2018 Maquis Carmenere, Colchagua Valley, Chile

ABOUT THIS WINE

Viña Maquis is located in the heart of the Colchagua Valley between the Tinguiririca River and the Chimbarongo Creek. Both waterways act as pathways for cool coastal breezes that moderate the warm summers and have a dramatic effect on lowering the maximum temperatures by 2º–3ºC. This area with deep alluvial soils and a two-meter layer of highly concentrated clay set over a deeper layer of gravel—brought by the rivers—provide natural drainage that allows the grapes to lose the green characteristics very early in the season. The waterways also help moderate extreme weather conditions throughout the year by protecting the vineyards from spring frosts and lowering the maximum summer temperatures. These features are distinctive of Viña Maquis and uncommon in the rest of the Colchagua Valley.

100% hand picking and sorting of clusters and grapes. Fermentation temperatures between 22-25°C in stainless steel tanks. Total maceration time of 21 days. Malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks. The winemaking process seeks to be very delicate in the extraction of aromas, color and tannins. For this the filling of vats is done by gravity, and the lifts are moderate both in frequency and intensity. The wine was aged for 12 months in French oak barrels.

ABOUT THIS PRODUCER

The Hurtado family has owned the Viña Maquis vineyard for more than a century, but it wasn’t until almost 20 years ago that the family decided to make their own wine out of the terrific grapes in their own backyard. They built a state-of-the-art gravity flow winery and set out to make the Maquis winery one of the great properties in all of South America.

Located in Colchagua Valley, the winery’s focus is on distinctive single-vineyard, estate wines, as well as producing “balanced” wines that are not over-ripe (resulting in excessively high alcohol) but also not exhibiting any of the “green” character that sometimes plagues wines picked from grapes that have not fully matured. The Maquis main vineyard is essentially an island: it is deeply influenced by the Tinguiririca River on one side and the Chimbarongo Creek on the other. These two large waterways once brought alluvial sediment from the Andes and today act as pathways for cool coastal breezes that help moderate the warm Colchagua summers, contributing to the intensity, character, fruitiness and mineral elements of the Maquis wines. Maquis is fortunate to have such a privileged location.

Since 2005, Maquis has worked with consulting winemaker Xavier Choné, whose specialty is vineyard evaluation. By paying close attention to soil conditions, the spacing of the vines, and the timing of the harvest, Choné’s style of winemaking produces sophisticated wines with concentrated flavors that truly represent the region’s terroir.