Every now and then, we open a bottle that reminds us exactly why we love Cabernet Franc.
The Viña Maquis Franco 2013 is one of those bottles for us.
We discovered it during our visit to Viña Maquis in Chile’s Colchagua Valley earlier this year. The wine had already spent more than a decade aging by the time we brought a bottle home, so opening it recently brought together a varietal we love, memories of an amazing trip and a beautiful winery, and an otherwise ordinary Friday evening on our lanai here in Venice.
When we finally pulled the cork, we gave it about an hour in the decanter to breathe. That only built the anticipation as we patiently — or maybe not so patiently — waited to wrap up the workday and officially start the weekend.
And the Franco did not disappoint.
In fact, it was a wonderful reminder of just how gracefully a well-made wine can evolve with age — and how quickly a bottle can bring the memories of a great wine experience rushing back.
A Cabernet Franc from Chile’s Colchagua Valley
Viña Maquis sits in a particularly interesting corner of Chile’s Colchagua Valley, with vineyards positioned between the Tinguiririca River and Chimbarongo Creek. It’s a beautiful spot with trees leaning over the river and the Maquis tasting room nestled in an 18th century casona (or manor house) on the river’s bank.
That location matters. Its position between the waterways helps moderate Colchagua’s warm growing conditions, allowing the grapes to ripen while retaining the freshness and acidity that can make Cabernet Franc so compelling.
Franco is predominantly Cabernet Franc, with a small amount of Cabernet Sauvignon adding another layer of structure and depth. For anyone accustomed to Cabernet Franc as a supporting player in blends, wines like the Franco are a wonderful reminder of just how expressive the grape can be when given center stage and made with such care and attention.
Thirteen Years Later: How Was the Franco Drinking?
After thirteen years in the bottle, we expected the wine to have evolved. What impressed us was how much life it still had.
The 2013 Franco opened with dark cherry and ripe blackberry, followed by violet and a savory herbal quality that gave the fruit some contrast. The hour in the decanter mattered, and even as it spent more time in the glass, additional notes of cocoa, subtle smoke, and spice began to emerge.
That many years in the bottle had been very kind to it.
The tannins – the compounds that give red wine its drying, structured sensation – had softened and settled comfortably into the fruit. Rather than feeling heavy or overly powerful, the wine was polished and harmonious, with enough acidity to keep everything fresh.
And the finish lingered.
Not in a dramatic, look-at-me sort of way. It simply kept inviting us to take another sip.
In the Glass
- Fruit: Dark cherry, blackberry
- Aromatics: Violet, savory herbs
- Other notes: Cocoa, subtle smoke, spice
- Structure: Polished tannins with refreshing acidity
- Overall style: Mature, elegant, savory, and beautifully balanced
This is exactly the kind of Cabernet Franc we love: structured and expressive, but with enough restraint to let you keep discovering something new as the wine opens.
What Would We Pair With It?
This isn’t a big, jammy red that needs a massive steak sitting next to it.
Its combination of fruit, savory character, acidity, and softened tannins makes it surprisingly versatile at the table.
We’d happily pair it with:
- Grilled lamb with rosemary or other fresh herbs
- Herb-rubbed pork
- Mushroom risotto or other earthy mushroom dishes
- A charcuterie board with aged cheeses and cured meats
- Roasted vegetables with plenty of herbs
But a wine doesn’t always need a carefully planned dinner.
This one is equally suited to pouring a couple of glasses on the lanai and giving it plenty of time to open while a Southwest Florida evening finally begins to cool down.
Sometimes that’s the very best kind of pairing.
What If You Can’t Find the 2013?
The 2013 has some age on it now, so finding this exact vintage may take a little hunting. Fortunately, Franco isn’t interesting simply because we happened to cellar an older bottle.
More recent vintages suggest this is still a Chilean Cabernet Franc worth following.
During our visit to Viña Maquis, we had the opportunity to taste both the 2013 and 2021 vintages of Franco — a fascinating chance to experience the same wine at two very different stages of its evolution. (We were lucky enough to be in the tasting room when the winemaker opened a magnum of the 13 for another party and shared it with us…..a little googling uncovered that the other party may have contained a Brazilian movie star!)
Having compared the ’13 and the ’21, we are confident that other more recent vintages are worthy of a spot in our cellar. You can find the 2019 Franco here. We may have this bottle in our shopping cart right now……Please note that this link is an affiliate link and if you make the wise decision to try the Franco, we will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Why This Bottle Stays With Us
There are bottles you remember because the wine itself was exceptional. And then there are bottles that carry a little more with them.
This one took us right back to Chile’s Colchagua Valley — to sipping our first glass of Maquis while wandering along the riverbank, the people we met, and the experience of discovering Franco where it was made.
That’s one of our favorite things about bringing wine home from our travels. You’re not simply adding another bottle to the cellar. You’re saving a little piece of the trip for another day.
And when the wine has aged this beautifully, even better.
If you’re planning your own Chilean wine adventure, read our guide to visiting Chile’s Colchagua Valley and Viña Maquis to see more of the place and experience behind this bottle.
As for the Franco 2013? We’d happily linger over another bottle.
Salud to great wines and slow evenings on the lanai.
