Cabernet Franc
Today we travel to the small village of Chinon in the western part of France, roughly halfway north and south in the country and just off the southern banks of the Loire River. In fact, technically, we are on the quite steep banks of the La Rue Vienne, but knowing that would help almost nobody.
We're drinking Cabernet Franc, once the most treasured of all red grapes in France. One of the five classic red grapes of Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc is actually a parent of both Cabernet Sauvignon (along with Sauvignon Blanc, sometimes just referred to as Sauvignon) and of Merlot (along with Magdeleine Noir, likely that grape's only claim to fame).
In the early 17th Century, Cabernet Franc was the choice of the church in France as Cardinal Richelieu had a particular fascination with the grape and its wine. As late as the mid-1960s, there was as much Cabermet Franc planted in France as either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, despite Cabernet Franc rarely being produced as single varietal wine, but as the world grew to like the weight and more intense fruit of Cabernet Sauvignon and the softer fruit-forwardness of Merlot, Cabernet Franc fell out of favor among winemakers and therefore vginerons.
The grapes are smaller and lighter in color than those of Cabernet Sauvignon. They harvest typically about a week (sometimes more) earlier and therefore are much less susceptible to sudden changes in weather, particularly heavy rain, right before harvest. But, quite annoyingly, the small grapes are highly susceptible to coulure, almost a dwarfism among grapes where their inability to grow larger causes them to fall of the vines.
The curse (and sometimes the blessing) of Cabernet Franc is its high methoxypyrazine (usually referred to as pyrazines in the wine world) level. When well tamed, it produces the intense flavors of green bell peppers, black pepper, and jalapeno peppers in red wines and the noticeable grapefruit notes in many Sauvignon Blancs (particularly in Marlborough, New Zealand). Winemakers have learned that significantly heating the must of the Cabernet Franc to 50C/122F makes the pyrazines volatile and tends to bring them out of the must solution. Such heat, however, may have other issues.
The best wines made predominantly Cabernet Franc age well despite the naturally moderate tannins in the grape (see, for example, the wines of Chateau Cheval Blanc). They still have the strong notes of the pepper trio, but may also brim with the likes of raspberry, rose brambles, licorice, and pencil lead (yes, pencil lead, as well as other beauties like cat's pee and garden hose, are common wine descriptors). As the Cabernet Franc ages, expect notes of dried tobacco, well-aged leather, and cayenne-infused dark chocolate.
Caberner Franc is a naturally quite acidic grape. Pair it with tomato-laden sauces, vinegary Carolina-style BBQ, weighty legumes such as lentils, green olives, and rosemary lamb chops. For those preferring a less tannic wine than Cabernet Sauvignon, pair with steak au poivre.
We're drinking Cabernet Franc, once the most treasured of all red grapes in France. One of the five classic red grapes of Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc is actually a parent of both Cabernet Sauvignon (along with Sauvignon Blanc, sometimes just referred to as Sauvignon) and of Merlot (along with Magdeleine Noir, likely that grape's only claim to fame).
In the early 17th Century, Cabernet Franc was the choice of the church in France as Cardinal Richelieu had a particular fascination with the grape and its wine. As late as the mid-1960s, there was as much Cabermet Franc planted in France as either Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot, despite Cabernet Franc rarely being produced as single varietal wine, but as the world grew to like the weight and more intense fruit of Cabernet Sauvignon and the softer fruit-forwardness of Merlot, Cabernet Franc fell out of favor among winemakers and therefore vginerons.
The grapes are smaller and lighter in color than those of Cabernet Sauvignon. They harvest typically about a week (sometimes more) earlier and therefore are much less susceptible to sudden changes in weather, particularly heavy rain, right before harvest. But, quite annoyingly, the small grapes are highly susceptible to coulure, almost a dwarfism among grapes where their inability to grow larger causes them to fall of the vines.
The curse (and sometimes the blessing) of Cabernet Franc is its high methoxypyrazine (usually referred to as pyrazines in the wine world) level. When well tamed, it produces the intense flavors of green bell peppers, black pepper, and jalapeno peppers in red wines and the noticeable grapefruit notes in many Sauvignon Blancs (particularly in Marlborough, New Zealand). Winemakers have learned that significantly heating the must of the Cabernet Franc to 50C/122F makes the pyrazines volatile and tends to bring them out of the must solution. Such heat, however, may have other issues.
The best wines made predominantly Cabernet Franc age well despite the naturally moderate tannins in the grape (see, for example, the wines of Chateau Cheval Blanc). They still have the strong notes of the pepper trio, but may also brim with the likes of raspberry, rose brambles, licorice, and pencil lead (yes, pencil lead, as well as other beauties like cat's pee and garden hose, are common wine descriptors). As the Cabernet Franc ages, expect notes of dried tobacco, well-aged leather, and cayenne-infused dark chocolate.
Caberner Franc is a naturally quite acidic grape. Pair it with tomato-laden sauces, vinegary Carolina-style BBQ, weighty legumes such as lentils, green olives, and rosemary lamb chops. For those preferring a less tannic wine than Cabernet Sauvignon, pair with steak au poivre.
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