Cabernet Franc

Cabernet Franc has two important roles in French wine. First, it is the principle red grape variety of the Loire Valley. In appellations like Saumur-Champigny, Chinon, Bourgueil and Anjou-Villages it produces a light, fragrant, structured red which is both delicious young and capable of developing amazing complexity over many years. Second, Cabernet Franc is an important grape in Bordeaux, where it is blended with other grape varieties, especially on the right bank in St-Emilion. Indeed, it is the main part of the blend for arguably Bordeaux’s greatest wine, Château Cheval Blanc. Outside France, it has yet to catch on to any great extent, but as the fashion moves away from super-ripe wines, it is beginning to gain ground.