Italian Cabernet Franc
Vinum55 Hosted an Informative Cabernet Franc Presentation & Tasting This Week
Chris Jeffers from a local wine distributor, The Natural Wine Company, gave both a presentation and brought some tasty wines to augment the session. Chris was very well versed in his French Cabernet Franc’s wine starting with the lighter and airy versions coming from Chinon and progressing to USA with Pride Mountain Cabernet Franc. The presentation focused more on “ripeness” and “pyrazines’ especially with the French wines from a cooler climate. Below is an ancestral lineage of the Loire Valley.
Up next was a discussion on the Chinon & Bourgueil terroir and how the wines from these regions key taste characteristics.
The first two slides focused on “cool climate Cabernet Franc’s” and then he explained “warm climate expressions” especially with oak aging.
The last slide was a quick summary of global style comparisons of France, Italy and USA. Here he went into a brief chemistry lesson and discerning acidity, tannins and alcohol levels. This is a great guide for the novice/intermediate wine aficionado wanting to understand the key differences and tastes with this universally planted grape varietal.
The first wine up for the evening was the 2022 Manoir de la Tete Rouge, Sammur “Bagatelle” (redhead) being the least ripe grape. First the color in the glass was radiant and semi-transparent with noticeable pyrazines.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Following was the 2024 Bernard Baudry, “Les Granges” Chinon aged in concrete on the valley floor.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
Next up was perhaps the “most attractive wine at the dance”, in my opinion, the 2021 Ampeleia IGT from the western side of Tuscany with some seaside influence. On this both neutral oak and concrete are used. The fruit picked was ripe from this warmer climate and possesses a bit more tannins. This wine hit on all four of my ratings on the eyes, the aroma, the taste and finish. It received my highest ratings of the evening.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We moved to the 2023 Olga Raffault, Chinon Les Barnabes. Right away a shade darker coloring using neutral oak and concrete but with a light pepper taste.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
We ended the tasting with 2023 Pride Mountain Vineyards Cabernet Franc. Those unfamiliar with the winery need to understand its geography uniqueness. Half the vineyard residents in Napa Valley and half in Sonoma County perched on top of Spring Mountain. This came in at 14.6% alcohol, the highest of the tastings. Using oak barrels produced a “savoriness” with a nice balance of tannins. This received my second highest score of the evening. Notice the color is much deeper.
Photo ©Michael Kelly
That concluded an informative and engaging presentation within the allotted time frame for the evening. Thanks Chris Jeffers and Vinum55 for holding this tasting.
Sláinte,
Michael Kelly