Alcohol: 14.0%