The lesser-known cabernet - franc

"a vegetarian's best friend" Dracaena Wines

We have been drinking an Aldi rosé recently - well it won a couple of awards in some obscure contest. It was from the Loire region and made exclusively from cabernet-franc, which made me wonder whether cabernet franc was ever produced as a single variant wine, because I didn't remember any. So I investigated, and yes it can be, and indeed it is becoming increasingly popular, particularly it seems in California, Canada, Argentina - and yes Australia too. But let's start with a little history. No - a tiny bit of etymology.

'Franc' - apart from meaning the old French currency, when translated into English means much the same as the English word 'frank', but I saw synonyms that also included hearty and plain. However, the Old French word 'franc' means free and is associated with the ruling class of the Franks:

"A generalization of the tribal name; the connection is that Franks, as the conquering class, alone had the status of freemen in a world that knew only free, captive, or slave."

Cabernet franc, however is also ancient and the daddy of the rather flashier cabernet sauvignon as this family tree shows. It is not quite the daddy of them all however. Recent DNA testing of all these grape varieties, has now established apparently that it is the offspring of two Spanish - well Basque - varieties - morenoa and hondarribi beltza.

Previously, although the Basque country was indeed thought to be its original home, Brittany was also a competitor for the title However, it was not until the 17th century that it was officially recognised, if that's the right term:

"in the 17th century Cardinal Richelieu had the vine classified and installed at the Bourgueil Abbey in the Loire Valley in the care of Abbot Breton. From there the grape spread across France and on to the rest of the world. Today it is grown in wine regions across the globe." Firstleaf

So I wonder whether the Brittany origin story comes from the name of the priest.

And herewith two asides. The brief one is just to note that cabernet franc is sometimes known as breton - after the abbot who first cared for it. More fuel for the appearance of that origin story.

The second is about Loire valley rosé and cabernet franc, because according to the Vins de Loire website:

"When we talk about rosé in the Loire, we of course think of Cabernet Franc, which is the beating heart of the rosés of Anjou and Touraine."

Mostly that cabernet franc is mixed with a number of other wines, but - and here is the aside, a little to the north and east of Saumur is the commune of Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, near that abbey where Abbot Breton held sway, and in that commune, they make rosé exclusively from cabernet franc. Aldi's wine does not come from here, but is nearby - the other side of the river in Bellevigne-les-Chateaux. There are heaps and heaps of vineyards around Saumur, but this does seem to be the area where our wine comes from and from where cabernet franc is king - for red as well as rosé. And I have to say it's a really nice rosé with a quite distinctive taste, although I couldn't say of what.

In a way cabernet franc and rosé itself are identical in the way that they are often dismissed as unworthy of individual attention. In red wines, cabernet franc is often just one of many in a mix - even in the world-beating Bordeaux wines, it is the junior of the three cabernets - and yet vital. As for rosé

"I know each year almost every winemaker says that they’re serious about rosé, meaning they’re taking the exact same care with their pink wines as they do their red and or white, but then a large portion of them go ahead and make their wine with some Frankenstein’ed mix of Merlot, Syrah, Malbec and whatever else happens to be lying around." Neil McLellan/Vancouver Magazine

So no wonder that rosé is often considered to be a woman's drink - and therefore not a real wine. Maybe it's time really has come. Like ours.

Cabernet franc, is however, in its more usual single grape guise - a red wine. Because taste is so subjective, everyone has a different opinion about what it tastes of, although a few things seemed to be common - violets, graphite, tobacco - green capsicum - particularly if it is picked too early, because this can give it a 'vegetal' taste. Here is one summary:

"Cabernet Franc is characterized as a light to medium-bodied, higher acid, lower tannin, medium alcohol, early-maturing, perfumed red varietal. The aroma and flavor profiles can differ quite a bit based on changing weather conditions and where it is grown, but Cabernet Franc tends to have pronounced perfume aromas and flavors of raspberries, blackcurrants, violets and graphite. It is often characterized by a green, vegetal note that can range from leaves to green bell peppers." ENObytes

And what does it look like? Well here it is with some of its relatives. Apart from the cabernet sauvignon relationship, and presumably the cabernet merlot too, I am not really sure what the relationship of the grapes shown here is. Maybe these are those grapes categorised as black grapes, although somebody seemed to think that cabernet franc were red. Although the ones shown here look pretty black to me - and also a long bunch. Somebody said small berries and a thick skin, somebody else said a thin skin, so go figure. One thing I did note, was that where it was grown - the terroir - was hugely influential, although cool climate seemed to be optimal. In Canada and New York - perhaps I also saw in Austria and Switzerland - they make ice wine from it.

"largely marginalised in blends, and often with its identity banished to the back label at that. But franc deserves better. It drives some of the great wines of the world, either in part or in total, and it can be rendered as a wine of immediate vibrancy and intoxicating fragrance, or settle into the satisfied purr of a wine of statuesque pedigree, destined for a long life and sustained glory." Young Gun of Wine

And the same writer maintained that

"Cabernet franc arguably reaches its pinnacle in the cult reds of Clos Rougeard, in Saumur."

So what can Australia offer?

Well the writer of the Young Gun of Wine website, has held a couple of blind tastings and the most recent 'winner' was this 2023 Harrison ‘Vento do Mar’ Cabernet Franc, McLaren Vale - RRP $38 which one of the panel of experts (Abhi Ayare) who did the blind tasting, describes as:

"pretty violets, lot of freshness that reminds you of walking through a rainforest, petrichor, freshly cut grass,"

I should note here, that apart from the typical wine jargon, every other critic on the panel tasted something different. It was selected because of the number of marks they each gave it.

So far the main areas in Australia for cabernet franc are the Adelaide HIlls, the Yarra Valley and Margaret River. Well I suppose McLaren Vale is almost the Adelaide Hills, where, the Paracombe Vineyard is apparently the pioneer of bottling it solo.

And what should you eat it with?

Well looking at this selection here, from the website Love-to-Know, it would seem to be particularly suited to an Australian lifestyle - barbecues, fancy cheese and the increasingly trendy umami stuff like mushrooms and lasagne. I checked out a few other sites, and they were all similar with steak being a very common feature. Game and pork were also very commonly suggested.

And my opening quote was "a vegetarian's best friend" which maybe fits neatly into that category of savoury dishes with the emphasis on umami.

But what about the rosé? Well somebody said that it made an excellent aperitif and indeed it does. But also light meats, pasta, salads and charcuterie. Well it's a summer wine isn't it? Or at least a wine to make you think of summer.

So I wonder if indeed this is the moment that cabernet franc will have its moment in the sun, or whether it will be another brief experiment that ultimately fails.

I'm sure that Aldi's Loire Valley rosé is not the best example around, but it's pretty nice and it only costs $9.99. Which I fear means I shall never taste the $38 bottle from Harrisons, let alone a 2017 Clos Rougeard for $799 or what about $1,226.97 for the 2013 - why the pernickety 97 cents? - not to mention the $95.67 delivery cost? Well ignorance is bliss they say. Is it really? Or do we just feel excluded?

YEARS GONE BY

August 18

2024 - The daily decision

2023 - When a guru disappoints

2022 - Ladies lunch - cult Thai at Chin Chin

2021 - A dream tea on the terrace

2020 - Missing

2019 - A food related bit of misery

2018 - A word from ... Richard Olney

2017 - Searching for a place to eat out

2016 - A word from Delia Smith