Cabernet Franc Wine

Cabernet Franc is another grape variety that tends to be used as a blend with other wines rather than for its own sake. The Cabernet Franc vine is an early ripening variety with a thin skin that is not unduly affected by cold winters. This grape has low acidity and produces wines that are of a pale red hue and blends well therefore with heavier, full-bodied wines such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. When this combination of wines is blended it is usually known as the Bordeaux style or the Meritage blend. Another popular Cabernet Franc blend is the Château Cheval Blanc, in this case Cabernet Franc is blended with Merlot only and the Cabernet Franc is the dominant wine.

Cabernet Franc is used most notably in the Loire valley, where it is often the main constituent of a number of red wines produced by this famous French wine region. Such wines as Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur all have a considerable Cabernet Franc blend. While in Canada there is even an ice wine made from Cabernet Franc!

Cabernet Franc is most popular within Bordeaux where it has a record dating back to the 18th century. However, it was also known in the Loire before the 18^th century, where it was called Breton; thus hinting at an origin in Brittany. More interesting from an historical viewpoint however, is the recent establishment of Cabernet Franc as the definite sire of the more famous Cabernet Sauvignon grape variety. This has been determined by modern DNA investigations, which have determined that Cabernet Sauvignon is in fact a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

Cabernet Franc has been recorded quite early in Australia’s wine history and most likely was included in the collection of Spanish and French vines brought to Australia by James Busby in 1832. Nevertheless, as with so many wines not suitable to be fortified or for producing heavy reds, it was neglected. In the 1990’s however, this grape variety along with many others was planted in numerous regions around Australia, in particular it is now grown in such cool to warm and warm climates as McLaren Vale and Clare Valley wine regions in South Australia.

Cabernet Franc is often blended in Australia with Cabernet Sauvignon in order to lessen the strong impact of the heavier grape and so producing a lighter, more fruity wine. But there are countless more blending possibilities and many of these are being tried among Australia’s innovative winemakers.

While not perhaps typical of the type of blending that Cabernet Franc is most used for, the Philip Shaw No.17 Merlot Cabernet Franc Cabernet 2006, is nevertheless one that shows clearly the value of Cabernet Franc in modifying heavier wines. This splendid vintage is the product of the Koomooloo Vineyard of the Orange wine region in NSW. Orange is a high-altitude, cool-climate region that brings out the best in its Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. When these splendid wines are blended together, the depth of the Cabernet Sauvignon and the softness of the Merlot gain just that added boost through the addition of the Cabernet Franc. For this Philip Shaw vintage the perfect blend is 55% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 25% Cabernet Franc.

Another cool climate region that also produces excellent Cabernet Franc, among other varieties, is that of Eden Valley. The Eden Valley lies just to the east of the more famous Barossa wine region, and at around 400 and 600 metres is part of the Mount Lofty Ranges. Within this rugged region is produced the Irvine Merlot Cabernet Franc by Irvine Wines. This blend follows the traditional European blending of these two fine wines - Merlot 50% and Cabernet Franc 50% - to create what may become an Australian classic, just as the similarly blended Cheval Blanc of Bordeaux is already.

Yet another great blending of Cabernet Franc is to be found in Western Australia where WoodSmoke Estate in the mild and dry Pemberton wine region has created a 1999 Cabernet Sauvignon/Cabernet Franc. This deep crimson red wine, a blend of 50% Cabernet Sauvignon and 50% Cabernet Franc, is as full bodied as you could wish with hints of wonderful flavours that a few years of aging will bring to their peak.

France continues to have by far the greatest amount of Cabernet Franc plantings, but its increasing popularity in places such as Australia, New Zealand, and Argentina, as well as expansions in the United States, including in Long Island, New York and California, show that the future of this variety world-wide is assured.

Despite the usual tendency of the New World to experiment and innovate, it is possibly in the heart of the Old World’s wine industry, in France itself, that most innovation with Cabernet Franc is taking place. In recent times Cabernet Franc has been planted in regions well beyond its traditional homes of Bordeaux and the Loire, and is now found throughout France. In these regions Cabernet Franc is increasingly blended with local varieties such as Carignan in the Midi, Tannat in the Pyrénées and even with such rosé wine as the Floc de Gascogne Rosé.

Nevertheless, as can be seen from the examples above, Cabernet Franc is a respected variety in Australia that you will often see on your wine label as it makes a vital contribution to the taste and body of your most enjoyable drinking experiences.