Cabernet Franc

A mixture of wines made using the Cabernet Franc Grape variety.

Cabernet Franc is often used in blends in Bordeaux but can also make a powerful single varietal red wine. This fantastic grape is now becoming very popular in Chile as other countries start to replicate the old French varietals that work so well. Cabernet Franc is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon and it gives a peppery aroma when it is blended with more robust grapes.

Depending on the country and region in which it is grown it can give a great variety of aromas such... Read More

A mixture of wines made using the Cabernet Franc Grape variety.

Cabernet Franc is often used in blends in Bordeaux but can also make a powerful single varietal red wine. This fantastic grape is now becoming very popular in Chile as other countries start to replicate the old French varietals that work so well. Cabernet Franc is lighter than Cabernet Sauvignon and it gives a peppery aroma when it is blended with more robust grapes.

Depending on the country and region in which it is grown it can give a great variety of aromas such as tobacco, raspberry, bell pepper, violets and cassis to name a few. Bizarrely Cabernet Franc is used in Canada and the USA to make Icewine but it is mostly used in blended wines. 

The origins of Cabernet Franc are believed to lie in the Chinon region of the Loire area in France. This grape thrives in slightly cooler climates than Cabernet Sauvignon and this is one of the reasons it isn't necessarily planted in every country. The berries are small and blue in colour and they have quite thin skins. This varietal loves to be planted in sandy, chalky soils and it will produce more full-bodied wines if it is planted in this sort of soil.

It is one of the twenty most planted grape varieties in the world and is popular in France, Italy, Canada, Hungary, the USA, South Africa, Chile, New Zealand and Argentina.