Welcome to Wine 102, a deeper dive into some of the less common varietals you see on store shelves or restaurant wine lists. While Chenin Blanc and Pinot Gris are both great if you like whites, they’re not the best if you’re craving something red. Fear not, first in our series of reds is Cabernet Franc.
If the name looks a bit familiar, it’s because Cabernet Franc is actually the parent to not only Cabernet Sauvignon (with Sauvignon Blanc), but also Merlot. Aside from it’s famous offspring, Cabernet Franc actually has a rather long history on it’s own in France, where it’s been a key varietal since at least the 1700s. Aside from making fantasticly deep wines from the Anjou in Liore, Cabernet Franc is something of an insurance policy in areas like Bordeaux and New York as it blooms and ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. When you have a short growing season this is critical!
When Cabernet Franc is underripe, it is perhaps one of the most pronounced green pepper flavors of any varietal (this is most likely that herbaceous note in your Cab Sauv). However, when it’s ripe, it can become a soaringly beautiful wine with a medium red body, delicate floral characteristics, beautiful red fruits, and dark chocolate. Outside of Liore, France, it also grows well in California, Northern Italy, and New York.
Quick Facts on Cabernet Franc:
Color: Red
Style: Dry
Body: Medium
General Characteristics: Strawberry, Bell Pepper, Minerality, Floral, Chocolate
Notable Regions: Liore (France), California, New York / Niagara Canada
Sure, you could go out and drop $50 on a bottle of Flora Springs Ghost Winery Cabernet Franc, but that’s just too expensive for most people to pop open. Fortunately, there are plenty of Cabernet Franc examples at an affordable price. So how does Lazy Bones Cabernet Franc 2013 do as an example of Cabernet Franc?
Sight: A lighter body is visible by the transparentish ruby color.
Smell: The nose is an amazing concoction of espresso, spices, and baked fruit, like blackberries, cherries, and plums. A hint of roasted red peppers hides in the background, but the prototypical green pepper notes are minimal and nuanced. The spices play the forefront of the nose, with some bright and hot characteristics.
Sip: Bright in the start, but moves quickly into a smooth and somewhat tannin driven flavor. The light-medium body holds notes of unripe cherry, baking spice, and almost a chocolate like character. There are again subtle elements of pepper, but it’s almost completely minimized with black pepper, clove, and fresh currant.
Savor: The ending is quite tannic, and has elements of green herbs and a cherry-raspberry finish that goes for a good period of time.
Lazy Bones Cabernet Franc 2013 may be one of the ripest Cabernet Franc’s I’ve ever seen. If you’re looking for a lighter departure from cabernet sauvignon or merlot, this is a great choice. The spice box flavors are quite nice, and the fruit flavors are well balanced. What’s interesting is the minimizing of the green pepper character that cab franc sometimes pulls in. Lazy Bones Cabernet Franc 2013 is definitely deserving of a try from those that like medium to heavy reds (Carmenere friends may really want to look at this!)
Verdict: Spice, Baked Cherries, Currant, Touch of Herbs
Price: $9
Paso Robles, California
Trader Joe’s
Looking for another opinion? Check out Cheap Wine Finder’s thoughts