Winemaker Notes
The Maquis estate has unique conditions thanks to the high clay content, well drained soils and the effect of the two surrounding rivers on the temperatures that allow Cabernet Franc grapes to reach amazing concentration and elegance.
Maquis Franco represents the culmination of painstaking efforts by four generations of the Hurtado family to craft a truly exceptional wine. This majestic Cabernet Franc is outstanding for its elegance and persistence on the palate.
Blend: 95% Cabernet Franc, 5% Cabernet Sauvignon
Professional Ratings
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Ripe but with good freshness, the Cabernet Franc 2017 Franco also has 5% Cabernet Sauvignon. It's powerful but balanced, with some varietal character and a touch of spices. It has balance and finesse and fine tannins with a somewhat dry finish. It should develop nicely in bottle.
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Tasting Panel
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James Suckling
Intense aromas of bramble bush, sandalwood, tar and potpourri. It’s medium-to full-bodied with firm, tight and chewy tannins. Sleek and focused. Rich and polished, yet fresh. Drink or hold.
Cabernet Franc, a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, is the subtler and more delicate of the Cabernets. Today Cabernet Franc produces outstanding single varietal wines across the wine-producing world. Somm Secret—One of California's best-kept secrets is the Happy Canyon appellation of Santa Barbara. Here Cabernet Franc shines as a single varietal wine or in blends, expressing sumptuous fruit, savory aromas and polished tannins.
Well-regarded for intense and exceptionally high quality red wines, the Colchagua Valley is situated in the southern part of Chile’s Rapel Valley, with many of the best vineyards lying in the foothills of the Coastal Range.
Heavy French investment and cutting-edge technology in both the vineyard and the winery has been a boon to the local viticultural industry, which already laid claim to ancient vines and a textbook Mediterranean climate.
The warm, dry growing season in the Colchagua Valley favors robust reds made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Carmenère, Malbec and Syrah—in fact, some of Chile’s very best are made here. A small amount of good white wine is produced from Chardonnay and Sauvignon Blanc.