On the radar: Cabernet Franc

On the radar: Cabernet Franc

He is not averse to a threesome, but with his mysterious character, he also knows how to loosen tongues on his own. Though still with a limited audience. His PR could use a boost. And it deserves it! So, more on Cabernet Franc. - TEXT EVELIJN VAN HEUVEN

Right off the bat: cabernet franc is a real, authentic Frenchman. Great as a soloist in the Loire region. With a nice individual character. Famous is it as part of the unrivalled wines of Bordeaux. Together with cabernet sauvignon and merlot, he forms a world-class trio there. But how is he such a Francophile? Do you not come across him outside the French borders at all? And what makes cabernet franc unique? What do you really need to know about this grape?

PENCIL SHAVINGS

If there is one place in the world where cabernet franc does have name recognition, it is the Loire. For centuries, the people have embraced the grape. Here, it is given the space to take the stage on its own
suits. Wines like Chinon, Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny are made 100 per cent from cabernet franc. They are impressive wines with a smoky character, full of berry fruit and with a refined structure. Besides Cabernets that can age beautifully, reminiscent of a wet autumn forest, there are also wines that can be drunk young. These are fresher in style and
have scents and flavours like raspberries, cherries, berries, strawberries and violets. Most distinctive though is the fresh pencil sharpening that you regularly taste back. The wines have something earthy, something green (pepper) and are slightly drying in mouthfeel. Tannins? There are, but mostly in reserved amounts.

GOOD IN THE LOIRE

The big question now, of course, is why cabernet franc does so well in the cooler Loire. First of all, it is because of the speed at which it ripens. It is, in fact, relatively fast. Thus cabernet
franc ripens a week earlier than its Bordeaux 'mattie', cabernet sauvignon. Another factor in the Loire that the grape thrives on is the soil. Cabernet Franc loves cooler, sandy, chalky soils. And that is exactly what you find here. Take Chinon, for example: here, the sandy and gravelly soil near the river's floodplain makes for light, subtle wines that are especially suited to drinking young. If you look a little higher up, you will find clay and limestone on the slopes.

 

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