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Grape variety : Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc

Château Le Clos des Bonnets Bordeaux
€9.00
Campeador 2020

Campeador 2020

Château Roche Lalande Bordeaux
€21.90
Camy

Camy

Domaine Laougue Sud Ouest
€16.00
CAP E Tot rosé

CAP E Tot rosé

La Cave des Vignerons de Tursan Sud Ouest
€6.32
CAP E Tot rouge

CAP E Tot rouge

La Cave des Vignerons de Tursan Sud Ouest
€6.32
Cardinal

Cardinal

Vignobles Bertin Bordeaux
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Cabernet Franc: origins and characteristics of the grape

One of the ten most widely planted grapes in France, Cabernet Franc is an emblematic variety of the Bordeaux and Loire vineyards. Part of the blend in the greatest Bordeaux wines such as Saint-Émilion and Pomerol, and showcased in many Loire appellations, Cabernet Franc is an essential grape of the French vineyard. Follow our guide and discover everything you need to know about Cabernet Franc through its history, its aromatic characteristics, and the vineyards that grow it. In this article you will also find all our tips for creating the best food pairings with red and rosé wine made from Cabernet Franc.

Cabernet Franc at a glance

  • Color: red grape (also vinified as rosé)
  • Origin: South-West France / Pyrenees (Carmenet family); parent of Cabernet Sauvignon
  • Regions: Loire Valley (Chinon, Bourgueil, Saumur-Champigny, Anjou), Right Bank Bordeaux (Saint-Émilion, Pomerol); Cabernet d'Anjou as rosé
  • Profile: red fruit, forest floor, spices; fresh and inviting, full of finesse
  • Serving temperature: 14 to 16 °C (red), 8 to 10 °C (rosé)
  • Cellaring: often drunk young on the fruit; the denser cuvées age well

Description and origins of the grape

Originally from Spain, in the Pyrenees region, Cabernet Franc comes from the Carmenet family. It is thought to have reached France notably thanks to pilgrims returning from Santiago de Compostela, and it took root in the vineyards of western France. This very old grape is in fact the parent of the most widely planted grape in the world: Cabernet Sauvignon (born from a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc). Even though it has not enjoyed the same success as the latter, Cabernet Franc remains one of the most widely planted grapes in France and around the world.

The main terroirs where it is grown in France

Today, Cabernet Franc is very present in western France, notably in the Bordeaux area (the Libournais) and in the Loire (Anjou and Touraine). In the Bordeaux appellations, Cabernet Franc makes up only a small part of the blend, in favor of Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with the exception of the prestigious Château Cheval Blanc in AOC Saint-Émilion Grand Cru (60% Cabernet Franc). In the Loire region, on the other hand, Cabernet Franc is often vinified as a single varietal, as in the AOC Bourgueil, AOC Chinon, and AOC Saumur-Champigny appellations.

Its aromatic characteristics

Vinified as a single varietal in many Loire appellations (Anjou and Touraine), or blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon in the Bordeaux region, Cabernet Franc expresses itself differently depending on the terroir, the climate, and the estate that grows it. We can distinguish three styles of wine made from Cabernet Franc:

Cabernet Franc as a rosé wine:

Appearance: pale pink to light ruby in color

Nose: very fragrant, with notes of red fruit, forest floor, and spices

Palate: fresh and inviting, delicately sweet in the off-dry rosés (AOC Cabernet d’Anjou)

Cabernet Franc vinified on its own as a Loire red:

Appearance: garnet-red color

Nose: aromas of red and black fruit (strawberry, cherry, blackcurrant), violet, and smoke. Some develop notes of green bell pepper.

Palate: rather supple, light, and fresh, though some wines can be richer and more structured

Cabernet Franc blended in Bordeaux red wines:

Appearance: red color with purple highlights

Nose: aromas of red and black fruit, plum, and even vanilla or cocoa

Palate: full and smooth

The best food pairings with Cabernet Franc

Here are our tips for a successful food pairing with Cabernet Franc through the best appellations in France:

  • To go with a country terrine or rillettes, turn to a bottle of Loire red from an estate in AOC Chinon or AOC Bourgueil. Its aromas of red and black fruit (blackcurrant), flowers (violet), and spices, along with its light, inviting character, pair perfectly with charcuterie.

  • If you want a pairing with a grilled rib of beef, go for a bottle of Bordeaux red in AOC Lalande-de-Pomerol or AOC Fronsac. Blended with Merlot, Cabernet Franc gives these Bordeaux wines a lovely suppleness and a fruitiness ideal for accompanying red meat.

  • For dessert, try pairing a raspberry tart or a strawberry charlotte with a bottle of off-dry rosé from an estate in AOC Cabernet d’Anjou. This rosé, with its notes of pomegranate and cherry and its delicate sweetness, is a wonderful match for your aperitifs and red-fruit desserts.

Has this guide made you want to taste a bottle of red or rosé wine made from Cabernet Franc? At Avenue des Vins, every estate is selected with the greatest care, and every wine is available for home delivery, sourced directly from the estate or château of your choice. Whether you choose a bottle of red or rosé from the Loire or Bordeaux made from Cabernet Franc, or from any other region of France, discover our wines at the best price, delivered to your door!

Blending in Bordeaux or single varietal in the Loire: the role of Cabernet Franc

Depending on the region, Cabernet Franc does not play the same role. On the Right Bank of Bordeaux, around Saint-Émilion, it most often complements Merlot: it brings freshness, a framework of fine tannins, and a floral touch that refines its partner’s roundness. It is this aromatic finesse that winegrowers look for when they give it a place in the blend.

In the Loire, the grape changes status and often takes the leading role, vinified on its own. Its personality then expresses itself directly, in reds with crunchy fruit and a recognizable signature. Appellations such as Chinon, Bourgueil, and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil have built their reputation on this single-varietal expression, where nothing masks the fruit or the freshness of Cabernet Franc.

Serving and storing a Cabernet Franc wine

Serving temperature is set according to the style of the wine. A rosé is served cool, around 8 to 10 °C. A light, fruity Loire red is best served between 14 and 16 °C, a temperature that preserves its liveliness. A more structured red, especially when it is part of a Bordeaux blend, is better shown between 16 and 18 °C.

For the youngest, most supple cuvées, decanting is not essential: the fruit is already there. The more tannic wines, for their part, open up readily after some time in a decanter. In any case, a fairly large glass lets the aromas of red fruit and flowers unfold.

As for storage, here again it all depends on the profile. The light reds are drunk in their first few years, on the fruit. The more concentrated cuvées can wait and see their tannins soften over time. Store the bottles lying down, away from light and temperature swings.

Frequently asked questions about Cabernet Franc

What is the difference between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon?

Cabernet Franc is one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, but their styles differ markedly. Cabernet Franc produces finer, lighter, and often fresher wines, carried by red fruit and a floral touch. Cabernet Sauvignon, for its part, is more tannic, more structured, and more powerful. That is why they are readily combined in the same blend: their characters complement each other.

Where does the bell pepper taste sometimes found in Cabernet Franc come from?

The green bell pepper note is a possible signature of the grape. It is linked to the ripeness of the fruit: it comes out above all when the grapes are harvested slightly underripe or in cooler vintages. With fully ripe grapes, the wine leans more toward red and black fruit.

Does Cabernet Franc make wines for cellaring?

It depends on the style. The supple, fruity reds common in the Loire are best enjoyed young, when their fruit is vibrant. The more structured cuvées, as well as the wines where Cabernet Franc is part of a blend, do on the other hand have real cellaring potential and grow more harmonious over the years.

Is Cabernet Franc always a red wine?

Cabernet Franc is a black grape, most often vinified as a red, but not only. It also makes lovely rosés, as in the Cabernet d’Anjou appellation. There is, however, no white Cabernet Franc.