Understand the grape
Getting to know the grape
InterLoire describes Loire Cabernet Franc as light to medium bodied, with supple tannin and lively acidity. Aromas run from raspberry and blackcurrant to violet, green bell pepper and fresh herbs. The greener notes tend to show when grapes ripen less fully, so a cooler year or site may lean towards pepper and herbs, while a ripe one brings more red fruit. Colour is moderate, paler than Cabernet Sauvignon, but the Bordeaux wine council says the berries are rich in polyphenols, the compounds that supply tannin, so the wines can age well.
Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny are all built on Cabernet Franc, yet the grape is rarely printed on the label, which names the place instead. In Bordeaux the grape mostly appears in blends. It covers about 9 per cent of the red vineyard, roughly a third of the vines in Saint-Émilion, and plays a smaller part on the Left Bank. Crossed with Sauvignon Blanc it gave Cabernet Sauvignon, and crossed with Magdeleine Noire des Charentes it gave Merlot.
Where Cabernet Franc changes
Grape to place
Compare how the grape grows and tastes in these places. Each guide explains the local wines; the Atlas shows where they come from.
Touraine
Chinon, Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil are red appellations built on Cabernet Franc. In Chinon and Bourgueil the rules name it as the main grape and allow up to 10 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon. Red is about 90 per cent of Chinon's wine and about 95 per cent of Bourgueil's. Both rule books link chalky slopes to wines with firmer structure and sandy gravel to fruitier, softer ones.
Anjou-Saumur
Saumur-Champigny is red only, with Cabernet Franc as the main grape. Cabernet Sauvignon and Pineau d'Aunis together may not exceed 15 per cent. The vines stand on chalky soils, and the rules describe wines that are fresh, round and supple, with red fruit and violet. Elsewhere in Anjou the grape also makes Anjou-Villages reds and the rosé Cabernet d'Anjou.
Libournais
The Bordeaux wine council calls Saint-Émilion the grape's stronghold in Bordeaux, with Cabernet Franc on roughly a third of the vines. In Pomerol it covers about 15 per cent of the vineyard. Merlot leads both, so Cabernet Franc is usually the partner that adds freshness, perfume and tannin rather than the grape named on the label.
Bolgheri & Etruscan Coast
The Bolgheri rules allow Cabernet Franc to make up anything from none to all of a Rosso or Rosso Superiore, alongside Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. The label gives the place and not the grape, so a producer's blend tells you more than the appellation does.
Villány
In southern Hungary, Cabernet Franc arrived after phylloxera with the other French grapes and is among those allowed for prémium wines. Prémium needs grapes of at least 12.83 per cent potential alcohol and yields of no more than 8.5 tonnes per hectare.
What changes the result
Vineyard and cellar
The ripeness of the grapes, contact with their skins, and time in tanks or barrels all help shape the wine. Here is what to look for.
Ripening and site
Cabernet Franc ripens after Merlot but before Cabernet Sauvignon. The Chinon rules describe it as a later-ripening grape growing near the edge of its range, so the vintage matters. In a cool year, wines may show more pepper and herbs, while a warm year brings riper red fruit and rounder tannin.
Chalk and gravel
The Bourgueil and Chinon rules connect different soils to different wines. Chalky tuffeau slopes suit reds with more tannic structure, while sandy and gravelly terraces suit fruitier wines with fine, soft tannin that can be enjoyed in the year after harvest. Many growers blend the two.
Blending
In Bordeaux, the wine council says Cabernet Franc softens the power of Cabernet Sauvignon and complements the roundness of Merlot. In the Loire it is usually made alone, although the rules allow up to 10 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon in Chinon and Bourgueil. Touraine blends can also include Gamay or Côt.
Tank and barrel
Stainless steel keeps raspberry and violet fruit bright, while barrels add spice, vanilla and structure. Producers differ widely. Couly-Dutheil, for example, says most of its wines have been made without oak since 2003, while its Crescendo blends new oak, used oak and tank.
Rosé
Cabernet Franc also makes rosé, including Cabernet d'Anjou and Rosé de Loire. Chinon's rules put its rosé at about 8 per cent of the appellation's volume, with most of the rest red.
Read the label
On the bottle
A label may name the place instead of the grape. These names and terms help you work out what is in the bottle.
- Chinon
- A Loire appellation along the Vienne valley. The red is made mainly from Cabernet Franc, with up to 10 per cent Cabernet Sauvignon allowed, and the grape name is usually left off the front label. Chinon also makes rosé and a small amount of white from Chenin Blanc.
- Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil
- Two neighbouring appellations on the north bank of the Loire. Both are built on Cabernet Franc, and in Bourgueil a wine cannot be made from Cabernet Sauvignon alone.
- Saumur and Saumur-Champigny
- Saumur-Champigny is a red-only appellation led by Cabernet Franc. Plain Saumur is a wider appellation that also covers white and sparkling wines, so the word Champigny matters.
- Cabernet d'Anjou
- A rosé made from Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon. The name contains a grape but describes a pink wine, so check the colour and the sweetness level on the label.
- Breton and Bouchet
- Local names for Cabernet Franc. Breton is used in the Loire, and the Chinon rules cite Rabelais using it in 1534. Bouchet is used around Libourne in Bordeaux. Breton has nothing to do with Brittany.
At the table and in the cellar
Practical use
Serve
Serve Cabernet Franc at about 14 to 16°C in a medium-bowled glass. Light Loire reds are happy with a slight chill, which keeps their raspberry fruit lively, while firmer Saint-Émilion blends are better a little warmer.
Eat
Fresh acidity and herbal notes suit herb-roast chicken, grilled pork chops and lentil stew. Tomato sauces, roasted peppers and goat's cheese also work. Very sweet or smoky barbecue sauces can overpower a lighter bottle.
Keep
Many Loire bottles are made to drink within about three to eight years. Wines from sandy soils can be enjoyed in the year after harvest, while more structured wines from chalk, and the better Bordeaux blends, can be kept longer and may take on smoky, cocoa and spicy notes.
Taste it in three steps
Three bottles
You can try these bottles on separate occasions. Keep a note of the name, vintage and what you notice, then use the steps below to decide what to compare.
- 01
Start with Chinon
Chill a Chinon or Bourgueil slightly. Look for raspberry, violet and a touch of herb, then notice the lively acidity and soft tannin.
- 02
Compare Saumur-Champigny
Taste a Saumur-Champigny beside it. The grape is the same, so any difference in fruit, texture and weight points to place, vintage and producer.
- 03
Find it in a Bordeaux blend
Try a Saint-Émilion, where Cabernet Franc grows on about a third of the vines. It is blended with Merlot, so notice what perfume and freshness it adds.