How and Why Did Cabernet Franc Become My Grape of Choice?
Background
Many people both casual wine drinkers and wine aficionados have asked what and why my “love affair” with Cabernet Franc? Firstly, I enjoy just about all varieties of wine from A (Alberino) to Z (Zinfandel). But very few wines have had the endurance run that Cabernet Franc has in my life.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
It started at a tasting with Robert Mondavi in 1978 at his winery. Both my wife and I were caught off guard as to the intensity of flavor of his 1974 Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve. While always liking his wines, he mentioned that using a small percentage of Cabernet Franc provided a punch and texture to accent the Cabernet Sauvignon. Being a newbie in the wine world at that time, I was fascinated to hear about and explore Cabernet Franc in great depth.
The Journey
Photo ©Michael Kelly
From that day forward, I started ferreting out Cabernet Franc wines and winemakers. Back in 1978 very few wineries were making a 100% Cabernet Franc but used it sparingly and in moderation for blending. While Cabernet Franc has always been a wine of importance in Bordeaux blends it was not really a known standalone wine in the USA until the 1990’s. As the years passed, I started literally sniffing out small producers of Cabernet Franc wine. One of the first was Crocker & Starr with Pam Starr being a strong advocate of this grape. She in turn provided me “clues” to other great winemakers of Cabernet Franc. Over the years I met many winemakers and tasted such remarkable wines of Cabernet Franc from Keenan, Barnett, Titus, LXV Wines, Cuda Ridge, Dracaena Wines, Absolution Cellars, PureCru, Crystal Basin Cellars, Wood Family Vineyards, Shale Canyon, Kautz & Kramer, L’Autre Cote, 3 Steves, Rosa Fierro Cellars, McKenzie-Mueller, Kenefick Ranch, J. Lohr Vineyards, Ancient Peaks, Lava Cap, Villa Vallecito, Mineral Wines, Selin Cellars, Dunning Vineyards, Vinoce, Palazzo, Brickbarn, Middle Oaks, Mountain Terraces, Callaghan Vineyards, Vivac, Quady North, Narmada Winery, Fjord Vineyards, Benmarl, Detert, Vermilion Valley, Oakville East, YoungInglewood, Trespass Vineyards, Vineyard 29, Shadybrook Estate, Spangler Vineyards, Camaraderie Cellars and many more across the USA. Also found a host of wines from Argentina, Chile, France, Italy, Canada and many more countries.
While I can’t seriously remember the first 100% Cabernet Franc I tasted, it has since attracted me to try and taste many production vintages by wineries, terroirs and regions of the world trying to understand its nuances of flavors. Essentially no two are identical!
Today I have many vintages of Crocker & Starr Cabernet Franc in cellar and credit Pam Starr with fostering and developing my “love affair” with Cabernet Franc. All the previous wineries mentioned, and many others have been such a joy to savor their wine on this journey of 100% Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Franc blend odyssey.
The Allure
Over the years, I have found many other noteworthy and reputable wine aficionados have had a similar “love affair” with Cabernet Franc. Jancis Mary Robinson the well know British wine critic, journalist and wine writer quote of Cabernet Franc sums up her feelings “I’m not a huge enthusiast of the sexual stereotyping of wines but even I can see that Cabernet Franc might be described as the feminine side of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is subtly fragrant and gently flirtatious rather than massively muscular and tough in youth. Because Cabernet Sauvignon has so much more of everything – body, tannin, alcohol, color – it is often supposed to be necessarily superior, but I have a very soft spot indeed for its more charming and more aromatic relative, Cabernet Franc.”
Steven Kent Mirassou, 6th generation winemaker extraordinaire of Lineage Collection, L’Autre Côte Wines and Steven Kent Winery and recent author also has a straight forward “love affair” with Cabernet Franc with this quote “Cabernet Franc, in its purest form, is all about sex. From the silkiness of its texture to the exoticism of its aromas; from the raciness of its acidity to its emotion-prodding “it-ness,” Cabernet Franc is terrifyingly and wonderfully naughty”.
For me, I have for years called Cabernet Franc “the seductress of wines”, as I was smitten back in 1978!
Cabernet Franc as the Utility Player of Red Wine
But why Cabernet Franc verses for example Cabernet Sauvignon? Again, I love Cabernet Sauvignon and it dominates the cellar by volume and Cabernet Franc being the second largest varietal. I believe wine and food are like one coin being of heads & tails, wine and food pairings bring out the best in each other. While a few wines can be enjoyed as a stand-alone drink, together they bring out the best in each other. In my weekly writings, I quote Andre Simon in the statement “Food without wine is a corpse; wine without food is a ghost. United and well matched, they are as body and soul: living partners”.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Cabernet Franc can easily be referred to as the utility player of red wines. With it grown world-wide, its terroir is indigenous to the location grown and food profiles range the gamut. Robert Parker in quoting about Cabernet Franc from Crocker & Starr stated they “are glorious representations of this underrated variety, and are the very definition of tension, precision of flavors, great structure and a texture that begs for a wide host of foods. This could be because there’s a note of cardamom in these Cabernet Francs, which may be their hallmark. Cardamom is a mysterious spice, often recalling bark, stones, flowers and fruit all at once. So it’s no wonder these wines are welcome at most any table.”
While extremely easy to pair up a nice ribeye or filet mignon with a Cabernet Sauvignon, it is equally enjoyable to have it paired with a heavy, tannin and acidic Cabernet Franc. Cabernet Franc from Loire Valley is a mild, soft and cuddly Cabernet Franc and can be a great dinner companion from pork to just about any main entrée. A noteworthy high-altitude wine from New Mexico, Vivac can handle just about any red meat. Even sparkling Cabernet Franc Rose, Blanc or a lighter “Chinon style” Cabernet Franc can go with many fish selections such as salmon, Petrale sole, tuna, etc.
Cabernet Franc Becoming King
The evolution of Cabernet Franc has exploded during the last few years as a standalone varietal. In the latest California Red Wine Grape Crush (2023) it shows that Cabernet Franc is the most expensive grape varietal per ton on average for the harvest. It went for $4,534/ton and Cabernet Sauvignon went for $2,121/ton. These are average prices per ton for the entire state.
Seven years ago, I met via telephone call with Lori Budd of Dracaena Wines. She and her husband Michael were responsible for securing December 4th on the worldwide calendar as Cabernet Franc Day. This day continued to intrigue me for about a year and decided to hold a wine competition exclusively for this varietal.
Cabernet Franc is so wide ranging in flavor based upon the terroir that appeal is worthwhile on its own accord. Add to the “mysteries of the grape” and range of intensity, you now have my personal perspective of this tantalizing wine. It is with this background that I started 6 years ago the Annual International Cabernet Wine Competition. It is held in March/April timeframe with two sets of judges (Professional & People’s Choice) and is a blind competition.
If you want to truly appreciate an intriguing and opulent wine, pick up a bottle of Cabernet Franc and possibly start your own love affair.
Sláinte,
Michael
August 28, 2024 at 9:49 pm
Nicely done
September 6, 2024 at 8:47 pm
The best variety in the world IMHO – but I may be prejudice LOL