Written by Christine Bertoli
Cabernet Franc has shaped some of the world’s greatest wines. So why does it still live in the shadow of its offspring?
What is Cabernet Franc?
Cabernet Franc’s importance in the wine world cannot be overstated. Whether used on its own or playing a supporting role in a blend, it is responsible for, and contributes to, some of the world’s most celebrated wines.
Cabernet Franc has long lived in the shadow of Cabernet Sauvignon. This seems particularly unfair considering that DNA profiling in 1997 established Cabernet Franc, alongside Sauvignon Blanc, as one of Cabernet Sauvignon’s parents, almost certainly born in 17th-century Bordeaux as a natural crossing of the two. Cabernet Franc can also claim Merlot and Carménère among its descendants. You might even think of it as one of wine’s original nepo-parents.
If more proof were needed, we could look to its name. Historically, the French word franc conveyed the sense of authenticity or high quality. Some scholars therefore interpret Cabernet Franc as meaning something akin to ‘the true Cabernet’ or the ‘noble Cabernet’.
Why Cabernet Franc Deserves More Attention
With such an impressive pedigree, it comes as no surprise that its character is every bit as distinctive.
Cabernet Franc is known for its hallmark herbaceous and bell pepper notes, but there is far more to the variety than these familiar signatures. It can also offer red fruit and sometimes even pencil lead and mint, and in cooler climates, you might find violet. In warmer regions, the profile shifts towards dried fruit and cayenne pepper. Depending on climate, ripeness at harvest and, as always, winemaking decisions, the wines can range from light and fresh to rich and full-bodied.
In the best hands, the grape’s naturally fresh acidity provides the balance to sublimate the whole.
From Bordeaux to the World
While Cabernet Franc has since travelled the globe, France remains its ancestral heart. The grape is believed to have originated in southwestern France, although there is some evidence that its origins lie in the neighbouring Basque region.
In Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc continues to play an essential role. On the Left Bank, it often contributes complexity — albeit more often as a supporting act — to blends alongside its more famous offspring Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. On the Right Bank, however, it frequently takes on a more prominent role, helping to define the character of iconic estates such as Château Cheval Blanc and Château Lafleur.
Yet Cabernet Franc is more than a supporting player. To understand its versatility, we explore five regions where this grape takes centre stage. Each is a compelling expression of this multi-faceted variety, offering different yet equally authentic combinations of fruit and texture.
Loire Valley: Cabernet Franc’s Spiritual Home
We begin in the grape’s spiritual home, the Loire Valley, where red wines have long been synonymous with Cabernet Franc.
Our first stop is St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, where Cabernet Franc finds one of its most classical expressions. St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil Les Graviers Domaine du Bourg 2023 is an organic and biodynamic Cabernet Franc that captures the supple, fragrant charm of the appellation. Generous red and woodland fruits meet a savoury finish, making this a beautifully balanced and immediately inviting example of the grape.
Meanwhile, in Anjou, Clau de Nell captures the fresh, perfumed style of the region in this 2022 Cabernet Franc. The cool climate produces a medium-bodied wine with soft tannins, high acidity and notes of raspberry, roasted bell pepper, pencil shavings, tomato leaf, white flowers and herbs. Biodynamic winemaking lends additional energy to this pure expression of Loire Cabernet Franc.
An Italian Interpretation: from Friuli to Tuscany
From the cool Atlantic influence of the Loire, we cross the Alps to Friuli-Venezia Giulia in north-eastern Italy, where Cabernet Franc has found a distinctive local voice. Cabernet Franc Tunella 2024 comes from the eastern hills of Friuli, whose signature ponca soils of marl and sandstone lend the wine both weight and finesse. Ripe and juicy, it combines bramble fruit and wild cherry with the variety’s characteristic herbaceous lift.
Moving south to Tuscany, we find Cabernet Franc in a richer, black fruit guise. Popularised in Tuscany with the arrival of the Super Tuscans in the 1980s, Cabernet Franc has in fact been grown in the region for over 500 years, ever since Catherine de’ Medici introduced it from France in the 16th century. Vignamaggio Cabernet Franc 2020 comes from old vines rediscovered by chance in the 1990s, which thrive in the Tuscan sun, allowing a riper interpretation of the variety. The wine dances on the palate, offering flavours of crushed blueberries, blackcurrants, mint, sage and sweet red pepper.
For those wishing to explore Cabernet Franc’s more rarefied expressions, consider Lodovico Tenuta di Biserno 2018, created by Lodovico Antinori, founder of Ornellaia and one of the original maestros behind the Super Tuscan movement. Here Cabernet Franc assumes a Tuscan identity shaped by the clay- and mineral-rich soils of the ‘Bolgheri conglomerate’ and the moderating influence of the nearby Tyrrhenian Sea. Concentrated aromas of black plum, red pepper flakes, cocoa, cinnamon, tobacco and leather reveal a wine of remarkable poise. A truly great wine.
South Africa: The Oldest New World Wine Region
In South Africa, Cabernet Franc has traditionally featured in Bordeaux-style blends, and single-varietal bottlings are uncommon but increasingly sought after. Lisha Nelson Signature Range Cabernet Franc 2019 is the flagship wine produced by winemaker Lisha Nelson at Nelson Wine Estate and sits stylistically at the richer, more opulent end of the spectrum. This is no shrinking violet. Rich and expressive, it boasts ripe herbaceousness driven by mint, with dominant notes of blackberry, mocha and liquorice, underpinned by the variety’s unmistakable bell pepper identity.
Coastal Chile: A New Frontier for Cabernet Franc
Our exploration then takes us to Chile’s Curicó coast, where pioneering takes on quite a literal meaning. Just kilometres from the Pacific, the Orueta brothers transformed virgin scrub into the Idahue Estate, creating a wine estate from nothing and, in a remarkably short timeframe, seeing this new viticultural territory enshrined as a DO. It is an extraordinary achievement and one that places Licantén firmly among Chile’s most ambitious new wine frontiers.
Licantén Cabernet Franc Idahue Estate La Ronciere 2023 feels particularly at home in this landscape. Predominantly made with Cabernet Franc, there is depth here, certainly, but also restraint: bold black cherry mingles with milk chocolate and green peppercorn aromas, all carried by a finely poised structure.
The Unexpected Finale
To conclude, we return to the Loire for a wine that has sparked lively discussion at Corney & Barrow’s blind tastings.
Clau de Nell’s Blanc de Noir Cabernet Franc 2023 is an arresting white wine made entirely from Cabernet Franc. The palate is textured, dry and savoury, with notes of lemon peel, cedar, cherry and wild herbs. Distinctive, gastronomic and utterly unconventional, it stands apart from anything you might expect from traditional Loire whites and could make a captivating mystery bottle for your next dinner party.