Maquis Lien "Red Blend" '06

RATING:

90 points Wine Advocate

DESCRIPTION/REVIEWS:

"This blend...comes in at a higher level than many.  Dark chocolate, almond candy and black fruit work on the nose, while the palate is sizable and full of plum and dark berry flavors.  Both the oak and the acidity are up there, so expect power and a few looose edges as it seeks the sweet spot."--Wine Advocate--90 pts
The Hurtado family has owned the Viña Maquis vineyard for more than a century, but it wasn’t until ten years ago that the family decided to make their own wine out of their fabulous grapes.  The distinctive Maquis Lien is made from a finely tuned blend of Syrah, Carmenere, Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot, and Malbec. It is a generous red wine that reflects the character of the Hurtado family’s special plot of land.  To make this fruity and concentrated blend, the winemakers developed vines that bear no more than 12 bunches of grapes per vine. Only the ripest grapes are picked, then sorted by hand at the winery. The Lien is barrel aged for 12 months in French oak.

In Chile's native Mapuche language, lien means “silver metal”—a reference to colonial Spanish coins that were once melted to make fine jewelry, like the lizard on the Maquis label.