Let’s be Franc about the other Cabernet
When people talk about Cabernet it is often assumed to be Cabernet Sauvignon but there is another, older variety which lays claim to the Cabernet name. Cabernet Franc is one of the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon (the other being Sauvignon Blanc). Although it now sits in its offspring’s shadow, particularly in Bordeaux where it plays a supporting role to Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot (another of its offspring), it is a grape that deserves the time to shine. To help promote the profile of this grape often underappreciated grape every 4th of December, the world celebrates Cabernet Franc Day.
Cabernet Franc produces medium-bodied reds with a peppery perfume alongside notes of raspberry, cassis, bell pepper, violets, graphite and tobacco. It is very adaptable to a wide range of vineyard soil types but does especially well in sandy, chalk soils, where it produces wines in a fuller bodied style. These terroir-based differences can be tasted in the Loire, where wines produced on the gravelly soils are lighter and fruit forward compared to the more minerally and fuller bodied wines made from grapes grown on the Tuffeau soils (a type of limestone common in the Loire).
In the Loire Valley the grape has found a space to carve out its own niche. It is thought to have found its way there from the South West of France thanks to the Musketeers old nemesis, Cardinal Richelieu, who had cuttings sent to the Abbey of Bourgueil, where Abbott Breton planted it in the abbey vineyards. Now it is commonly found in both the Touraine and Anjou parts of the valley, most notably around the towns of Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur. It has also found a home in the Languedoc region, where it makes a fuller and fruitier style of wine than those found further north.
Beyond France Italy has the second largest planting of the grape variety. Most of it is planted either in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, where they make some single variety wines, or in Tuscany, where it is commonly used in Super Tuscan Blends. In South America there are some lovely Cabernet Francs coming out of Chile and Argentina, where the grape seems to be able to produce wines with a lovely freshness and often a fruit forward character. The other location in the world that produces a large amount of Cabernet Franc is the USA, where it is often found in California vineyards and blended with Cabernet Sauvignon and can also be found as a single variety wine.
Name / Producer: Les Argelieres Cabernet Franc
Region: Languedoc-Roussillon / Price: £11.95
Smooth, fruity and medium bodied. This displays all the classic flavours of Cabernet Franc, with black current and hints of raspberry alongside aromas of green bell pepper and a slightly spicy finish.
Name / Producer: Chinon Chateau du Coudray-Montpensier Region: Loire / Price: £17.95
This Cabernet Franc has a deep, dark red colour. On the nose, it has bright aromas of pure black fruit with a hint of vanilla. The palate is refreshing with bright acidity and subtle, round tannins, with blackcurrant notes on the finish.
Name / Producer: Galantas Cabernet Franc Gran Reserva Haras de Pirque Region: Maipo Valley / Price: £34.95
Ruby-purple colour and the nose expresses notes of graphite along with such dark berry fruit as blueberries and blackberries. The palate is supple, elegant, fresh, and mineral-laced. A wine capable of demonstrating all of the character of the Maipo Andes valley.