Dirceu Vianna Junior MW, Eugenio Egorov and Roger Jones tasted 112 wines, with 10 Outstanding and 64 Highly recommended

Southern hemisphere Cabernet Franc: Panel tasting scores

112 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 10

Highly recommended 64

Recommended 37

Commended 1

Fair 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their current-release, minimum 85% Cabernet Franc wines from single, designated vineyard sites anywhere in the southern hemisphere

Scroll down to see the top-scoring wines from our southern hemisphere Cabernet Franc panel tasting

Expectations exceeded

There’s so much history associated with Cabernet Franc. The monks at Bourgueil abbey in the Loire valley began cultivating the grape in the 11th century. By the 18th century, it was renowned for producing exceptional wines in Bordeaux.

Fast forward to today and, following our tasting of 112 examples from the southern hemisphere, Eugenio Egorov could hardly contain his enthusiasm: ‘This tasting was a revelation; there were so many great wines.’

The statistics support his excitement. Ten wines were rated Outstanding and 64 wines Highly recommended – an impressive performance, especially for a variety that historically often played a supporting role in blends.

Roger Jones concurred: ‘In the past, Cabernet Franc was herbaceous, rustic and challenging. However, this new wave of styles from the southern hemisphere is exciting.’

Latin American renaissance

As illustrated by the number of submissions, South America has enthusiastically embraced the variety, with Argentina leading the way. In a country dominated by and best known for Malbec, Cabernet Franc is increasingly prized for its perfume, harmony and freshness.

‘Producers should follow the lead of those in New Zealand and South Africa, who travel frequently in search of knowledge,’ said Jones.

The results for the latter underline his point: of 13 entries, four were rated Outstanding and seven Highly recommended.

Cabernet Franc’s journey across the southern hemisphere has revealed its adaptability in the vineyard, versatility in the cellar and ability to make delicious, refreshing wines with complex, distinctive aromatic profiles.

The results of this tasting reveal that there has never been a better time to explore Cabernet Franc, a variety with a strong heritage and so much to offer.

What to eat with southern hemisphere Cabernet Franc, by Fiona Beckett

When it comes to southern hemisphere Cabernet Franc, it’s best to put out of your mind the idea that it’s a variety that produces light, crunchy, herbaceous reds.

Examples from countries such as South Africa and Argentina are far more typically full-bodied, Bordeaux-style wines to drink with classic red meat dishes – from grilled butterflied lamb to beef or venison Wellington. (The latter not least because mushrooms are a good match with it, particularly with older vintages.) They should also be able to handle a touch of spice, even a lamb curry.

Drink them when you’ve bought a beautiful piece of beef, save it for friends who enjoy a generous red, treat the family to a bottle when you’re cooking a classic Sunday roast or a homemade steak or ox cheek pie – the joy of these Cab Francs is just how enjoyable they are, and how affordable.

With their ripe fruit and supple tannins, they’re also good wines to bring out with a cheeseboard, even taking washed rind cheeses and blue cheeses in their stride. They’re definitely food-friendly.

See all notes and scores from the southern hemisphere Cabernet Franc tasting

The judges

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW is a wine writer, educator and consultant working around the world. Based in the UK since 1989, he was a director at some of the UK’s top distributors, qualifying in 2008 as the first Master of Wine from Brazil

Eugenio Egorov is wine director at Six Senses London hotel & spa. Born in Ukraine, he began his hospitality career in restaurants in Italy and Florida, USA, before moving to London in 2014

Roger Jones is the retired former owner of The Harrow at Little Bedwyn restaurant in Wiltshire. He is now a wine writer, judge and consultant with a particular interest in the hospitality trade. He is a DWWA judge, with a focus on New World regions

Southern hemisphere Cabernet Franc panel tasting results:

Wines were tasted blind

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International Cabernet Franc Day falls annually on 4 December, the anniversary of the death of Cardinal Richelieu, who is thought to have taken cuttings of Cabernet Franc from southwest France to the Loire Valley.

The region is highly regarded for the variety, where it comes into its own as both single varietal and red blends, particularly in Anjou-Saumur and Touraine. A versatile player, it’s also used for rosé and Crémant in the Loire.

Although an ancient Bordeaux variety, and the parent grape to mainstays Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, Cab Franc is often overshadowed by its children in the region, where it appears in blends.

As a winter-hardy grape well suited to cooler regions, it adds to its plethora of styles with Canadian Icewine. Pressing grapes that have frozen on the vine produces concentrated sugars and flavours, leading to lusciously sweet dessert wines.

There are also some great examples of Cab Franc from southwest France, Italy (particularly in the northeastern areas), the US, Argentina, South Africa and Australia, among other regions,

Specific characteristics, as with all wines, depend on wine-growing, site and production methods but good cooler climate examples of dry reds are likely to show notes of fresh red fruit (strawberry, raspberry, cherry) while those from warmer regions lean towards robust blackcurrant and blackberry.

Wines may also evoke green pepper and have earthy undertones. Those from the Loire, in particular, are often described as having notes of pencil shavings.

Dry reds make a good accompaniment for earthy, herby dishes. Sommelier Giuseppe D’Aniello, a keen advocate for the grape, recommends pairing a Saumur-Champigny offering ‘with pasta cooked simply with tomato sauce, or with lamb cutlets served with tenderstem broccoli.’

Celebrate International Cabernet Franc Day with 12 top picks

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Italy might be renowned for its ancient varieties, but two noble French interlopers, Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, now contribute to some of Italy’s most prestigious wines, telling a fascinating story of adaptation and evolving identity.

The pair, commonly referred to simply as ‘Cabernet’ in blends, has become a hot topic in Italian wine circles.

Recent decades have shown clear shifts in preference – Cabernet Sauvignon dominated the 2000s, while Cabernet Franc rose to prominence in the 2010s with consumers favouring its vibrancy, acidity, and floral characteristics.

Scroll down for eight examples of exceptional Italian Cabernet

French nobility on Italian soil

But how did these French varieties first make their way to Italy? The Cabernet journey began in 1820, when Count Manfredo di Sambuy brought them from Bordeaux to his Piedmont estate, alongside Sauvignon Blanc.

This collection was fitting – a family affair of sorts – given Cabernet Sauvignon is the progeny of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

By 1877, the Cabernet spread moved to Italy’s north with Veneto and Trentino (then under Austro-Hungarian rule), before later heading south.

One notable exception is Sicily’s early adoption in 1855, when Baron Felice Spitaleri created ‘Castello Sollicchiata,’ Italy’s first Bordeaux-style blend which earned international acclaim in 19th century competitions.

The volcanic soils, it turned out, proved interesting for both Cabernet varieties.

Sassicaia and the Super Tuscan revolution

The true catalyst for change came in the 1940s, when Marchese Mario Incisa della Rocchetta and his wife Clarice inherited the Tenuta San Guido property on Tuscany’s stony Bolgheri coastline.

Drawing inspiration from great Bordeaux wines, he sought to create a wine of superior quality to the local Sangiovese.

Studying in Bordeaux at the likes of Château Mouton Rothschild, he noted similarities between Bolgheri’s stony soils and Bordeaux’s Graves region. On his return, he planted both Cabernet varieties in a vineyard he named ‘Sassicaia’, meaning ‘area of many stones’.

Initially labelled as Vino da Tavola, Sassicaia made its commercial debut in 1968. It later found itself part of the broader Super Tuscan revolution of the 1970s and 1980s, along with notable wines such as Ornellaia, Tignanello and Solaia, which were exploring barrique ageing and unconventional Cabernet blends to critical acclaim.

Winemakers outside of Tuscany began to take note and started planting Cabernet widely across Italy.

As Alex Ferrigato of Alto Adige winery Colterenzio explains: ‘In the 1980s, if you wanted to prove you could produce a great wine, you had to do it with this variety.’

Family resemblance and distinctive characters

Today, Cabernet Sauvignon (14,200 hectares) and Cabernet Franc (6,300 hectares) make up 3% of Italy’s 720,00 hectares under vine (according to Luigi Bavaresco, professor of viticulture at Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Piacenza, and scientific secretary of the OIV expert group on genetic resources and vine selection).

In this sense it very much holds minority status compared to popular Italian varieties such as Sangiovese, which commands plantings of 72,000 hectares.

Cabernet Sauvignon has established strongholds in Tuscany (particularly Bolgheri), Alto Adige, Veneto, and increasingly in warmer sites across Sicily and Sardinia.

Meanwhile, Cabernet Franc thrives in Friuli-Venezia Giulia, northern Alpine areas, Veneto, and has formed a particularly harmonious relationship with Tuscany, where plantings have doubled in a decade (OIV), including a 50% increase in Bolgheri (Bolgheri Consorzio).

These genetic relatives share pronounced tannins, good natural acidity and excellent ageing potential, but their Italian expressions have diverged significantly, each finding unique voices in different regions.

Cabernet Sauvignon has historically been considered ‘without flaws’, capable of ripening optimally in diverse environments, although it can struggle with ripeness on cool soils at altitude.

Its thick skins provide botrytis resistance and drought tolerance, while its later ripening (often 1-2 weeks after Cabernet Franc) extends the harvest window, protecting it from early frosts.

In Bolgheri, where both varieties excel, Cinzia Merli, owner and oenologist at Le Macchiole, finds Franc has ‘a more elegant body, a tannic texture of greater character, and a broader aromatic spectrum’ than its offspring.

The variety’s adaptability allows it to reveal different facets depending on soil type, making it particularly site-expressive.

‘On calcareous soils, Cabernet Franc tends to express more floral aromas – violet, rose – fresh red fruits and spicy notes’, adds Elena Pozzolini, oenologist at Tenuta Sette Cieli.

‘Cabernet Sauvignon develops darker aromas – blackcurrant, graphite – sometimes accentuating vegetal notes on clay – green bell pepper, tomato leaf’.

Forging an Italian identity

Italy’s approach to the Cabernet varieties has evolved beyond French emulation to emphasise terroir, and, today, wineries are investing in Cabernet Sauvignon once more for their flagship bottlings.

French oenologist Pierre Seillan at Chianti Classico’s Tenuta di Arceno, with his continent-spanning career producing exemplary Bordeaux-style wines, defines himself as a ‘terroirist’, emphasising the use of each parcel’s geomorphological characteristics.

This sums up the site-specific philosophy which now defines Italy’s Cabernet landscape, which emphasises regional character over varietal orthodoxy.

We now see a broad spectrum emerging.

This ranges from classic Bordeaux blends such as Tenuta San Guido’s Sassicaia, Antinori’s Guado al Tasso, Castello del Terriccio’s Lupicaia, and San Leonardo, to unique varietal expressions of Cabernet Sauvignon such as Tenuta Liliana’s Cabernet Sauvignon, Fèlsina’s Maestro Raro and Pasqua’s Fear No Dark, or Cabernet Franc – Tenuta di Arceno’s Arcanum, and Ferlat’s Sessanta.

This localised approach is clear in Alto Adige, where Ferrigato highlights the character of Colterenzio’s Lafóa Cabernet Sauvignon, grown on poor gravel and volcanic subsoil, which yields what he describes as ‘both Alpine and Mediterranean characteristics’.

Climate Change and Future Trends

Climate shifts are reshaping Italy’s Cabernet landscape. Paolo Bomben, oenologist at the research centre at Vivai Rauscedo (VCR), one of the world’s leading vine nurseries, located between Conegliano and Udine, explains: ‘Cabernet Sauvignon is increasingly being replaced in warmer regions by Cabernet Franc, which ripens earlier.’

The nursery now focuses on identifying clones suited to evolving climate conditions as southern Italian regions become less suitable for Cabernet Sauvignon.

Innovation proves essential for Cabernet Sauvignon’s future. Pasqua’s Fear No Dark demonstrates this brilliantly by planting vines in a shady vineyard, embracing the longer ripening period while protecting the grapes from excessive heat.

For Cabernet Franc – a variety that thrives with significant diurnal shifts, as seen in Bolgheri – Pozzolini explains that higher temperature excursion helps to preserve acidity while ripening tannins, suggesting Bolgheri’s strong affinity with this variety will endure.

Advancement continues with the creation of resistant ‘PIWI’ varieties such as VCR’s Cabernet Volos and Cabernet Eidos. Bomben explains that both offer ‘remarkable aromatic intensity’, with Volos being bold, fruity and spicy while Eidos leans more floral.

These varieties’ ‘polyphenolic intensity’ often surpasses conventional counterparts, combining disease resistance with exceptional quality.

So what’s holding these PIWI varieties back? Largely, industry reception, with Bomben noting that, ‘Tuscany stands out negatively in this regard’, refusing authorisation for PIWI varieties despite 10 other Italian regions already embracing this change.

Given France and Germany have permitted PIWI varieties in quality wine classifications, Italian prejudices may prove short-lived.

After 150 years on Italian soil, the Cabernets have forged exciting identities across the country; no longer French imports, they are today embraced as citizens offering a distinctive voice to Italy’s viticultural landscape.

Eight exceptional Italian Cabernets

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Wine with burgers: Styles to consider

• Cabernet Sauvignon
• Syrah / Shiraz
• Grenache / Garnacha
• Sangiovese
• Pinot Noir
• Cabernet Franc 
• Grüner Veltliner with chicken burgers
• Rossese di Dolceacqua with tuna burgers
• Orange wines or earthy Pinot Noir with veggie burgers

A brief burger history

An ancient recipe book named Apicius suggests that Romans were eating wine-infused meat patties centuries before Ronald McDonald and his associates, including Mayor McCheese, were discovered living in the fictional world of McDonaldland.

Other food historians believe ‘hamburgers’ evolved from the traditional Hamburg steak in Germany.

Whoever is right, burgers are now ubiquitous, and recent incarnations have turned the humble patty and bun combination into an art form.

The environmental and public health impacts of consuming too much meat are increasingly well understood. So, following the ‘less but better’ mantra, if you’re going to eat a burger, then make it a good one.

And if you’re going to have a great burger, it deserves a great wine.

DWWA results out 19 June!Be the first to know: Subscribe to the DWWA newsletter

Wines with classic beef burgers

For a classic ground beef burger, consider some of the go-to red meat wines, such as Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah. A juicy Grenache or classic ‘GSM’ blend could also be a great accompaniment to a night of comfort food, as recommended in our guide to choosing a barbecue wine.

If you’re a Malbec fan, consider wines from cooler vineyard sites that may have higher-than-normal acidity, as advised by expert Patricio Tapia in this article on matching wine with steak.

And why not uncork a top bottle?

‘I’m definitely a fan of a top-notch wine and a burger,’ said Clive Pursehouse, Decanter’s North American editor.

He said a medium-rare burger with ‘perfectly seasoned fries – you call them chips over there – and a couple of glasses of Washington State Syrah or Oregon Pinot Noir or in the summertime, Lambrusco, is pretty close to perfect’.

Beatrice Bessi, now head sommelier at Chiltern Firehouse, also voted for Syrah when she spoke to Decanter in 2019 in her position as assistant head sommelier at London’s 67 Pall Mall.

‘The structure, with the black fruit, dried herbs and smoky, gamey profile, will work perfectly,’ she said at the time.

‘When I pair food with wine, every single detail matters, [such as] the structure of the dish, the flavour profile, the acidity, whether there are any spices.’

‘For a burger, I would consider red as an option because the tannic structure can balance the structure of the grilled beef.’

Alongside Syrah, she added, ‘A nice glass of Sangiovese from Tuscany, like a Chianti Classico or a Brunello di Montalcino, would always work, where the acidity and tannins are able to match the burger, and the roasted herbs are enhancing the flavours of the meat.’

Another option would be to prioritise the acidity and fruit. ‘I’ve always loved Cabernet Franc with burgers,’ said Decanter expert Michaela Morris. ‘Not too heavy, bright crunchy fruit and even better with a chill, it is a refreshing summertime match.’

While Loire Valley Cabernet Franc would be a classic choice, she also suggested looking at Ontario in her native Canada.

What about the cheese, we hear you ask?

A creamier, fattier cheese will likely emphasise the need for juicy fruit and good acidity. In contrast, a tangier, harder cheese melted into your patty might be able to handle a slightly bolder wine, such as a Cabernet-based Bordeaux blend.

See our cheese and wine matching guide, but be warned that some things may not translate. Sauternes is often a dream with blue cheeses like Stilton or Roquefort, but its sweetness may not be so fun in this situation.

Wine with chicken burgers or fish burgers

For any dish, lighter meat in your burger means a move towards slightly lighter styles of wine, but with enough acidity and structure to stand up to the array of ingredients.

Matthieu Longuère MS, of Le Cordon Bleu London, previously recommended Austrian Grüner Veltliner for chicken dishes that involve garlic, herb and lemon flavours; and this could be adapted to a burger scenario.

In a similar vein, light, zippy reds can work with some fish burgers.

‘I tend to eat tuna burgers much more often, and one of the best pairings I’ve had with this was a Rossese di Dolceacqua [from Liguria in Italy],’ said Michaela Morris.

‘The salty and sour nature of the fruit and easygoing tannin just shone with fish.’

Pairing wine with veggie burgers

Natalie Earl, Decanter’s regional editor for France, suggested delving into the world of orange wine.

‘It is often really textural with a grippy mouthfeel and a savoury edge with dried herbs like sage and thyme, plus dried orange and orange peel notes. I think orange wine pairs really well because veggie burgers are often herby and slightly spicy,’ she said.

She also suggested more earthy Pinot Noir styles, such as village-level Burgundy, rather than riper Pinot styles.

‘I think the more savoury, delicate characters would go better with a veggie burger. Something from the Côte de Beaune, like Monthélie or Maranges, would bring a peppery redcurrant vibe to the dish.’

Experimenting is part of the fun

Of course, there are many more combinations of burger and wine styles than we can cover in this article, and experimenting is part of the fun when it comes to food and wine matching.

If you’re trying out your own matches, consider how certain flavours complement or contrast each other, as Karen MacNeil explains in the 10 rules of food and wine pairing.

Search our expert wine reviews to find your perfect match

Wine with burgers: Recent reviews by Decanter experts

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Italian-born Giuseppe D’Aniello was recently named ‘The Best Sommelier, UK 2023’ by the UK Sommelier Association. His 10 years’ experience in the industry includes a period as head sommelier at London hotel The Lanesborough before joining The London Edition and Berners Tavern, where he is director of wine.

I still remember the boring, high-yield Cabernet Franc that characterised the grape’s presence on the market just a decade ago. This grape variety was largely unfamiliar to consumers, and typically used in small percentages to complete a blend of better known international grapes. It is one of the grapes that was underestimated in the past, for sure – but is now becoming fashionable. And that is something to be thankful for!

Inevitably, Cabernet Franc has been overshadowed by the more famous Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot grapes in Bordeaux, where it is added into many blends to amplify a wine’s freshness and tannins. But it is the star of the show when vinified alone, as in the Loire appellations of Chinon or Saumur. You’ll also come across varietal examples from the US and Italy; and you’ll even find it made into icewine in Canada! These myriad expressions are what makes the Cabernet Franc grape so fascinating to me.

Perfume & power

In the last few years, Cabernet Franc producers have started to focus more on quality rather than quantity, leading to a significant shift in styles. It can be elegant and fresh, showing lovely red fruit aromas, when made in cool-climate areas such as the Loire valley; or robust and bold with black fruit notes when hailing from warmer climes such as California or Tuscany. In terms of structure, the variety has naturally high tannins (even if less than Cabernet Sauvignon), and the acidity is usually high and zesty, making the grape so versatile when it comes to food pairing.

My favourite expression of Cab Franc is the one coming from the Loire – and more specifically from Saumur-Champigny. The Cab Franc from here has red fruit aromas such as wild strawberry and sour cherry, notes of dried roses and spice aromas, with the high acidity and firm tannins that make the wine suitable for ageing. It’s savoury and earthy but at the same time delivers amazing perfumes – it’s a winning combination, and just gorgeous to drink, with or without food. If you are looking to pair it, I love to serve it with pasta cooked simply with tomato sauce, or with lamb cutlets served with tenderstem broccoli.

Discover Cabernet Franc: D’Aniello’s three to try

First, a varietal wine from the Loire: Fabien Duveau’s Les Bas Poyeux, Saumur Champigny 2020 (£19.49-£20.75 All About Wine, Cellar Selected). The greater Les Poyeux vineyard is home to some of the finest red wines in all of the Loire valley, its limestone and clay soils producing wines with a particular minerality. Aged in concrete and large casks, this wine has a lovely purity, showing a mix of black berries with a very integrated earthy component and touch of spice.

For a New World expression of the variety, head to California. La Jota Vineyard’s Howell Mountain Cabernet Franc 2017 (US$90-$112 Atomic Liquors, Dogwood Superstore, MyWinePlus) is made using fruit from some of Napa Valley’s oldest Cabernet Franc vines. It produces a structured wine, with black cassis, notes of liquorice and some sweet spice.

Last but not least, something for the sweet-toothed among you: red icewine. Leading icewine producer Inniskillin manages to preserve the earthiness and savoury notes of the grape variety, alongside the red and tropical fruit flavours, in its opulently sweet Cabernet Franc Icewine 2019 (£63-£74.50/37.5cl Drinks Direct, Hic, The Fine Wine Co, Vinvm), from Canada’s Niagara Peninsula.

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Amanda Barnes, Vincenzo Arnese and Ben Gubbins tasted 149 wines, with 5 Outstanding and 61 Highly recommended.

American Cabernet Franc: Panel tasting scores

149 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 5

Highly recommended 61

Recommended 69

Commended 8

Fair 6

Poor 0

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-release dry, still red wines made from a minimum of 75% Cabernet Franc grapes.

Cabernet Franc is undoubtedly a rising star of the Americas. Although still niche, it has been steadily rising in the ranks and playing a greater role in each of the major wine countries. Its leafy, peppery, fresh, fragrant style can offer the ideal counterpart to the richer styles of heavyweight champion varieties such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Tannat and Merlot.

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores from the American Cabernet Franc panel tasting

This tasting was a fantastic opportunity to take the pulse of what is becoming a very exciting category across both continents. Of the 149 entries, more than 44% scored 90 points or above – a rather impressive result, given how new the boom in Cabernet Franc is.

‘It was a great performance which showed really excellent quality and value,’ said Ben Gubbins. ‘It was very interesting to see the breadth and variety of the wines – from cool-climate, restrained wines to big and bold ones! I hadn’t expected such versatility.’

The diversity of styles was a talking point during the two days of the tasting. We found it surprising, and a little disappointing, that there were far more producers chasing riper, richer styles than the lithe, fragrant and spicy styles that this variety can achieve so well. The top scorers were wines that embraced the fresher, more peppery and floral style, offering balance yet pronounced varietal typicity.

‘Some regions have a better vision of what they want to do with Cabernet Franc, while others it seems are still finding their direction,’ Vincenzo Arnese reasoned. ‘Argentina and Chile were very consistent, and I was especially impressed by Uruguay, which showed very good potential. The US showed more the style of wines that US consumers like to drink, and the Canadians seem to be still deciding what they want to do with the variety.’

See notes and scores for all the American Cabernet Franc panel tasting wines

Stylistically, we saw a huge range of expressions in Canada and the US – from lighter-bodied wines from New Jersey and spicy wines from British Columbia to the dense, brooding wines from Washington State and rich opulence from Napa and Niagara. While our sampling from Chile was disappointingly slim, there were some lively expressions; and Uruguay impressed with its distinctive savoury character and balance.

There was, however, no doubt that Argentina is the leader of American Cabernet Franc. Although there was some winemaking diversity, Argentina – especially the Uco Valley – unquestionably has an affinity for the variety and a clear direction towards floral, herbaceous styles with freshness and a fine, chalky texture on the palate.

The wines that least impressed the panel were those that overdid it with the oak and overshot with ripeness. ‘I think we would have been more impressed with more perfumed, elegant styles,’ said Arnese. ‘The wines that express the grape variety and its personality best are not covered by winemaking.’

To our delight, though, there were plenty of wines that really did stand out and let the variety shine: elegant, fragrant and engaging. There were certainly some flashes of brilliance in this tasting, and many glimmers of excitement as to why Cabernet Franc truly is a rising star of the Americas.

American Cabernet Franc: Panel tasting scores

The judges

Amanda Barnes is a writer and presenter specialising in South American travel and wine. A DWWA judge, she is author of the award-winning South America Wine Guide (£35 southamericawineguide.com)

Vincenzo Arnese is the director of wine at Raffles London at the OWO. Born in Naples, he specialised in sommellerie at hospitality school, then worked at top hotels in Italy, Switzerland, and Australia, as well as Dinner by Heston Blumenthal and Alain Ducasse at The Dorchester

Ben Gubbins is general manager and WSET wine educator at Vagabond Wines in London. A native of Chile, he previously worked as UK & Europe sales director for Dos Andes Wines before joining Vagabond in 2013

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In the wake of the second destructive wave of the phylloxera bug in California in the 1980s and 1990s, Cabernet Sauvignon rose to such prominence and dominance (especially in Napa Valley) that I, like most people, assumed it must now be the most expensive grape variety in the state. Wrong. That would be Cabernet Franc.

Top 20 California Cabernet Franc wines

Slowly, steadily and quietly, Cabernet Sauvignon’s father has displaced its son* as the priciest grape to buy and the grape that is generating ripples of excitement – especially in Napa and Sonoma Valleys. (*Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc are the parent grapes of Cabernet Sauvignon.)

At this year’s Taste of Oakville culinary celebration (15 February to 10 March), where Harlan, Heitz, Opus One, Screaming Eagle and a score of other stars all pour their wines, I asked a dozen top winemakers which grape (besides Cabernet Sauvignon) Oakville would be known for in future. The majority answered Cabernet Franc.

Perfume & texture

In a place where powerful wines sit on a pedestal, Cabernet Franc’s ascendency can seem puzzling at first. The variety is sleeker, less muscular, less extroverted, and ‘less everything’ than Cabernet Sauvignon. ‘It waits for you to notice it,’ says Diana Snowden Seysses, winemaker at Napa’s Snowden vineyards (and oenologist at Domaine Dujac in Burgundy). ‘It can be alluring, shifting, ethereal and mysterious.’ These are all good descriptions of Snowden’s excellent 2018 Cabernet Franc from the Melchior Kemper vineyard in Napa Valley.

Yet, at the same time, California Cabernet Franc is anything but frail. ‘I think Cabernet Franc’s sensuous texture and fresh savoury aromas can be like lightning bolts,’ says Tom Garrett, owner and winemaker of Detert Family Vineyards, whose vines in a rocky alluvial fan off the Mayacamas mountains are the oldest Cabernet Franc in Napa Valley and thought to be the oldest in the state. ‘There are rich notes of tobacco, anise, sage and something lifted, fresh and herbal to Cabernet Franc,’ he explains.

The notion of something savoury and ‘herbal in a good way’ was repeated by every winemaker I talked to. ‘Cab Franc has a perfume and prettiness,’ says Cathy Corison of Corison and Helios. ‘It’s a dried Provence herb character that if you’re not careful can tip over into full-on green.’

Green. It’s almost a dirty word in California – at least with Cabernet Sauvignon, which some growers go so far as picking on the cusp of overripeness to avoid any hint of greenness. Franc is a different story. The grape almost seems to give California winemakers permission to stray into aromas and flavours that, if not quite as bell peppery as one might find in, say, Loire Cab Francs such as Chinon, add greenish intrigue reminiscent of green tea, roasted green chilli peppers, bay laurel and resinous mountain chaparral.

‘I’m not afraid of green with Cabernet Franc,’ says Marla Carroll, winemaker at Antica, the Napa property owned by Italy’s Antinori family. ‘Green notes add an underlying complexity and it makes Cabernet Franc taste so good with food.’

[boxout]

Cabernet Franc vs Cabernet Sauvignon in California

Total plantings in California (2021) Cabernet Franc 1,376ha (of which 498ha are in Napa Valley); Cabernet Sauvignon 38,652ha

Average price per US ton [907.2kg] in California (2020) Cabernet Franc $2,995; Cabernet Sauvignon $1,230.

Average price per ton in Napa Valley (2020) Cabernet Franc $7,447; Cabernet Sauvignon $6,487.

Source: California department of food and agriculture 2021 & 2020 [/boxout]

When Cab Franc arrived

How and when Cabernet Franc arrived in California is not completely clear. The grape variety is thought to be Basque in origin, and ancient. It appears to have moved from northern Spain to Bordeaux and then the Loire.

In California, it may have been one of the varieties brought in the 1860s by Hungarian wheeler-dealer Agoston Haraszthy who, in 1857 founded Sonoma’s Buena Vista winery. Within a few years, with 120ha of vineyards, it was the largest winery in the state and remains California’s oldest continuously operated winery. One of Haraszthy’s coups was to convince the nascent California legislature to send him to Europe, where he studied viticulture, ultimately returning to Sonoma with 100,000 French, German, Spanish and Italian vine cuttings of 300 different varieties.

If Haraszthy didn’t bring in the first Cabernet Franc, Charles Wetmore probably did. In the 1880s, Wetmore, a newspaper journalist turned lawyer turned winemaker, persuaded the California legislature to establish the state viticultural commission. As the commission’s first president, he headed straight for Bordeaux where he obtained plant material from several sources – including cuttings of Sauvignon Blanc and Semillon from Château d’Yquem.

The first official evidence of importation dates from 1938 when Dr Harold Olmo, a geneticist and grape breeder at the University of California at Davis, imported Cabernet Franc vines from France’s University of Montpellier. Olmo’s Cabernet Franc is now referred to as Clone 01. But it wasn’t until the early 2000s that a slew of virus-free ENTAV clones of French Cabernet Franc became available in California. And that accelerated Cabernet Franc’s history stateside.

‘In 1996, I had my pick of any Napa Valley Cabernet Franc I wanted,’ says John Skupny, who has made varietally labelled Cabernet Franc for 26 years under his Lang & Reed brand. ‘Ten years later, thanks to the importation of better French clones, I was having to look to other regions for decent-quality Cabernet Franc that was decently priced. Better plant material escalated the demand by wineries and drove prices skyward.’

But Skupny points to another even earlier factor that propelled Franc’s popularity: the creation of Insignia, California’s first proprietary red Bordeaux-style blend. ‘When Joseph Phelps winery came out with Insignia in 1974,’ he says, ‘all of a sudden every top winery in Napa wanted all five Bordeaux varieties to make their own proprietary blends.’

A revelation in style

Over the course of a week in May 2022, a colleague and I blind tasted 60 California Cabernet Francs, most of which were from the areas where the grape is most planted: Napa Valley and the warmer interior valleys of Sonoma. The tasting revealed that in style, structure and flavour, most northern California Cabernet Franc is most definitely not Chinon, Bourgeuil or even Bordeaux-like.

Napa and Sonoma’s more ample sun and higher temperatures mean that Cabernet Franc here has a rich core of violetty-blue fruit. That said, most wines we tried were not flabby or blowsy, thanks to the variety’s counterbalancing freshness and acidity. Cabernet Franc is generally an early ripener but, even then, many winemakers pick on the early side of early. ‘Overripe Cabernet Franc is clumsy, heavy and lacks the delightful kaleidoscope of aromas that dance in the glass,’ says Snowden Seysses.

Tannin profiles, too, are different. California Cabernet Francs often have a lot of fine tannins and immense structure. No surprise when you see the vineyards. Most are extremely rocky and dry – either because they are in the mountains or in gravelly alluvial fans that have slid down mountains. (In a California twist on the idea of a French clos, some of these vineyards are ringed by boulders more than 4m high.)

Many of the top sites are also at altitudes well above 180m. And almost uniformly the vines are cropped at low yields, often under five tonnes per hectare. (For comparison’s sake, this is about half the average yield of Cabernet Sauvignon in Napa Valley). Says Garrett: ‘Cabernet Franc in California is extremely site-specific. It quickly tells you where it does not want to be.’

The relative scarcity of great sites for Cabernet Franc will always limit the variety’s growth. And yet, as those sites are discovered and the number of hectares planted cautiously climbs (and the price, not so cautiously, climbs too), the excitement about Cabernet Franc continues to mount.

‘Franc is an old variety,’ says Aaron Pott of Pott & Daughters winery on Napa Valley’s Mount Veeder. ‘As such, it is closer than Cabernet Sauvignon to its wild parentage. Vines that are more closely related to wild vines are generally more sensitive to the terroir in which they are grown, and they often reveal their terroir more immediately and compellingly.’

And my tasting of 60 California Cabernet Francs was the perfect evidence.

Top 20 California Cabernet Franc wines

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With a history of eight generations under the Foucault brothers, establishing its reputation as the best producer of Cabernet Franc (not to mention Chenin Blanc) in the Loire, it created a shock wave when Clos Rougeard was sold to the Bouygues family in 2017.

What has changed since then, and what has stayed the same?

Scroll down for the most recent tasting notes for Clos Rougeard wines

Building the future: a new winery under way

The wines of Clos Rougeard used to be made in the cramped cellars under the family house in Chacé, until the brothers found a new site nearby in 2010, with 1km of underground cellars.

Now a new building is being completed, with a rather ornate exterior contrasting with the old quarters. It appears large relative to the domaine, but technical director Jacques-Antoine Toublanc says the capacity of the building matches the vineyard area. ‘We could manage 2ha more,’ he says. ‘Perhaps if they became available in Les Poyeux.’

Construction has been continuing between winemaking seasons, but from 2022, Clos Rougeard wines will be made in a new gravity-fed winery, equipped with 17 new concrete fermenters, holding 60hl-70hl. Each can serve 1ha of picked grapes; 14 tanks are for red, three tanks are for white. Previously the wine was made in 200-hectolitre fermenters.

Emphasis on long ageing and oak use

The reds age for 24 months: Le Clos in used barriques and Les Poyeux in one-year-old barriques, sourced from first growths in Bordeaux. Le Bourg ages in 90% new barriques, from oak sourced in the Loire. Jacques-Antoine believes oak has a crucial influence, and is extremely fussy about the barriques used.

‘The source of the oak, the temperature of toasting, and the duration of toasting are all important,’ he says. His criterion for judging barrel preparation is the smell of the oak as it is being toasted.

All cuvées offer an unmistakable impression of purity, with a smooth generosity to each wine. Le Clos is elegant and pure, Les Poyeux the crystalline essence of Cabernet Franc, and Le Bourg tighter with higher acidity and tannins, needing more time.

A change in direction for the white?

With 20% new oak, the white Le Brézé offers a wonderfully savoury impression of Chenin Blanc, with a steely minerality reminiscent of Puligny-Montrachet when young. As it ages, that minerality turns more austere, so I would enjoy it in the first decade. But there may now be a change coming.

‘In red winemaking, we are following exactly the Foucaults, but for the whites the wine could be a little lactic. The brothers used to pick late. Nady always said you should find everything from citrus to over-ripe in Brézé. Some years it was too heavy for me. I’m not happy to make Burgundy, I want to get the typicity of Chenin, I want freshness. This is the new style, I would say,’ Toublanc says as we taste the 2019, which shows an exceptional sense of tension.

The 2018, from a warmer year, is a halfway house between the new, fresher style and the older, more Burgundian style.

The style of Clos Rougeard, ‘has to be ripe, but it has to have freshness on the palate at the same time,’ says Toublanc.

Elegance over power might well be the motto of the domain. It’s in good hands.

Clos Rougeard’s history and terroir

Copy by Yohan Castaing

Clos Rougeard has always been a truly exceptional estate in the Saumur-Champigny appellation of the Loire.

Whereas most winemakers in Saumur-Champigny often practised a high-yield approach to viticulture, choosing quantity over quality, the Foucault brothers marched to the beat of a very different drum from 1969 to 2015.

Charly and Nady made very distinctive, quality-driven wines of remarkable freshness and silkiness. The brothers practised an ‘haute couture’ type of viticulture and winemaking, based on small yields, native yeasts and long cellar-ageing.

This approach made their 10ha domain, planted with Cabernet Franc except for 1ha of Chenin Blanc, the unquestionable top-tier benchmark for the appellation. Their long-lived wines could easily age up to two decades.

Sadly Charly passed away in December 2015, and Nady sold Clos Rougeard in 2017 to French entrepreneurs, Martin and Olivier Bouygues, who also own Château Montrose in Bordeaux.

The terroir

The vines are planted on a limestone plateau overlooking the Loire. According to Jacques-Antoine Toublanc there is 30cm of topsoil at most, which allows the roots to plunge into the tuffeau, the limestone bedrock typical of Saumur-Champigny.

Of the two main vineyards, Les Poyeux and Le Bourg, the former has the reputation of producing the most accessible wine. It has sandier soils, albeit on a clay-limestone base.

Les Poyeux is located on a 2.5ha parcel, which makes it more than twice the size of the 1ha of vines in Le Bourg. It’s a well-ventilated site that produces healthy grapes resulting in wines that are more fruit-forward and less concentrated.

As for Le Bourg, the grapes are sourced from four tiny plots on limestone soil with some deep clay on which the grapes ripen impeccably. Le Clos is sourced from 14 small plots that comprise a total of 4ha.

As for the 1ha Brezé parcel, its vocation is for white wine thanks to its south-facing site on calcareous limestone, ideal for Chenin Blanc. Clos Rougeard’s Brezé white has become a cult wine, but another rarity is the Côteau de Saumur sweet wine, only produced in exceptional vintages such as 2018. The previously released vintage was 2003.

Tasting notes and scores for Clos Rougeard wines:

Vintages 2017-2019: tasting notes and scores from Benjamin Lewin MW

Vintages 2014-2016: tasting notes and scores from Yohan Castaing

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Loire Valley Cabernet Franc: panel tasting results

Loire 2021 red wines: vintage report and new releases

10 top-rated Cabernet Francs from around the world worth seeking out

Jim Budd, Ben Llewellyn and Laure Patry tasted 57 wines, with two Outstanding and 18 Highly Recommended.

Loire Valley Cabernet Franc panel tasting scores

57 wines tasted

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 2

Highly recommended 18

Recommended 27

Commended 8

Fair 2

Poor 0

Entry criteria: producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest-release, dry red wines made from Cabernet Franc (90% minimum) from the Loire Valley, including AP, IGP or Vin de France wines, with availability in the UK

I had high hopes for this tasting, given the unprecedented, unbroken run of good to very good vintages from 2014 to 2020. And there were some very good wines, though there were also some disappointments, even from 2018.

Fellow judge Ben Llewelyn confirmed this outlook: ‘Difficult vintages, especially a series of frosted years, have tested the mettle and patience of growers in the region and it showed in many of the wines. My overall impression of the wines was moderate – but with some shining stars.’

Scroll down to see tasting notes and scores for the top-scoring Loire Valley Cabernet Franc wines

The tasting covered vintages from 2021 to 2014, plus one from 2011. There were examples from the Pays Nantais, Anjou, Saumur and Chinon, Bourgueil and St-Nicolas-deBourgueil, but none from eastern Touraine. Awarding two Outstanding and 18 Highly recommended, it was clear that Saumur, especially Saumur-Champigny, showed the most consistent quality, with the best wines.

Laure Patry agreed: ‘There were some great examples, with the strongest being in Saumur and Saumur-Champigny and also some great Chinon.’ Llewelyn said: ‘Saumur had the greatest showing and the wines offered good overall appeal. The denser styles in 2019 worked well, with potential for development at even a more modest level. The 2020s were good, too, but they require the puppy fat to fall away in order to get a full view.’

Our two Outstanding wines were both from Saumur. Château de Villeneuve’s Vieilles Vignes, Saumur-Champigny 2018, from Souzay-Champigny in the northern part of the appellation near the river, was the highest-scoring wine. Since taking charge of the estate in the early 1990s, Jean-Pierre and Florent Chevallier have made Château de Villeneuve one of the world’s great Cabernet Franc-producing properties, whose wines age beautifully for two decades or more.

See notes and scores for all the wines in the Loire Cabernet Franc panel tasting

The Les Nivières, Saumur 2019 – from the very good Robert & Marcel cooperative (part of Alliance Loire) based in St-Cyr-en-Bourg – is great value. This comes from vines around the village of Brossay, which is about 5km southeast of Doué-la-Fontaine. It is available through Waitrose at the bargain price of £9.99.

We were disappointed with Bourgueil, even though we awarded two Highly recommended wines, as there was a bigger variation in marks compared to the wines from Chinon, which we found to be more consistent, with five Highly recommended and a number of Recommended. Patry said: ‘I wish there had been more from St-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil [four wines], as they were quite refreshing in 2020 and 2021. I had hoped that more Anjou wines would be entered too, as that’s where the best value wines are in my opinion.’

The lack of entries from Anjou may be due to this tasting’s stipulation of a minimum 90% of Cabernet Franc, since many top Anjou wines include a considerable proportion of Cabernet Sauvignon in the blend.

Although there were some disappointments, with some wines showing harsh, green tannins that may never soften, there were also a good number of wines that will give pleasure now and into the future.

The top-scoring Loire Valley Cabernet Franc wines:

The wines below all scored 90 points or above

The judges

Jim Budd is an awarded wine writer and photographer. Writing for Decanter since 1989, he is the DWWA Regional Chair for the Loire. He is a founder-member of the Les 5 duVin blog, writes on the dangers of wine investment on investdrinks-blog. blogspot.com, plus his own jimsloire.blogspot.com.

Ben Llewellyn is managing director of wine importer Carte Blanche Wines, and specialises in terroir-driven, low-intervention wines from France and Spain. He has worked in the wine trade for 24 years and currently lives in Wales.

Laure Patry is executive head sommelier at The Social Company, working across its global restaurant group. She previously worked for Gordon Ramsay Holdings, including almost two years at Claridge’s and then six years at Maze.

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‘Argentina is showing Cabernet Franc, both single varietal versions and blended with Malbec, like no other county does,’ comments Paz Levinson, DWWA Regional Chair for Argentina, in a 2020 decanter.com interview.

And just two years on, results from the recent 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards point to this variety’s promise, particularly in Mendoza, with four varietal Cabernet Francs awarded 97 points, along with many more Gold and Silver medals.

Cabernet Franc from Argentina is, explains Levinson, ‘like a combination of Anjou and St-Emilion with the factor of altitude, resulting in very expressive wines on the nose, full of spices and bell pepper, and on the palate very fresh, with chalky tannins but with body and weight.’

Scroll down to see the top-scoring Mendoza Cabernet Franc wines from DWWA 2022

On the 2022 results, DWWA Co-Chair Andrew Jefford adds: ‘The appearance of two different Cabernet Franc wines in the Best in Show selection underscores the seriousness with which this variety is now regarded away from its Bordeaux and Loire heartlands.’

A variety with growing international focus, and a region with standout success in the 2022 Decanter World Wine Awards: discover below a selection of top Mendoza Cabernet Franc wines to enjoy…

Mendoza: Cabernet Franc focus

Pacheco Pereda, Estirpe Organic Fairtrade, Agrelo, Luján de Cuyo 2021

97 Value Best in Show

pachecopereda.com

The appearance of two different Cabernet Franc wines in the DWWA Best in Show selection this year underscores the seriousness with which this variety is now being regarded away from its Bordeaux and Loire valley heartlands. This Value Best in Show version from Agrelo delivers, as you’d expect, extravagant fruit pleasure. It’s dark black-red in colour, with warm, sweetly pippy scents bubbling from the glass. In the mouth, it’s a smooth flood of soft, vibrant raspberry and damson fruits which, despite the gentleness of both its acidity and its tannins, still contrives to give the drinker a sense of texture, amplitude – and satisfaction. A sense of gravity, too, lifts those fruit flavours well clear of simplicity: another Franc hallmark? You decide. Alcohol 14%

El Enemigo, Gran Enemigo, El Cepillo, San Carlos 2018

97 Platinum

enemigowines.com

Pretty and inviting on the nose with gorgeous aromas of floral violet, cassis and completed with a lifted, delicate liquorice note. The palate is graced with deep herb, pepper, crunchy red fruit and graceful, silky tannins. Alc 14%

Los Helechos, Designado, Vista Flores, Tunuyán 2019

97 Platinum

bodegaloshelechos.com.ar

Lifted, floral and bright, with very pretty aromatics of heady violet, green pepper and balsamic, then on to a plush palate textured with crunchy red fruit, elegant tart fruit, succulent tannins and focused, graceful tannins. Alc 14.4%

Zorzal, Gran Terroir, Gualtallary, Tupungato 2021

97 Platinum

POA Hallgarten Wines

Restrained, elegant and perfumed, with beautiful aromatics of red pepper, a herbal lift, pure red fruit and a gorgeous floral note. Then to a palate graced with plush, concentrated fruit, supple, silky tannins and pretty, fresh acidity. Very good ageing potential. Alc 14.3%

Trivento, Golden Reserve Black Series, Paraje Altamira 2019

96 Gold

trivento.com

Perfumed and inviting, with a beautiful aromatic nose of scented violet, cassis, dark plum, liquorice and pepper, then to a palate of clove spice, blackberry, cassis and tobacco. Alc 14.5%

Fabre Montmayou, Reserva 2021

95 Value Gold

fabremontmayou.com

Dark and brooding, with plush aromas of dark fruit and black spice, while the palate is laced with earthy fruit and graceful, rolling tannins. Alc 14.5% 

Zuccardi, Brazos, Uco Valley 2021

95 Value Gold

POA Hatch Mansfield

Lifted and floral on the nose, with hints of peppery, plush fruit, then on to a palate of silky smooth tannins and lush, fresh fruit. Alc 14%

Bodegas Bianchi, Particular 2019

94 Silver

US$32-$36 67 Wine, JC Wine & Spirits

Gorgeous, concentrated nose of jammy fruit and sweet spice; palate of red fruit, mint and tight tannins. Alc 14.6%

Familia Innocenti, Angulo Innocenti, La Consulta 2019

93 Silver

anguloinnocenti.com

Fragrant and inviting nose of herb, green pepper and dried flowers; palate of dried fig, incense and candied red fruit. Alc 14.5%

Salentein, Numina, Uco Valley 2020

93 Silver

bodegasalentein.com

Pretty, inviting aromatic fruit on the nose, racy fruit and textured tannins on the palate. Alc 15%

Antucura, Barrandica, Vista Flores, Tunuyán 2021

92 Silver

antucura.com

Restrained and elegant on the nose, with hints of violet and dark fruit; palate of generous fruit and silky tannins. Alc 13.5%

Bodega Norton, Altura, Uco Valley 2020

92 Silver

POA Berkmann

Generous aromas of cocoa powder and roasted coconut, then a palate of vibrant fruit and bright acidity. Alc 14.5%

Clos de Chacras, Memorias de Ida La Estratega 2018

92 Silver

closdechacras.com.ar

Inviting, with hints of redcurrant, cassis, tobacco and cedar on the nose, liquorice, prune and polished tannins on the palate. Alc 14.8%

Huentala, Gran Sombrero, Uco Valley 2021

92 Silver

huentalawines.com

Inviting nose of bright, clean fruit, then a palate of blackcurrant, herb, pencil shavings and supple tannins. Alc 14.4%

La Celia, Pioneer, La Consulta, Uco Valley 2018

92 Silver

laceliawines.com

Generous aromatics of toasty, smoked fruit leading to a palate underpinned with succulent tannins. Alc 14%

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Top Cabernet Franc from Argentina and Chile

Tannat is undeniably the champion of Uruguay. Its hardy character and unbreakable personality performs well vintage after vintage and, as a result, Tannat is Uruguay’s most planted variety – accounting for more than one in four vines. But Tannat is not the only card up this small nation’s sleeve.

Uruguay is actually home to a host of different varieties, spanning the vinous alphabet from Arneis to Zinfandel. And the huge range of wines to be found in Uruguay are all part of its heritage, while also being key to its innovative present and future.

Scroll down for scores and tasting notes for the top 20 Uruguay wines beyond Tannat

Vines came to Uruguay, like the rest of the New World, in the hands of European immigrants, with the greatest influx occurring from the 1850s onwards. ‘We are all children of immigrants – from Italy, Spain and France, and each of them brought over vines on the boat,’ explains fifth- generation vigneron Gabriel Pisano, who makes Sangiovese at Viña Progreso as an ode to his Italian forefathers. ‘We also never had any regulations controlling what you plant.’

Although there was a rather large, government- driven vine pull in the 1990s that encouraged producers to pull out their hybrids and focus on Tannat, families maintained their identity through other heritage varieties. ‘My family were all from Piedmont, like many of the Italians in Uruguay, and actually Barbera, Nebbiolo and Moscato arrived before Tannat,’ explains winemaker Pablo Fallabrino, who also produces Arneis, with Fresa and Cortese coming soon.

Uruguay: The facts

Area planted (total): 5,991ha

Vineyards: 1,213

Wineries: >160

Annual production: <1.33 million bottles

Top 10 varieties: Tannat (1,610ha); Moscatel de Hamburgo (1,107ha); Merlot (651ha); Ugni Blanc (629ha); Cabernet Sauvignon (363ha); Cabernet Franc (237ha); Marselan (184ha); Sauvignon Blanc (127ha); Chardonnay (108ha); Albariño (69ha)

Source: INAVI, 2018

The advance of Albariño

Italian varieties are scattered throughout the wine regions of Canelones, in particular – the heartland of Uruguayan wine, where two-thirds of the industry lies. But it is actually a Spanish migrant variety that is making the biggest waves in Uruguay today. The Bouza family decided to honour their Galician roots when they planted Albariño in 2002 in Canelones, after importing cuttings from their relatives in Rías Baixas.

It was a sentimental decision, but actually the variety thrived in Uruguay’s humid Atlantic climate, which is not unlike Galicia’s, where more than 1,000mm of rainfall a year is common. Today, Albariño is Uruguay’s 10th most planted variety, and is now expanding to the east coast.

‘Albariño has adapted really well in Uruguay,’ explains Germán Bruzzone, winemaker at Bodega Garzón, which has 40ha of Albariño. ‘From Canelones, with the wines of Bouza of course, but also here in Maldonado, where it really suits our granite soils. These soils give us a great acidity and freshness, with good volume in the mouth and a mineral finish.’

Although Albariño is quickly rising through the ranks of varieties to watch, the most planted white grape in Uruguay is actually Moscatel de Hamburgo. Although the variety is largely used for cheaper rosé wines, Fabiana Bracco is keen to kickstart a revolution with her fresh and pithy coastal Moscato: ‘I didn’t want to lose our tradition or the identity that my family built over generations,’ she says of her decision to make fine wine at Bracco Bosca with the family’s old vines.

‘The decision really came from the heart, but I also reasoned that if it had thrived here it must be for a reason! Today, the wine is one of our stars.’ There’s certainly some excitement in Uruguay about the potential of coastal whites, which include Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay, Riesling, Roussanne, Viognier and Torrontés, among others – giving winemakers plenty of tools to draw from. I’m personally excited about the potential of white blends that can nicely reflect the balanced character and subtle, layered aromas Uruguay’s white varieties often proffer.

Single-varietal reds

Carla Bertellotti, a Uruguayan in London who founded prominent Uruguayan wine importer Vinos Latinos, is also excited: ‘Uruguay should explore further the potential in white wines, both as single varietals and blends. There are great things coming out now, and I reckon we are only seeing the tip of the iceberg.’

In Uruguay’s world of red wines, blends have always been at the forefront. ‘In our culture, we are used to saving wines and cellaring them – for which blends have certain advantages,’ explains third-generation vigneron Santiago Deicas. ‘In our family, Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot have always been important to us: they make up – blended with Tannat – our top family wine.’

It is common to taste Tannat blends that reflect the character and heritage of each winemaking family: whether it is the Zinfandel-Tannat blend pioneered by Artesana (co-owned by a Californian), or the Petit Manseng-Tannat blend from the Carrau family (of Catalan heritage) in Rivera. Blends were historically a way of softening the sometimes spiky edges of red wines in this humid climate, but with significant viticultural advancements in the past couple of decades, single-varietal red wines are also making their mark on the wine scene.

Pinot Noir is a favourite among Uruguayan wineries, with Bodega Oceánica José Ignacio, Bouza, Garzón, Marichal, Pizzorno and Viña Progreso all making notable examples. But no one exports quite as much Pinot Noir as the Pisano family. ‘It’s our second most exported variety after Tannat!’ exclaims Daniel Pisano, one of the three brothers in charge. ‘We actually sell just as much Pinot Noir in France as we do Tannat… I joke that we’re selling ice to the eskimos!’

There’s clearly a demand for these varieties, and a notable French leaning in many of the country’s top red wines, with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon being the third and fifth most planted varieties respectively.

But it is actually Cabernet Franc that excites me most. Some interesting expressions of Cabernet Franc are now coming from a range of the 99 soil types to be found in Uruguay: from the bony, floral wines of the schist soils of San José to the richer, fruit-driven wines from the calcareous clay of Canelones.

The other area of excitement in Uruguayan reds is with Petit Verdot and Marselan. Both have thicker skins that make them more tolerant of the humid climate. And both make wines of great acidity, freshness and character – with Marselan offering a more supple, food-friendly wine and Petit Verdot acting as a spicier but less austere counterpart to Tannat.

Innovation and diversity

Experimentation with other varieties doesn’t end there. There’s a growing movement of sparkling wines in Uruguay, from the complex and classy traditional-method bubblies of Viña Edén, to the wild pét-nat wines of Pablo Fallabrino (who has also released the country’s first CBD-infused wines, celebrating the legal status of marijuana in Uruguay). Winemakers are dabbling in orange wines too, as well as ageing white wines in amphorae and concrete eggs.

Innovation is bubbling over in Uruguay. ‘In the future we’ll definitely see more diversity, not only in varieties but also in winemaking,’ adds Garzón’s Bruzzone. ‘There are many exciting wine projects here that are spearheaded by the younger generation. They are exploring making wine in very different ways – with some surprising results.’

Although there’s plenty of reason to get excited about Uruguay’s wines beyond Tannat, that’s not to say that Tannat is by any means on its way out. Uruguayan Tannat continues to journey across Uruguay’s wine regions as well as styles – from carbonic-maceration Tannat pioneered by the Pizzorno family, to the many great dessert wines available today, and even sparkling Tannat. ‘Tannat expresses terroir like no other variety, so in Uruguay you find as many Tannat styles as terroirs exist,’ adds Daniel Pisano.

As Uruguay’s most-grown variety, Tannat offers an unparalleled opportunity to travel Uruguay’s wine regions from your glass. But, while you swirl your way around Uruguay, it’s well worth taking several pit stops on your journey to discover the diversity of varieties on offer. Small Uruguay may be, but you can’t ever say it is predictable or boring.

Amanda Barnes’ top 20 Uruguay wines beyond Tannat

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Tenuta di Arceno, an ancient estate of 1,000 hectares in Castelnuovo Berardenga in Tuscany, is recognisable for a stunning alley of cypress trees that crosses the bottom of the property, framing the iconic Faun statue uphill.

Accessed by a stone tunnel that marks the entrance to the Arceno estate, guests are reminded of the estate’s history as a centre for winemaking which began in the 16th century.

Scroll down for Aldo Fiordelli’s 10 Tenta di Arceno tasting notes and scores

Of the 1,000ha, only 92 are planted with vines which climb from 300 metres to more than 500 metres in altitude, creating 10 distinct mesoclimates.

The remaining land is preserved for native vegetation, including 50ha of olive groves.

The Jackson link

In 1994, California wine visionaries Jess Jackson and his wife Barbara Banke purchased the estate and established Tenuta di Arceno.

Today, Jackson Family Wines is one of the leading wine companies in the world, with wineries and vineyards across California, Oregon, Italy, France, Australia, Chile and South Africa.

In the USA, the company owns and farms 5,660ha of vineyards – roughly double that of Italian appellations such as Franciacorta and Montalcino – and just over 1,660ha internationally.

Considered one of the most influential women in the wine business, Barbara Banke keeps a low profile despite her immense entrepreneurial success.

Passionate for horses, her filly Lady Aurelia has won at Ascot twice. It took 15 years of searching for the right place to produce fine wines in Italy before Jackson Family Wines purchased the Arceno estate, making Italy the second international region in which the Jackson family invested.

The winemaking team is headed by founding winemaker, Pierre Seillan who was pivotal in attaining perfect scores from Robert Parker 15 times for the group’s Vérité wines in Sonoma and is intent on repeating that success with his vision for Arcanum, the estate’s top IGT wine.

Usually based on Cabernet Franc with other Bordeaux varieties, we tasted the 2016 and it was exceptional. The first 100% Cabernet Franc Arcanum, it is due to be released in September.

Tenuta di Arceno: The terroir

Located near the fork of two rivers – the Ambra, which flows to the north towards Florence, and the Ombrone which flows to the south towards Grosseto – this area of Chianti Classico was formerly the nexus of the Etruscan civilisation.

Castelnuovo Berardenga is the southernmost village in the historical Chianti region, within the province of Siena, facing towards Crete senesi and Montalcino, producing one of the most powerful styles of the appellation. The soil is mostly based on clay, which explains the large and structured character of the wines.

Arceno enjoys a remarkable diversity of soils: clay, sandstone, basalt and hard schist, here called Galestro. They range from sediment-based near the riverbanks to extremely rocky at higher elevations. These stony soils have good drainage, hold nutrients for the vines, and give extra complexity, especially for the Sangiovese.

The vineyards face predominantly southwest, which protects the vines from the colder north wind and gives them the full glare of the sun’s rays throughout the day.

According to Michele Pezzicoli, Arceno’s vineyard manager, the average annual rainfall is 800-900mm, while the average temperature during the growing season is 28°C.

Being at the southernmost extreme of the Chianti region, Castelnuovo Berardenga lies on the boundary between the mediterranean climate in the southwest of Tuscany and the more continental climate of the heart of Chianti. Perhaps unsurprisingly, hailstorms and other extreme climatic phenomena are therefore more common here compared to the other villages of the appellation.

Separated into 63 distinct vineyard blocks, the vineyards are planted to 50% Sangiovese and 50% international varieties such as Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Cabernet Sauvignon.

In 1996, the vineyard team conducted a detailed study of the soil, topography and climate to gain a complete understanding of the complexities of the land. The result is that each micro-cru features varieties, clones, rootstocks and viticultural practises best suited for its terroir. The micro-crus are also tended, harvested and vinified separately, each becoming a unique expression of its particular plot of land.

For example, the Valadorna vineyard, which is low and full of clay, is planted with 1% Merlot, while Strada al Sasso, the cru of the estate based on Sangiovese, is planted on the schist soils of the hill below San Gusmè village.

At the top of this hill above the Sangiovese, at 600 metres, the estate will plant its first Chardonnay vines next year.

‘Like a ghost’…

The winemaking is focused on definition of fruit, with a cold soak preceding gentle extraction and oak ageing. ‘Oak in wine should be like a ghost. You sense its presence, but you don’t actually perceive it,’ explains Seillan.

It is in the final stages of the winemaking process that various micro-crus come together to create the finished wines.

In the Chianti Classico, to be honest, the style of the blend with Sangiovese and Merlot tends to prevail over the terroir. The wine is supple and delicious, but it lacks the character of the Berardenga that you can taste in the Riserva and Gran Selezione.

In comparison, the single vineyards show a great expression of terroir even with international grapes such as Merlot or Cabernet Franc. Tasting the wines demonstrated how the team’s experience and the age of the vines is improving the quality of the wines.

‘I am a servant of the soil. The pure expression of each unique site has, from the beginning, defined my micro-cru philosophy,’ said Seillan.

Tasting Tenuta di Arceno wines:

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An essential ingredient in many great wines, Cabernet Franc never quite seems to have received its due in the Loire Valley, Bordeaux or Tuscany – an injustice that winemakers in Argentina, Chile and Uruguay are looking to put right. Even though just 3,000ha are under vine, South America has been doing a lot more to improve its reputation than many Old World producers. In the warm, dry conditions found in South American vineyards, Cabernet Franc ripens better, with fewer pyrazines (which give a leafy, green pepper character) and gentler tannins.

In Argentina, there is already talk about the rise of ‘Franc’ even though there are only 1,146ha under vine (compared with 40,000ha of Malbec). It partners well with Malbec, bringing enhanced freshness and a lighter structure, but it quickly began to stand out on its own.

‘Cab Franc expresses itself differently at different altitudes,’ says Alejandro Vigil, oenologist at Catena Zapata and Bodega Aleanna, and the producer of the most highly rated Cabernet Franc in South America. ‘It reflects distinct Mendozan terroirs as clearly as Malbec.’

Although old vines exist in Mendoza, in Maipú and in Luján de Cuyo, the current boom began 15 years ago with clones (#214 and #327) introduced in the late 20th century. With 261ha at 700m-1,000m, Luján de Cuyo ensures rich dark fruits, full body and juicy acidity. In the cooler Uco Valley, 462ha are planted at 1,000m-1,400m, the wines taut with red fruits and a balsamic profile. To the north it is grown above 1,700m, resulting in powerful, fresh wines with moderate pyrazines. In Patagonia, the profile is more like that found in the Old World.

In Chile, 1,646ha of Cabernet Franc are distributed mainly across Maipo, Maule and Colchagua, although it is also grown by the coast. Only about 30 Chilean Cabernet Franc varietal wines currently exist and the leafy profile varies according to the climate, but the grape is often found in good blends. ‘We’ve started to pay it attention, but it’s not an easy grape to get right in Chile,’ says Rafael Urrejola, who makes single-varietal Cabernet Franc in Maipo for Undurraga’s Terroir Hunter TH range. Winemakers tend to find the leafy, pyrazine profile a little daunting for single varietal bottlings.

Finally, with its 240ha under vine, Uruguay is producing some very good Cabernet Francs from vineyards close to the Río de la Plata and in the east. Although no one distinctive style has yet emerged, winemakers are optimistic about its future near the ocean. Bodega Garzón and Viña Progreso are the wineries most worth keeping an eye on right now.

Alejandro Iglesias’ top South American Cabernet Franc recommendations

Cabernet Franc has long since found fame in the wines of France’s Loire Valley – the grape of wines labelled Chinon, Bourgueuil, Saumur, Champigny or Anjou Rouge but, it is also favoured by other cooler climates around the world producing quality bottlings from Mendoza, California, Virginia and Stellenbosch.

Scroll down for 10 top-rated Cabernet Francs from around the world

It has soft tannins, moderate acidity and tons of charm and finesse combining bright raspberry fruit with intense floral aromatics and a silky texture akin to Pinot Noir. But it can also produce complex and structured wines and unlike Cabernet Sauvignon, which can take time to approach, they can be drunk young and with little or no oak treatment.

Some bottles can command large sums but many can be found at affordable prices.

The following list of 10 great Cabernet Francs comprises a mixture of single-varietal wines and grape-dominant blends.

Two of the 100% bottlings unsurprisingly come from the Loire with exceptional examples from Couly-Dutheil and Domaine de la Butte, priced £26 and £21 respectively, however varying in their expressions, the former being ‘attractive and youthful, with a smoky dark fruit core’ and the latter displaying ‘fresh hedgerow fruit scents with some intense violet, chocolate and damp earth notes’.

The others are spread across the globe with one of Italy’s best-known bottlings from Bolgheri in Tuscany – Le Macchiole’s Paleo 2016 scoring 96 points and noted as ‘soft and round with great volume on the palate’, Uco Valley with Rutini’s 2016, scoring 95 points and described as ‘seductive, classy and elegantly perfumed’ and Virginia with Ramiiisol’s Riserva 2014 rated 96 points, being ‘poised, resonant, with pepper and blackberry fruit and very silky tannins’.

See Ian D’Agata’s top Italian Cabernet Franc wines

South Africa is also a hot bed for both single-varietal Cabernet Francs and blends with plenty of good value wines to be found from producers including Vergelegen, Warwick and Raats whose 100% Cab Franc 2015 scored 96pts, available for around £25/$30 and MR de Compostella 2017 blend was rated 95 points.

Alternative highly-rated, but also more expensive (£100/$100+), blends include several from the USA namely California where a new wave of medium-bodied wines with charm and finesse are emerging. Sonoma County’s Vérité, Le Désir 2016 was highlighted for having a palate that is ‘broad and lush but exuberant, showing energy and flair’ while Napa Valley’s Smith Madrone and Favia have produced, respectively, a ‘generous and open’ 2013 and a ‘structured, well balanced and elegant’ 2015.

For more inexpensive drinking look to Doña Paula, 1350, 2017 from Uco Valley, available for less than £15/$20 and described by Andy Howard MW, in Decanter’s round up of exciting Argentinian wines under £25, as ‘cool and fresh in character: there is plenty of drive as well as complexity here.’

See 10 top-rated Cabernet Franc wines for every budget

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‘Warwick is built on Cabernet Franc,’ says cellar master JD Pretorius, in London recently to launch Warwick Estate’s 2016 vintage of the Bordeaux blend Trilogy.

The flagship wine is now 51% Cabernet Franc, up 10% from 2015 when, for the first time, it comprised more of the blend than Cabernet Sauvignon – albeit by just 1%.

From now on, Pretorius wants Cabernet Franc to play the lead role in Trilogy.

‘Warwick has built up 30 years of Cabernet Franc history to show the grape works on the property,’ says Pretorius, formerly of Steenberg in Constantia.

Although Warwick is known for its Bordeaux varietals and blends (both white and red) it has been only a wine-producing farm since the mid 1980s.

Stan and Norma Ratcliffe purchased the property In 1964. Canadian-born Norma dreamed of making wine at Warwick, but first had to pay off its large bank loan, so sold grapes to a local co-operative and farmed everything from pigs to peaches.

In 1984 the loan was settled and winemaking began, led by Norma who had studied winemaking and experimented with small-scale production during the 1970s. She had even worked at Château Sénéjac in Haut-Médoc, which explains her desire to make Bordeaux-style wines.

Norma was one of the first female winemakers in South Africa and the first woman inducted into the Cape Winemakers Guild. ‘She was a real firecracker,’ says Pretorius, and many of Warwick’s wines carry the ‘Lady’ moniker in tribute to her.

The first Trilogy wine was released in 1986, making this 2016 vintage the 33rd release.

It was a very hot growing season, in the middle of a long-term drought, but Pretorius is thrilled with the results, believing Trilogy 2016 will continue to improve over the next decade.

Warwick recently increased its potential area under vine to 700 hectares with the purchase of neighbouring Stellenbosch winery Uitkyk.

But the expansion won’t affect what Pretorius believes is already a winning formula: ‘From a winemaking point of view we don’t plan to change much. It’s all very hands-off, as it always has been.

‘The groundwork is done. We will try to refine things from a vinification point of view, but not much else.’

No details were revealed, but you can bet those ‘refinements’ will include planting a few more parcels of Cabernet Franc.

Warwick Estate Trilogy Vertical

Ramiiisol is what happens when you mix the foresight of President Thomas Jefferson that the US (and Virginia) could make wines to equal the best in the world, with the inspiration of Montalcino producer Gianfranco Soldera and the high-level science of its owners.

The three ‘i’s in the name refer to owner Robert Hefner III, and Alberto Antonini, the winery’s renowned consultant winemaker, pronounces it by extending the vowel a bit – Ramee-eesol.The ‘Ram’ comes from the first letters of Robert And MeiLi, his wife. Sol is, obviously, sun. In the logo, MeiLi’s brushstroke under the ‘iii’ makes it signify ‘mountain’, as in Virginia’s Blue Ridge foothills.

‘We made it up,’ says Robert, at the global launch of the winery and its two Cabernet Francs, at an intimate lunch at the Hefner’s London home in Cheyne Row.

Controversial Case Basse winemaker Gianfranco Soldera, who died aged 82 in February 2019, was a formative influence on the Hefners. They went to Tuscany to taste wine in 2005, and ‘Soldera stood out,’ says Robert. He talked to them of the importance of micro-ecosystems, of frogs and insects and of all those details in the making of great wine. ‘We went back every year. And we bought a property in the US eight years later.’They thought of Italy or France, ‘but neither of us speaks Italian or French’; they thought of Napa, but Napa is very thoroughly controlled and, says Robert, ‘I’m a free thinker. I learnt that from Soldera. I like the East Coast; it’s handy for travelling to London [where they have a house] and for my business [he’s a geologist and geophysicist]. We found a property in Virginia and 18 months later we bought it and we went for it.’

What they have today is 10ha of vines, mostly the mature Cabernet Franc that was already there, plus younger Cabernet Franc that replaced some badly planted Chardonnay. And there’s Nebbiolo too. The vines grow in decomposed red granite soils as part of a polyculture of forests, lakes, streams and wildflower meadows – that’s the Soldera influence – in a humid maritime climate with filtered light

They call their estate the ‘Ramiiisol terratorium’ of which vines are just one part: it’s a holistic approach that aims to achieve Jefferson’s goal of making wines in Virginia to equal any in the world. Renowned Chilean consultant Pedro Parra advised on the vineyards and the planting, digging more than 50 three-metre pits to study the soils.

The Hefners built an underground, solar-powered winery equipped with oak vats, casks and concrete eggs. There’s no fining, no filtration and no small new oak, and all the fermentation is with wild yeasts. It’s a small-scale operation, overseen by Virginian winemaker Robbie Corpora, and Robert can’t see it growing more than about 20,000 bottles a year.

Antonini was also greatly influenced by Soldera, and about 10 years ago began more and more to do less and less in the winery. ‘Robert says Soldera told him to forget everything he’d ever learnt. And what Soldera told me 35 years ago is what I’m doing now.’

Ramiiisol Vineyards debut releases

D’Agata’s estate to watch – Le Macchiole

One of Italy’s most important wine estates, Le Macchiole holds the distinction of making Paleo, the country’s best 100% Cabernet Franc. Founded in the early 1980s by husband and wife team Eugenio Campolmi and Cinzia Merli, the estate is located in Bolgheri, in a cool, well-draining part of the Tuscan coast.

See below for Ian D’Agata’s top Italian Cabernet Franc

Soils here are roughly 30% clay and very gravelly with varying percentages of sand and loam. They can be excessively fertile, so low-vigour rootstocks only are used.

In the beginning, Paleo was not 100% Cabernet Franc, starting out in 1983 as a blend of Sangiovese and Cabernet Sauvignon.‘That was typical back then: everyone planted Sangiovese because it is Tuscany’s main grape, and Cabernet Sauvignon because it was considered the most important red grape,’ says Merli. ‘However, we soon realised that Cabernet Franc performed better here. Nowadays, Cab Franc wines are springing up all the time, while practically nobody here makes a 100% Cabernet Sauvignon anymore.’

In 1993, Le Macchiole started vinifying each parcel separately: ‘It was a ton of work, but necessary to figure out what each grape and vineyard was capable of,’ Merli recalls.

The 2001 Paleo was the first vintage to be 100% Cab Franc, made from grapes grown in the Contessine vineyard (planted in 1984) and Pignone (planted in 1993). The grapes are usually harvested around 10 September.

Campolmi passed away many years ago, leaving Merli to turn Le Macchiole into a world-class winery on her own. ‘Paleo was Eugenio’s favourite, and it is mine too. So I am especially happy when people say they like it.’

• See all of Decanter’s top Italian Cabernet Francs

D’Agata’s top Italian Cabernet Franc wines:

Things are looking bright for South American Cabernet Franc, according to this report on 44 wines tasted by our three-strong expert panel. Published in Decanter's new October 2018 magazine issue, Premium subscribers can get exclusive online access to the full report and tasting notes below.

• 44 wines tasted, with one rated Outstanding

• ‘The enthusiasm for South American Cabernet Franc looks likely to continue’, concluded our tasting panel of Paz Levinson, Patricio Tapia & Dirceu Vianna Junior MW

Summary

With quality high, the tasters found notable stylistic differences – although the regional character of Cabernet Franc is yet to fully emerge, says Patricio Tapia…

In 2015 decanter arranged its first-ever panel tasting of South American Cabernet Franc, focussing on bottles from Argentina. The results were amazing. Although the variety was scarce in terms of planted area (around 700ha at that time), the quality and the character of the samples left the tasters very enthusiastic.Three years later, we revisited Cabernet Franc, this time expanding the tasting to cover Chile as well. Although lacking the wow-factor of that pioneering inaugural tasting, the results were very encouraging.

Of the 44 samples tasted, 32 came from Argentina – proof that the country’s winemakers are embracing the variety enthusiastically. They produced an impressive 21 Highly Recommended wines and one Outstanding.

Scroll down to see the top wines from the panel tasting

The tasters felt that quality in general was very high, although there were some negatives, especially when it came to the vegetal notes that can be characteristic of this grape variety.

‘I do understand producers who are afraid of the aggressive vegetal notes that can appear in Cab Franc when it is not fully ripe, but picking too late blurs the varietal expression and makes the wine lose its finesse,’ said Dirceu Vianna Junior MW.

Quick link See all 44 tasting notes & scores from this panel tasting

For sommelier Paz Levinson, the key is that winemakers have a clear idea of the style of Cabernet Franc they wish to produce – and for her, this tasting provided some clues. ‘Higher altitudes can give very fresh examples and a more spicy and herbal profile – a style that’s more Bolgheri in the high-end price bracket and more Loire at entry level.

‘Meanwhile, the regions of Luján de Cuyo and Maipú give a clearer St-Emilion-like profile: more muscular, with higher levels of oak, but a high-quality fruit to support.’

The general feeling was that the robust and more mature style is more common – both in Argentina and Chile – together with alcohols that, although not unbalanced, are at the higher end. It is very likely that this style is a product of winemakers actively seeking to avoid those vegetal notes.

‘I would encourage producers to take a few more risks and search for greater finesse by picking earlier,’ recommended Vianna. ‘This would bring a tension to these wines, decrease alcohol levels and offer those attractive, leafy notes that consumers who understand and like Cab Franc have come to expect.’

If you’re looking for a fresher and lighter style of Cabernet Franc, your best bet is to go for wines from the 2016 vintage, which produced wines with juicy, crunchy acidity in both Chile and Argentina. As for other vintages, Levinson had some recommendations. ‘In Argentina, I love the 2014, the wines are linear, slightly more austere and earthy. We had a great 2015, giving balanced and complex wines,’ she said.

The enthusiasm for South American Cabernet Franc looks likely to continue. There is still much to explore and the grape is showing what it is capable of, but still in a very incipient way. This means it is difficult to talk about styles, but the main lesson of this tasting is that the quality is there.

What remains to be defined is a local character. Will it be the fresh, cool-climate style from vineyards on the coast of Chile or from the heights of Uco Valley? Or will it be the sweetness and opulence of the examples from Luján de Cuyo or Maipú? Or could it even be something in between these two? Whatever emerges, it will be interesting to chart the progress of Cabernet Franc. Watch this space…

The scores

44 wines tasted

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit their latest releases of single-varietal South American Cabernet Franc (minimum 85%)

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 1

Highly Recommended 24

Recommended 15

Commended 2

Fair 1

Poor 0

Faulty 1

See all 44 wines from this panel tasting

Our tasters each pick their top 3 wines from the tasting:

Paz Levinson

Levinson was the first Argentinian to pass the Court of Master Sommeliers’ advanced sommelier certificate and won the ASI and APAS Best Sommelier of the Americas in

2015. She ranked fourth in the ASI Best Sommelier of the World in 2016. Levinson is currently head sommelier at Virtus in Paris and works between France and Argentina as a consultant and educator.

Fabre Montmayou, Reservado Cabernet Franc, Mendoza 2015

Blueberry and cassis aromas mingle with mint, eucalyptus and lavender. Great tension and freshness. Perfect balance; tannins are ripe but firm, with a great potential. 97/100 Drink 2020-2026

Trapiche, Gran Medalla Cabernet Franc, Mendoza 2014

What a lovely wine! Elegant and energetic, with nervy acidity, good concentration and layers of flavour. Powerful and muscular but without excess; a beautiful expression of the grape. 95 Drink 2018-2024

Andeluna, Pasionado Cabernet Franc, Gualtallary 2014

An Argentinian wine for St-Emilion lovers! A fantastic combination of wild terroir with more disciplined fruit. A very elegant style, thanks to skilled winemaking and the fresh 2014 vintage. 94 Drink 2018-2023

Patricio Tapia

Tapia graduated with a degree in journalism from the Universidad de Chile in Santiago, before attending Bordeaux University to study wine tasting and winemaking. He has written several books, including Wines for Great Occasions, The Wines of Colchagua Valley and TodoVino, as well as his annual Descorchados guide to wines of Argentina, Chile and Uruguay.

Finca Decero, Mini Ediciones Remolinos Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Agrelo 2016

From a cold vintage, this is opulent, with spicy and herbal notes layered over black fruits. Will last for at least five more years in bottle. 94 Drink 2018-2024

Zorzal, Eggo Franco Cabernet Franc, Tupungato 2016

A herbal and juicy Cabernet Franc that’s a very good example of a lighter style from the heights of Gualtallary in the cool Uco Valley. 93 Drink 2018-2023

Valdivieso, Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc, Sagrada Familia 2015

Old vines planted in around 1900 give a concentrated juice that is full of herbal notes, with touches of tobacco, earth and nuts. A wine of great complexity, but at the same time it remains faithful to the varietal character. 92 Drink 2018-2021

Dirceu Vianna Junior MW

Originally from Brazil, Vianna studied forest engineering and law, before moving to London, where he began to work in the wine trade in 1990. In 2008, he became the first South American male to obtain the title of Master of Wine. He is currently the wine director for UK importer Enotria & Coe, as well as a wine writer, educator, technical consultant and competition judge.

Andeluna, Pasionado Cabernet Franc, Gualtallary 2014

Cabernet Franc seems at home in the highlands of Gualtallary. This is harmonious with a sophisticated structure. A delicious example of Cabernet Franc from the New World. Bravo! 94 Drink 2018-2023

Antucura, Single Vineyard Tani Cabernet Franc, Vista Flores 2016

Aromas are exotic, with notes of dark fruit, cedar, cardamom and black pepper, like Syrah. Ripe and juicy with lots of personality and attractive savoury complexity. 95 Drink 2018-2023

Viña Undurraga, TH Cabernet Franc, Maipo 2013

A phenomenal Cabernet Franc that combines the Chilean generosity of fruit with traditional winemaking and the complexity of age. An elegant wine which is ageing gracefully. 92 Drink 2018-2021

About South American Cabernet Franc

Five years ago, a tasting of South American Cabernet Franc would have been something of an eccentricity. Perhaps we would have found good examples, but the number of samples would have been scarce. Today, however, that situation is changing – and fast.

That said, the total number of hectares planted with Cabernet Franc in South America remains small. The biggest plantings can be found in Argentina and Chile, but Cabernet Franc represents just 1.15% of all the varieties planted in Chile; while in Argentina that figure doesn’t even reach 0.5%.

Coming from a small base, growth has nonetheless been significant. In 1996 there were only 17ha of Cabernet Franc planted in Chile; by 2016 plantings had risen to 1,578ha. Similarly in Argentina, only 207ha of the grape were planted in 2000; today that figure stands at 929ha.

Finding a style

These numbers show enthusiasm for Cabernet Franc in both countries, but arguably Argentina has been leading the way. Alejandro Vigil of Catena Zapata, explains the appeal of the grape for Argentinian winemakers: ‘Cabernet Franc gives us the tannin structure that Malbec doesn’t have, and also the herbal notes that you don’t find in Malbec either.’

These structural tannins and more pronounced herbal notes are found especially in cooler areas such as the Uco Valley. Of the total plantings in Argentina, 685ha are in Mendoza – and half of those are in Uco Valley. In this high-altitude, cool-climate area the Argentinian Cab Franc community is finding a new home, making wines that have more in common with the Loire than Bordeaux; tenser acidity, lighter-bodied and more herbal.

But this isn’t the only style of Cabernet Franc being made in Argentina. You can also find more structured and riper wines, especially from the warmer areas in Luján de Cuyo. For the lover of Franc, the diversity that Argentina offers today can be a delicious surprise.

In Chile, the grape is still a secondary player, almost always in the shadow of Cabernet Sauvignon when it comes to blends. A succulent and mature style is still predominant, especially in the warm Central Valley. And although the country has vineyards along its coastline, coastal examples of Chilean Cab Francs are scarce.

Without either the winemaking tradition or the vineyard plantings of Malbec, Carmenere and Cabernet Sauvignon, Franc is nonetheless gradually gaining a space in the South American varietal range. Its herbal aromas and firm structure bring new flavours and textures to the reds from that part of the wine world.

South American Cabernet Franc: the facts

Argentina

Total vineyard 219,260ha

Total vineyard area for Cabernet Franc 929ha

Percentage of total 0.4%

Most widely planted grape Malbec (41,319ha)

Chile

Total vineyard 137,375ha

Total vineyard area for Cabernet Franc 1,578ha

Percentage of total 1.15%

Most widely planted grape Cabernet Sauvignon (42,409ha)

South American Cabernet Franc: know your vintages

Argentina

2017 A long, hot summer, yet a vintage of well-balanced reds.

2016 The coldest vintage in a decade. Fresh, light wines.

2015 A fresh vintage for those who harvested early. Riper reds if not.

2014 Low yields, but high acidity. Keep top wines in your cellar.

2013 The first of a series of cold vintages. Wines high in acidity.

2012 Frost caused low yields, but heat created very ripe reds.

Chile

2017 Hell in Chile. The hot weather caused severe wildfires and the wines show that heat.

2016 Very refined reds if harvested early.

2015 Another warm vintage. Succulent and concentrated reds.

2014 After initial frost, this vintage was moderate to hot.

2013 One of the coolest vintages of the decade. Refined reds.

2012 Warm and slightly humid year. Drink the wines now.

Top South American Cabernet Franc from the panel tasting:

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Top Loire Cabernet Franc: Panel tasting results

Exciting Chilean wines: Colchagua producers to watch

Argentina’s wine revolution: the time is ripe for white

Cabernet Franc from the Loire is often good value and doesn't only come in a light, fruity style. Read this report on 53 wines tasted by our three-strong expert panel, including tasting notes and ratings...

• 53 wines tasted with four rated Outstanding

• The panel tasters were: Jim Budd, Chris Kissack and Ben Llewelyn

The ‘other’ Cabernet finds its home in a small stretch of the Loire Valley, and given the right conditions it produces distinctive, terroir-driven reds, as Jim Budd reports…

Along with neighbouring Saumur-Champigny – which isn’t included in this panel tasting – the three appellations of Chinon, Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil form the world’s largest concentration of high-quality Cabernet Franc. It’s also the Loire’s most significant area for red wine, clustered at the western end of Touraine.

Scroll down to see the top wines from the panel tasting

Chinon is a clearly distinct appellation, whereas Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil are contiguous – a vineyard that stretches from St-Patrice in the east to St-Nicolas de Bourgueil in the west.

On the ground it’s impossible to tell where Bourgueil finishes and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil begins. St-Nicolas has a greater proportion of vineyards on sand and gravel, but does have vines on the clay-limestone slopes. Their climate, history and soils are broadly similar, and overall their similarities are greater than their differences. All three were among the Loire’s early appellations contrôlées – all recognised on 31 July 1937.

Quick link: See all 53 wines from this panel tasting

Ideal conditions

Forests to the north of each appellation provide protection from cold north winds, and although about 120 miles from the Atlantic, the climate here is tempered by the oceanic influence.

It’s the driest part of the Loire, yet is not sufficiently temperate for Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen properly, so early-ripening Cabernet Franc is preferred, with appellation rules restricting Cabernet Sauvignon to a maximum of 10%. In practice the vast majority of these wines are 100% Cabernet Franc.

There are three main types of soils – sand, gravel and clay-limestone – found in all three appellations. For Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil the sandy soils are close to the Loire, while in Chinon they are at the western end of the appellation around Savigny-en-Véron. From here come the lightest wines.

Wines from the gravel beds laid down by the Loire and the Vienne have more structure and are of medium weight, while those from the clay-limestone slopes are the most concentrated, structured and need most time to be ready to drink and have the longest ageing potential. In 2012, I was privileged to taste a still-live Bourgueil 1893.

There has been a popular conception that these Loire reds are light, fruity and are best drunk young. Although this is true for some wines from the sandy soils, many of these wines from all three appellations have a remarkable capacity to age: 25-30 years is quite normal, especially for those from the slopes.

Well-kept wines from exceptional years – like 1947, 1949 and 1964 – are quite likely to be still enjoyable.

The scores

53 wines tasted

Entry criteria: Producers and UK agents were invited to submit dry reds from APs Bourgueil, Chinon and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil, and only from the vintages 2015, 2016 and 2017

Exceptional 0

Outstanding 4

Highly Recommended 26

Recommended 19

Commended 4

Fair 0

Poor 0

Faulty 0

Continue reading below

The summary

Though regrettably hard to find in too many instances, the character and quality of these Loire reds from consecutive good vintages shone through, says Jim Budd…

A tasting that lived up to expectations, as quality-wise these appellations have had a quartet of good vintages, starting with 2014. This is an unprecedented run – certainly since 1939 and probably earlier, although three successive good Loire vintages is not unknown.

Unfortunately there has been a succession of small crops from 2012, with 2016 and 2017 particularly affected by a series of late April frosts. Many growers are short of stock, which may well explain why we had a slightly disappointing number of wines entered. ‘Quality was broadly very good,’ said Chris Kissack. ‘I found myself scoring more wines in the 90s than I was expecting.’

There were some lovely wines here in various styles, starting from deliciously easy-drinking 2017s with the emphasis very firmly on juicy, attractive red fruits, to the more structured wines that will repay cellaring – good candidates include Domaine du Mortier’s Dionysos 2016; Château de Minières’ Vignes Centenaires de Minière 2015; Frédéric Mabileau’s Eclipse No 11 2015; and Domaine de la Butte’s Mi-Pente 2015.

Chinon in particular excelled in the early-drinking, soft, spring wines – not wines for analysing, and best served lightly chilled but not too chilled, otherwise the fruit will be masked. Fine examples of 2017s delicious to drink now include Baudry-Dutour’s Amaranthe and Serge et Bruno Sourdais’ Le Logis de la Bouchardière.

‘The past few years have seen many growers suffer some terribly hard times at the mercy of the weather,’ commented Ben Llewelyn. ‘So it was very reassuring to see so many delicious wines with both terroir expression and Cabernet Franc fruit in abundance.’

Llewelyn felt St-Nicolas stood out. ‘This commune showed wines of ease and fluidity while also retaining structure and a certain finesse, which should encourage lovers of Cabernet Franc to seek out these wines with greater enthusiasm,’ he said. ‘In Chinon, many wines had scented charm but some lacked the depth to be long-lived. Bourgueil was variable, but in places produced wines to age and revere in years to come.

‘As always, my advice is to buy a case, drink one or two and sling the rest in the cellar for a few years, these wines seldom disappoint and are such amazing value.’

For Chris Kissack, no single appellation showed a superiority: ‘Chinon is perhaps the more famous, but in this tasting it was clear that wines of comparable high quality come from across all three appellations, in both fruit-fresh styles for drinking now, as well as more tannic styles intended for the cellar. To get the most out of the Loire Valley in red, you’re best getting to know Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil, as well as Chinon.’

Domaine du Mortier was particularly successful in this respect, with three of its wines from both Bourgueil and St-Nicolas de Bourgueil being placed in the top 12.

Kissack added: ‘Great to see so many of the region’s top domaines doing so well, making great wines when they have the opportunity, testament to the hard work of people such as Nicolas Grosbois (who suffered a lot in the frosts), Kathleen van den Berghe (Château de Minière), Frédéric Mabileau, Baudry-Dutour, Anne-Charlotte Genet & Kevin Fontaine (Charles Joguet), Jacky Blot, Gerald Vallée and more.’

Sadly, despite their quality and the often excellent value of these Loire reds, well over half of them are not available in the UK. Time for UK merchants to look again!

Our tasters each pick their top 3 wines

Jim Budd

Contributing to Decanter since 1989. Budd writes the award-winning blog Jim’s Loire, and is one of the five members of the Les 5 du Vin blog in France. He contributes to Hugh Johnson’s Pocket Wine Book and is a keen photographer, especially in the Loire.

Domaine du Mortier, Dionysos, St-Nicolas de Bourgueil 2016

From the clay-limestone slopes, a dense, deeply coloured wine, seductively textured with mouthfilling red and black fruits. Lovely balance, oak adding complexity. Organic, and one for the cellar. 97/100 Drink 2018-2030

Domaine Grosbois, Gabare, Chinon 2017

Since returning in 2008 after working around the world, Nicolas Grosbois has taken it to another level. Smoky nose, concentration and structure. Powerful, best kept a year or two. Certified organic. 97 Drink 2020-2025

Château de Minière, Vignes Centenaires de Minière, Bourgueil 2015

Organic and from vines more than 100 years old, this is deeply coloured, opulently textured, concentrated and well balanced with a long finish. Can be enjoyed now or put away in the cellar. 96 Drink 2018-2022

Chris Kissack

Kissack has published www.thewinedoctor.com since 2000. He has focused on Bordeaux and the Loire for many years, and has been a frequent visitor to both regions since 1993. In the Loire, he writes regular first-hand reports on domaines, vineyards and harvests.

Yannick Amirault, Les Malgagnes Amphore, St-Nicolas de Bourgueil 2016

This top domaine is increasingly run by Yannick’s son Benoît, who is not afraid to experiment. From one of the appellation’s most revered vineyards, this cuvée is vinified in terracotta amphorae. 91 Drink 2018-2025

Domaine de la Noblaie, Pierre de Tuf, Chinon 2015

Jérôme Billard is an up-and-coming superstar in Chinon. This cuvée comes from a selection of the best fruit at harvest, and it is vinified in a limestone vat. It shows well with bottle age. 90 Drink 2018-2022

Domaine Dozon, Clos du Saut au Loup, Chinon 2017

After centuries of ownership, in 2013 the Dozon family sold this domaine to Eric Santier, who up to then had been working with Bernard and Matthieu Baudry. Eric fashions wines of increased purity and freshness. 90 Drink 2018-2025

Ben Llewelyn

Llewelyn moved his family to France in 2007 to experience the life of a winemaker while studying for his MW, and in 2008 he set up the wholesale agency and importer Carte Blanche Wines, which leans towards producers who choose to make wine as naturally as possible.

Château de la Bonnelière, Le Clos, Chinon 2014

From one of the larger family domaines with vineyards on the southern coteaux, this stood out for its classical lines and purity of fruit. One of a number of wines from the domaine that are worth seeking out and storing away. 97 Drink 2019-2029

Domaine Grosbois, Gabare, Chinon 2017

A single parcel of classic clay and limestone soil where the gradient rises to meet the forests. The scent and elegance typify the hallmarks of this terroir – an absolute classic. Farmed organically. 96 Drink 2020-2025

Domaine du Mortier, Dionysos, St-Nicolas de Bourgueil 2016

Fabien and Cyril consistently produce some of the best (value) wines of this area and Dionysos, a selection of old vines, is one of their best. If you want to know what great St-Nicolas should taste like, look no further! 95 Drink 2018-2030

Red Loire APs: the facts

Bourgueil 1,400ha, 120 producers, 7 communes, annual production around 65,000hl, 3% rosé

Chinon 2,347ha (2,027ha (Cabernet, 83ha Chenin Blanc for Chinon Blanc), 200 producers, 26 communes (eight new added 2016, Vienne south bank), annual production 96,500hl, 12% rosé

St-Nicolas de Bourgueil 1,100ha, 140 producers, annual production 58,500hl, 2% rosé

Cabernet Franc for all three APs, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon permitted

Chinon, Bourgueil, St-Nicolas de Bourgueil: know your vintages

2017 April frosts, but growers better set to combat it. Still some losses, but overall an unprecedented fourth good vintage in a row for quality. Top wines yet to be bottled.

2016 Many parts hit by frosts, up to 100% loss. Also mildew. Small crop but good quality wines. 2018-2035+

2015 Warm year producing powerful,ripe wines, if a smallish crop. 2018-2040+

2014 Cool, wet summer, then glorious in September, October. Attractive well-balanced wines. 2018-2035+

2013 Cold spring, very late flowering, least good for many years. Lack of ripeness – avoid. 2012 Frost-hit crop. Some decent wines but outdone by 2014-2017.

Top rated wines from the panel tasting:

See all 53 wines from this panel tasting

You might also like:

Expert’s Choice: Red Sancerre

Muscadet wines: Time to think again – panel tasting results

Promotional feature

Malbec aside, Argentina has three of its own styles that develop unique wine. They present a golden opportunity to the world of wine lovers, offering their own distinct flavour, as well as a specific origin and sense of place.

Beyond Malbec: Three wine styles only Argentina can offer the world

Promotional feature

High altitude, continental Chardonnay

There is a universe of whites making a name for themselves in Argentina. As the vineyards move upwards in the Uco Valley, reaching heights of 1,600m and over, an extreme area for the cultivation of Chardonnay is beginning to form.

In short, we’re looking at producing a white in cold but sunny conditions, exactly the antipode of what is being produced on the world market. These whites require a definition of flavour, and the wineries are working to achieve this, because the difficult part of the equation is to get freshness and maturity.

Jose Galante, a legendary winemaker in Chardonnay, found a special balance point for his Salentein Single Vineyard 2015, where the acidity is well tamed with the volume, thanks to lees and oak.

Compared with others in the world, the richness of volume, the maturity of aromas and the intensity of freshness are a point of differentiation for Argentina. The interesting thing is that this could work for other varieties as well.

Cold and sunny Cabernet Franc

The different flavours of this variety, which have earned it its reputation over the years, seem to have found a new expression in the high deserts. Until now, most of the oenology applied to obtaining reds with Franc respected the vegetal component, which does not disappear at high altitude – but instead demands concentration.

There is, however, another way to understand Cabernet Franc, where altitude could be key to offering freshness and a lighter red. Some of that can already be seen in Polígonos de Valle de Uco, San Pablo, 2016. Unlike the rest of the native Francs, they propose freshness as the main attraction, medium bodied and a new aromatic fruitiness. The point of maturity is the crux, and the result is a continental red with a mature palate, but with a similar freshness to oceanic reds. A rarity that could give the varietal its very own flavour.

And, strictly speaking, it could be possible to do the same with other reds like Merlot and Syrah.

New Calchaquí reds

In general, the Malbec and Cabernet Sauvignon of the Calchaquí valley offer sufficient differential when it comes to selling them in the market. Now a new type of balance has been added that opens the palate of the region to other consumers. In particular, with Cabernet Sauvignon and its blends.

In the extreme conditions of the valley, which include a lot of sunlight, very warm temperatures and high altitude – this new approach is aiming to fine-tune the wines: rescuing that singularity, but not exaggerating it, and the new Calchaquí Cabernet begins to emerge with elegance.

In particular Malbec and Tannat now offers reds with their own aromas, ample and juicy in the mouth, combined with elegant and polished tannins. The key is to understand that altitude achieves a natural concentration effect and does not require artifices to enhance it. Wineries such as El Porvenir for its Laborum 2014, are working with this understanding. In this new stylistic trait, seduction, not intensity, is the key.

Whichever path Argentina follows in terms of a wine like Malbec, which has already blazed its own trail, these three styles of unique wines should be good starting point to recognise that ours is a country of specialties

This content has been provided by Wines of Argentina

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D’Agata’s estate to watch – Le Dôme

• See below for Ian D’Agata’s top Bordeaux Cabernet Franc

Depending on the vintage, Le Dôme is made with 80% to 85% Cabernet Franc – the highest percentage of any Bordeaux wine (Château Trottevieille’s Vieilles Vignes is 100% Cabernet Franc, but is not on sale to the public).

In 1990 its owner Jonathan Maltus arrived in Bordeaux in search of a new life from his petro-chemical industry days: ‘The Left Bank required buying huge hectarage and was unaffordable, but 5ha on the plains of St-Emilion was doable.’ But he soon realised that life as a winemaker was going to be tough with that plot. ‘The garagiste movement was just revving up. A few hectares next to Château Angélus became available and I took the plunge. That parcel is now Le Dôme, but buying it meant selling a house in Chelsea!’

Believe it or not, Maltus thought he was buying mostly Merlot vines – the required grape for making a garage wine in those days. ‘It took my vineyard manager six weeks to get the courage to tell me I’d bought a parcel with 80% Cabernet Franc: not exactly a hot grape in 1996!’ But Maltus figured if his neighbour Angélus was planted to 55% Cab Franc, he had landed something special anyway.

He chose Gilles Pauquet as his consultant oenologist who holds the same post at Cheval Blanc – another estate where Cab Franc is king. ‘He helped us change our approach: in 2008, we moved from 100% new oak to 80%, started picking a bit earlier and taking the wine off the skins sooner. Viticulturally, we have moved to a slightly higher planting density – 8,333 vines per hectare rather than the 5,500/ha of the original vineyards.’

Le Dôme’s Cabernet Franc is mainly clone 326, but Maltus is looking to perform massal selections given his very old (planted in 1961) and surprisingly healthy vines. The old vines are grafted onto a rootstock called SO4, known to be a big producer, but are cropped low (four bunches to the vine) and are perfectly adapted to Le Dôme’s sandy soil and famous crasse de fer subsoil – an iron-rich stony clay. It’s a magical marriage.

D’Agata’s top Bordeaux Cabernet Franc:

Patricio Tapia picks six top Cabernet Francs from South America, and profiles his stand-out estate...

You might think that all the hype about Cabernet Franc in Argentina is, to borrow from Shakespeare, much ado about nothing. Of the country’s 200,000ha of vineyards, only about 700ha are Cabernet Franc. In the recent tastings for my South American wine guide, Descorchados, I tasted 1,300 Argentinian wines, but a mere 40 were from this variety. So, why all the fuss?

The little Cabernet Franc that is produced in Argentina is surprisingly very good, and sometimes superb – it seems that producers have finally found a worthy companion to Malbec, until now the standard bearer for the whole country’s wine industry.

Tapia’s stand-out estate: Bodega Aleanna, Argentina

In the late 1990s, Bodega Catena Zapata decided to plant Cabernet Franc at about 1,500m above sea level at the foot of the Andes, in Gualtallary. The winery’s current technical director, Alejandro Vigil, first vinified it in 2001, to give more structure to his Malbecs. However, with the passing of vintages, he realised that the potential of the grape was very high, and that it offered very different flavours and textures to Cabernet Franc grown elsewhere.

When Vigil and Nicolás Catena’s daughter Adrianna decided to create Bodega Aleanna, Vigil saw an opportunity to give Cabernet Franc a major role. Today four of the seven wines in Aleanna’s portfolio are made mainly of Cabernet Franc. ‘Things are changing, but most Malbecs in Argentina are very ripe and sweet. Cabernet Franc, especially from high-altitude areas such as Gualtallary, brings freshness and herbal notes not common in other varieties planted here,’ Vigil explains, as he pours Gran Enemigo 2011, a single-vineyard Cab Franc from vines planted by Catena in Gualtallary more than 17 years ago.

‘As with Malbec, we have reduced the use of new wood in our Cabernet Franc, and we try to harvest earlier for more freshness,’ Vigil says of a wine that could be described as halfway between a ripe St-Emilion and a crisp Chinon, but that very much has its own identity.

Patricio Tapia is the Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Chair for Argentina.

Tapia’s top Cabernet Franc from Argentina and Chile:

I first got the feeling that all was not right in the world of Left Bank Cabernet Franc while in the cellars of Lafite Rothschild a few years ago.

Long-time winemaker and technical director Charles Chevallier is a self-confessed Cabernet Franc lover. And he is nothing if not loyal. Chevallier fights a good fight for this grape variety; Bordeaux’s oldest, that dates back several centuries earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon and seems to have fathered or co-parented pretty much every other variety in the fields here, in one way or another. I’ve heard Chevallier defend the perfume and vibrancy that it can bring to a blend, but the blending process is a carefully controlled democracy at Lafite and it has been several years since he has won the argument include it in the blend for the grand vin. (Until this year, which does include 3% Cabernet Franc).

I understand his point of view. There are moments when I crave the subtle, savoury splendor of Cabernet Franc. Of course from the Loire Valley, but also from Irouleguy down on the Spanish border, or the touches of grace that it provides in Sonoma or Margaret River. Australian viticulturalist Brian Croser recently suggested that its popularity is about to explode, as consumer tastes continue to shift away from big alcohol fruit bombs. So why are more and more Left Bank classified estates either pulling up Cabernet Franc from their vineyards, or just choosing not to include it in the first wine?

At recent count, Leoville Barton has gone from 8% Cabernet Franc a few years ago to 3% now, Chateaux Haut Bailly has gone from 10% to 3% and routinely keeps it out of its first wine, Chateau Olivier in Pessac Leognan pulled up 2 hectares of Cabernet Franc in 2007 and replaced it with Petit Verdot and Cabernet Sauvignon, making them entirely Cabernet Franc-free, Chateau Talbot pulled up the entirety of its 3% Cabernet Franc… and there are plenty more.

At the same time, over on the Right Bank of the Garonne, Cabernet Franc is having something of a moment; Ausone, Cheval Blanc, Angelus are all big proponents, Pavie is severely upping its Cabernet Franc contingent, as are Pressac and Grand Corbin. Clearly it has always been a grape that does best on the Right Bank, but are we seeing a definitive shift away from it in the Medoc and Pessac Leognan? And why?

Several winemakers have cited the problem of getting good clones – a similar story with Semillon led a group of 17 producers, including Guiraud and Olivier, to create a private clonal programme in 2008 to propagate quality Semillon that is just now making its way into the wines. The local Chamber of Agriculture has accepted three new clones (with another one the way at the end of the year) that will be commercially available from 2018. These have been selected for their quality potential, most notably the concentration of flavours and tannins that they offer, and will more than double the number of clones currently available to winemakers, but Kees Vanleeuwen of Cheval Blanc is sceptical that clones are the issue. ‘I can’t see objectively why Cabernet Franc shouldn’t work on certain soils on the Left Bank. I think it is more a matter of being happy with Cabernet Sauvignon – it’s a question of habit’.

Overall, Cabernet Franc accounts for 9% of all plantings across the Gironde, compered to 9.8% in 2010, with just 3% of that in the Medoc, compared to 15% of plantings on the Right Bank. And if we believe the old rule for vines that older is better, we should be seeing a quality boom, as 55% of the Cabernet Franc grapes are aged between 20 and 40 years old.

‘That may be the problem’, says Hubert de Bouard, who has increased Cabernet Franc at Angelus, but also works with dozens of properties as a consultant, and confirms the trend of moving away from the variety on the Left Bank. ‘On the Left Bank Cabernet Franc has always been viewed as a difficult grape – it’s sensitive, it doesn’t like soils that are too dry and hot, so the gravel predominance in the Medoc and Pessac can be tough, although too wet can be tough also, so pure clay isn’t ideal. There are rare places where they like it such as Leoville Las Cases, but historically it’s a Right Bank variety – an effect perhaps partly of clone and soils, but also a cultural thing. The Left Bank vineyard is typically high density and high yields. Over on the Right Bank we are are less focused on yields, and density is typically a little lower – useful in this case because cabernet franc loses quality quickly when it heads over a yield of 30 hectolitres per hectare. In smaller estates it is easier to keep an eye on it – something that suits the smaller scale, garden-style viticulture of Saint Emilion and Pomerol’.

‘But there is a bigger issue. Cabernet Franc vines need some age – both Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon give better results at a young age. The problem right now is that many of the older Cabernet Franc vines were planted in the 1970s when planting rights on the Right Bank were only granted for the planting of Cabernet Franc or Sauvignon (in an attempt to up these varieties by the local chamber of agriculture after devastating frosts had proved particularly bad for Merlot) but they were often planted on the wrong rootstock, and in the wrong place. This was also true on the Left Bank, and when coupled with dry soils, it has proved really problematic.’

‘All of this has been brought into focus in recent years because Cabernet Franc is so sensitive to temperature,’ says consultant and professor Denis Dubourdieu, who also confirmed that he has recommended many of his Left Bank clients – such as Haut Bailly – pull up their cab franc. ‘There have been a number of hot years recently that saw Cabernet Franc shut down its maturation cycle on the Left Bank but not on the Right Bank where the soils are better adapted. When Cabernet Franc blocks, you get green pyrazine aromas and it makes the entire structure of the wine overly austere. Besides perhaps Chateau du Tertre, I have never seen Cabernet Franc in the Medoc that year in year out goes into the grand vin’.

‘Global warming is clearly why Cabernet Franc is rising on Right Bank,’ agrees Vanleeuwen. ‘It ripens increasingly well, and even without worrying about alcohol levels in Merlot, Cabernet Franc gives freshness and florality. The Medocains have the easy solution of Cabernet Sauvignon which gives quick results and is less sensitive. So why would they bother trying to tame Cabernet Franc?’.

See more Bordeaux 2014 coverage:

Written by Jane Anson

Hubert de Bouard has said he expects the amount of Cabernet Franc in the flagship wine of Chateau Angelus to gradually increase in the next few years, partly because of the benefits it yields during ageing.

Chateau Angelus

Hubert de Bouard described his admiration for Cabernet Franc during a recent vertical tasting of Chateau Angelus wine in London. He added that he was looking to ‘increase it step by step’ in the final blend of the St Emilion estate’s first wine.

He highlighted the 2012 Angelus vintage, which contained 45% Cabernet Franc versus 55% Merlot, as an example of what Cabernet Franc can do – describing the variety’s contribution to the wine as ‘like cashmere in the mouth’.

Merlot was around 60% of the blend in most of other vintages in the tasting, which encompassed 2000 and then 2005 to 2012 inclusive. Only 2010 equalled 2012 for Cabernet Franc levels.

Angelus has 15 hectares of Cabernet Franc, of which 10ha are more than 65 years old. ‘It needs to be at least 25 years old before it can give great wines,’ said de Bouard, who also acts as a consultant to other Bordeaux estates and wineries in several other countries.

Bordeaux’s ‘most difficult’ grape

‘It is the most difficult grape in Bordeaux, because it is sensitive to mildew and is fussy about exactly the right amount of clay in the soil, needing no more than 15% and not less than 10%,’ he said.

Despite the challenges, de Bouard believes that Cabernet Franc gives his wines ‘freshness, spice and a long finish’. He said he dislikes over-ripe Merlot, which ‘has a maximum of ten years then the wine is brown and dead, whereas Cabernet Franc helps with ageing’. He cited Cheval Blanc 1947 as evidence of this.

De Bouard added that he also prefers to ferment Cabernet Franc in concrete due to its thermal inertia. The grape is very sensitive to temperature changes, he said.

Chateau Angelus blends for the wines tasted:

• 2012: 55% Merlot 45% Cabernet Franc
• 2011: 60% Merlot 40% Cabernet Franc
• 2010: 55% Merlot 45% Cabernet Franc
• 2009: 60% Merlot 40% Cabernet Franc
• 2008: 58% Merlot 42% Cabernet Franc
• 2007: 62% Merlot 38% Cabernet Franc
• 2006: 62% Merlot 38% Cabernet Franc
• 2005: 62% Merlot 38% Cabernet Franc
• 2000: 60% Merlot 40% Cabernet Franc

See also:

• Pavie and Angelus promoted in new St Emilion Classification
• Bordeaux 2014: Price cuts demanded by UK merchants ahead of en primeur
• Bordeaux 2013: The Decanter verdict

Written by Caroline Gilby MW

This year's Decanter World Wine Awards Regional Trophy for Argentinian Red Bordeaux Varietal under £15 went to Fabre Montmayou, Reservado Cabernet Franc, Mendoza 2013 (14.5%)

Tasted against:

• Antucura, Barrandica Cabernet Sauvignon, Vista Flores,Mendoza 2013
• Mascota, La Mascota Cabernet Franc,Mendoza 2012
• Trapiche, Estacion 1883 Caberne tFranc, Mendoza 2012

Profile:

Following successful career s as both a Bordeaux négociant and a supermarket wine buyer, Hervé Joyaux Fabre arrived in Argentina in the early 1990s to become a wine producer.

He established his winery in 1993 in Vistalba, Lujan de Cuyo,18km north of Mendoza at 1,150m, among the first 15 hectares of Malbec vineyards the company bought. Planted in 1908, they are densely packed at 8,000 vines per hectare. Fabre sold 15,000 bottles that first year, a figure which has now reached a total of three million across three wineries.

Although Malbec rules the roost in volume and consumer interest, Cabernet Franc has proved fascinating for Fabre due to its potential quality and challenges. ‘It doesn’t mature everywhere in Argentina, and doesn’t even give the same results within the same districts of Mendoza.’

Low yields and location are the keys to its success – yields of more than 40hl/ha here would result in aggressive tannins. When it works, though, the results, as evidenced by this Trophy-winner, can be sublime, with aromatic blackberry and pepper characters of vivid intensity. 23,000 bottles were produced.

Written by Decanter

This year's winner of the Decanter World Wine Awards International Trophy for the Best in Show Red Blend Under £15 went to Viñalba, Reservado Malbec-Cabernet Franc, Mendoza 2012, Argentina.

Viñalba, Reservado Malbec- Cabernet Franc, Mendoza, Argentina 2012 (14.5%)

Succulent black-cherry and damson nose, perfumed with liquorice and spices. Broad, plump and juicy palate showing masses of dark, brambly, forest-floor fruit. Peppery and smooth.

UK £10.99; BkS

Tasted against • Castello d’Alba, Grande Reserva Vinhas Velhas, Douro, Portugal 2011 • Tagus Creek, Shiraz-Trincadeira, Alentejano, Portugal 2012 • Château la Jeannette, Baguier, Côtes de Provence, France 2011 • Idaia Winery, Ocean Mandilaria-Syrah, Crete, Greece 2008

Viñalba’s reds have enjoyed an illustrious career at the DWWA. This is its fourth International Trophy since 2008 and it also won a Regional Trophy last year. Not only that; this is the third different International Trophy category the producer has triumphed in, having previously picked up the top prize in Red Bordeaux Varietals and Red Single Varietals as well as another Red Blend Trophy in 2010 with a Malbec-Syrah. Such consistent success across a diversity of styles shows the true talent of this estate.

Domaine Vistalba began producing wine in 1993, thanks to the drive of Hervé Joyaux Fabre, a Frenchman from Bordeaux who saw a potential in Mendoza and Malbec that not many others could see at that time.

Viñalba (made mostly for restaurants) is primarily based on high-altitude vineyards in the Uco Valley. Reservado is a blend of 80% Malbec and 20% Cabernet Franc, mostly from Gualtallary, which, at 1,500 metres above sea level, is the highest zone in Mendoza. It is here that the fruit flavours seem to shine with the fresh influence of the Andes, which imprints on this wine a tense acidity and fruitiness that amazed us.

Some 80% of the wine was aged in first- and second-use barrels, which lend a light touch of toast without interfering with the essential fruit – the heart and soul of this wine’s high-altitude flavours. The price-quality ratio here is second to none.

Patricio Tapia

Written by Decanter

One of the Loire’s most diverse regions, Anjou-Saumur offers wines in a wide range of styles, the greatest being reds from Cabernet Franc and sweet whites from Chenin Blanc. JIM BUDD looks at the best producers and the great vintages.

They were told to stop picking when the mustometer reading for my Chenin Blanc reached 16.5% potential alcohol,’ says Jean-Pierre Chevallier of Château de Villeneuve, makers of Saumur Blanc and Saumur-Champigny. ‘There was no way I could make dry white wine when the grapes were so rich, so in 2003 for the first time since 1921, we have made commercial quantities of sweet Coteaux de Saumur.’ This is just one tale from the extraordinary but far from easy 2003 vintage in Anjou-Saumur. Very early budding, frost in the second week of April, intense heat in early August, and for many the earliest harvest since 1893. But producers had to be careful as physiological ripeness lagged behind potential alcohol levels, so Cabernet Franc that would normally ripen to around 12.5% had to be left until 13.5–14%, resulting in some atypical wines for the region.

https://www.decanter.com/features/wines-of-the-loire-valley-249456/

Anjou Saumur Varied Treasures

The climate of Anjou-Saumur is not usually given to great extremes of temperature or drought and the landscape is gently rolling. The region stretches west to east, from la Pommeraye to Montsoreau.

Between la Pommeraye and Montsoreau a wide range of wines are made. If you exclude fortified wines, there is virtually every style of wine possible. From ultra-dry whites to unctuously sweet; dry rosés to sweet versions that have the capacity to age; from light reds for early drinking to more full bodied and structured reds that need time to mature; plus sparkling wines in all three colours.

Although Anjou and Saumur are linked, geologically they are two distinct regions. Saumur is limestone, while Anjou is granite, schist and slate. The sedimentary rocks of Saumur are an extension of the Paris basin, whereas Anjou is an extension of the igneous rocks of the Brittany peninsula. The different rocks produce different wines – Saumur whites have a higher degree of acidity while the reds are softer. There are also few cellars in Anjou as the rock is too hard, whereas the Saumur area is riddled with caves both around the town of Saumur and further south around Le Puy-Notre-Dame. This is one reason why it became a sparkling wine area, as producers took over after tuffeau, the local name of the limestone, had been quarried for building.

Great Grapes

In both Saumur and Anjou Cabernet Franc and Chenin Blanc are the leading grape varieties. The earlier ripening Cabernet Franc is better suited to the Loire climate than Cabernet Sauvignon, which accounts for only 15% of Cabernet planted in the Valley.

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More Cabernet Sauvignon is planted in Anjou than anywhere else in the Loire but it is often planted in the wrong place and for the wrong reason. It was thought to be a good idea to plant in frost-prone zones as it buds later than the Franc. It may escape the frost but it only ripens in well-exposed or warm-soiled plots such as the Lebreton family’s Croix de la Mission in St-Jean de Mauvets or Vincent Ogereau’s Côte de la Houssaye at St-Lambert du Lattay.

Anjou is the birthplace of the highly versatile Chenin Blanc, which is the basis for all the region’s white wines, although Chardonnay and Sauvignon can be used as small proportions of the blend. Chenin is the oldest known Loire grape and the first historical record dates from the ninth century at Bouchemaine, near the present day appellation of Savennières, which is famed for its steely, long-lived, minerally whites made entirely from Chenin. Savennières is the sole appellation located north of the Loire river in Anjou-Saumur.

In the Coteaux du Layon and the Coteaux de l’Aubance, there was a renaissance of sweet wine which started around 1985 and continued through the 1990s. Magnificent though many of these wines are, it is difficult to sell quantities of sweet wine year after year. Even lovers of sweet wines drink relatively few bottles a year in comparison to dry whites or reds.

Thanks to a combination of climate and the resilience of Chenin Blanc, it is possible to make some sweet wine every year in the Coteaux du Layon and the smaller and more northerly appellation of Coteaux de l’Aubance, and yet there is now a commercially imposed move away from sweet whites. At Château de Fesles, the show estate of Bonnezeaux, the amount of sweet wine now being made has been drastically reduced in favour of dry white. Even Jo Pithon, a leader of the super-concentration movement in the 1990s, has had to change. ‘Five years ago we made 75% sweet wine to 25% dry. These days it’s the other way round,’ he says.

Many of the producers in the Anjou-Saumur region come from families that have been wine producers for generations. The Daviau family (Domaine de Bablut) have been in Brissac since 1546 and the Richou family (Domaine Richou) started making wine four years later in nearby Mozé-sur-Louet. However, there are newcomers. Actor Gérard Depardieu bought Château de Tigné in the 1980s. Bernard Germain added 100ha (hectares) in the Loire to his 200ha in Bordeaux first by buying Domaine des Roche Neuves (Saumur-Champigny) in 1991, followed by Châteaux de Fesles (Bonnezeaux), la Roulerie (Layon-Chaume), la Guimonière and Château de Varennes (Savennières).

More recently Frédéric Etienne and his wife Fatima bought a vineyard at Martigné-Briand in the Layon Valley. Etienne gave up his career as an agricultural engineer and 2003 is their second vintage at Domaine du Regain. The 2002s were an impressive start, with yields kept well down.

It seems likely that a good number of wine drinkers will discover the reds of Saumur and Anjou through the atypical 2003 vintage. Lovers of sweet wines should also be making space in the cellar.

RECENT VINTAGES

2003

Low quantity due to mid-April frost and the heat of the summer. Potentially magnificent wines. The few reds I have so far tasted were higher in alcohol than is customary but have structure and good acidity.

2002

Pretty dreary summer saved by a remarkably fine September and October, which produced a good vintage.

2001

Fine weather in October and into November

produced fine Coteaux du Layon and Coteaux de l’Aubance.

2000

Some reasonable dry whites and reds made,

probably not for long keeping. Heroically a tiny quantity of decent sweet wine was made.

1999

An attractive vintage for dry whites and sweets as well as reds.

1998

Only rigorous producers made reasonable reds. A few sweet wines were made. Best avoided.

1997

Very appealing red wines and some especially fine sweet wines.

1996

A classic Loire vintage. Overall probably the best vintage of the 1990s.

1995

The first decent vintage after 1990 and the first of a run of three fine vintages. A long keeper.

1990

Attractive wines but without the ageing potential of 1989.

1989

Hot summer and fine autumn. One of the great vintages of the 20th century.

Jim Budd runs wine investment website, www.investdrinks.org, and is an expert on the wines of the Loire.

‘In my own time I have seen the reputation of this great wine advance by leaps and bounds; always esteemed, it now is reverenced, and if it continues its upward career it will ere long be recognised as the greatest of all clarets.’ So wrote the mercurial Irish barrister and wine raconteur, Maurice Healy, back in 1940 in his book Stay Me With Flagons. Sixty years on, Cheval Blanc’s star is still in the ascendant. Healy’s apotheosis vintage, the 1921, has been joined by a string of other outstanding wines (1947, 1949, 1964, 1975, 1982, 1990, 1998) and, of greatest import, the originality of this Saint-Emilion premier grand cru classé ‘A’ has been assured.

It is perhaps this, the unique aspect of Cheval Blanc, that holds the most appeal. The wine is an enigma. Deeply coloured in youth and flatteringly fruity and suave, it has an accessibility and allure from the outset that belies its ability to mature over the years into something greater still.

Wine Legend: Cheval Blanc 1947

The key to the puzzle lies in two aspects of this great estate, the soil and the choice of grape varieties. The first, an exclusive mix of clay, gravel and sandy soils and the second, a high proportion of Cabernet Franc (58%) in the vineyard alongside Merlot (42%), are responsible for the character of the wine.

Cheval Blanc is situated in the north-west corner of Saint-Emilion, a stone’s throw from Pomerol and châteaux L’Evangile and La Conseillante, in what is generally known as the Saint-Emilion Graves. Established in the 1830s by the owner of Château L’Evangile, Monsieur Ducasse, the estate was essentially created on land purchased from Château Figeac, the neighbouring property to the west, with the addition of some smaller parcels including a tiny piece of L’Evangile. By 1870 it had acquired its definitive form, including an important system of drainage, and had passed into the hands of Ducasse’s son-in-law, Laussac-Fourcaud. The latter’s son, Albert, changed the name to Fourcaud-Laussac and the property remained in the ownership of this family until 1998 when it was purchased by Bernard Arnault, chairman of LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy), and Belgian businessman Baron Albert Frère.The choice of a large percentage of Cabernet Franc, or Bouchet as it is known locally, appears to have been made at the creation of the estate. By the late 18th century this variety had demonstrated that it was better suited to the cooler, damper conditions of the Right Bank than the later ripening Cabernet Sauvignon and was generally well established in the vineyards of Saint-Emilion and Pomerol. Malbec also figured initially but has now been discarded in favour of Merlot as Cabernet Franc’s sole partner on the 37 hectare (ha) estate.

On taking control of the property in 1991, managing director Pierre Lurton and viticultural and oenology consultant Kees Van Leeuwen decided to implement a thorough analysis of the soil. The results indicated three distinct soil types: 40% predominantly clay, 40% predominantly gravel and 20% predominantly sand. The importance of clay, which appears in patches all over the property, was a particular surprise. ‘It seems extraordinary that great wines can be made on these heavy soils but due to certain agronomic defects the vigour of the vines is low, yields moderate and the ripening process quite rapid,’ explains Van Leeuwen.Micro-vinifications of the two grape varieties grown on the three different soil types provided further data. Wines from the clay soils, which provide small, concentrated berries, were rich and powerful with full, fleshy tannins similar in style to Pomerol. Those from the gravel soils were firmly tannic with a more complex aromatic range, while wines from the sandy soils had neither the colour nor tannic structure of the others. ‘The importance of terroir was conclusive as it was difficult to separate the two grape varieties on the various soils,’ says Van Leeuwen.

The results of these experiments have since induced even greater rigour in the winemaking process. Each parcel of vines has been clearly defined so that the grapes can be vinified separately, making the process of selection and rejection for the grand vin even more precise. In general, though, it is mainly wines from the gravel and clay soils that form Cheval Blanc, with occasionally a little Merlot from the sandy soils in great years for added aroma. Cabernet Franc from the same soils has a tendency to show an overt herbaceous character and often doesn’t even make the second label, Le Petit Cheval, launched in 1988. Another decision has been to keep the individual expression of the vintage. Hence the blend can change from 1996’s 56% Cabernet Franc, 44% Merlot to 25% Cabernet Franc, 75% Merlot as seen in 1997. Cabernet Franc, however, remains the hallmark of Cheval Blanc, and great efforts have been made to understand and improve the performance of this problematic variety. Yield is one crucial factor, overcropping providing poor results. ‘Forty hectolitres/ha (hl/ha) is the absolute limit for Cabernet Franc so we have to be more severe with this variety than the Merlot,’ says Van Leeuwen. The other problem is that Cabernet Franc, like Pinot Noir, has great genetic variability and a lot of the clones available in Bordeaux are simply not very good.

The solution at Cheval Blanc has been to propagate from the older and better vines on the estate for a steady programme of replanting. This has also included grafting in the vineyard where the existing clone has found to be less than satisfactory. Other changes in the vineyard have included a more ecological approach to vine cultivation with the abandonment of chemical herbicides, limited use of insecticides and a more rational approach to spraying for cryptogamic disease. The density for new plantings is also being gradually increased, and will be 8,000 vines/ha this year. The move is qualitative to produce greater competition between the vines.During the harvest, the grapes are hand picked and placed in small perforated crates to avoid premature crushing before being sorted at the cellars. Vinification is traditional with generally a gentle approach to extraction. Both cement and stainless steel tanks are used for fermentation with preference given to the cement as there is a greater range of volumes to accommodate the various parcels of vines. Temperatures do not exceed 32˚C and during the alcoholic fermentation the wine is pumped over for a brief period four times daily. In all, the wine is left to macerate on the skins for an average of three weeks before being run off. Ageing for the grand vin, which on average represents 55% of the production, takes place in 100% new oak barrels. The wine matures for up to 18 months during which time it is racked every three months and fined using fresh egg whites. Bottling takes place without filtration. Vintages prior to 1973 probably show more bottle variation as bottling was still being done directly from barrel.

As in all great estates the human factor has also played a significant role at Cheval Blanc. The Fourcaud-Laussac family provided continuity for 150 years while Pierre Lurton’s steady hand at the helm has been implicit in the success of recent years. What then of the new Arnault-Frère ownership? ‘They are receptive to new ideas and are willing to provide the means to obtain the qualitative objectives we have in mind,’ says Pierre Lurton. The title of ‘greatest of all clarets’ is open to debate, but clearly Cheval Blanc’s career is still on an upward curve.

Tasting notes

1999 (cask sample)

Slightly more Merlot (55%) in the blend. Deep colour. Sweet, ripe fruit on the nose. Suave texture, tannins rounded but firm, persistent fruit. A very good 1999.

1998 (cask sample)

A 50:50 blend of Cabernet Franc and Merlot. Deep, opaque hue. Elegant, dark-berried fruit at perfect pitch. Rich, velvety texture, full and fleshy, sweet, ripe, persistent tannins. A potentially great Cheval Blanc.

1997

A majority Merlot (75%). Medium to full colour. Bright, aromatic fruit. Quite forward in style. Smooth, fine texture, balanced, medium intensity. Lacks a little depth and length.

1986

Extraordinary for such an abundant vintage (61 hectolitres/ha!) Medium-full hue with a little brick at the rim. Quite concentrated on the nose with a hint of humus and cassis. Palate velvety and sweet, well balanced with freshness (mineral notes). Perhaps a little fluid. Drinking well now.

1983

Colour shows evolution. Nose quite vinous with notes of leather and prune. Warm (alcohol) and sweet on the palate with a Mediterranean nuance (leather and prune again) but good balancing acidity. Tannins slightly abrasive. Drink now.

1982

Early harvest (20th September–2nd October) with a natural alcohol potential of 12.8% abv. Beautifully smooth, unctuous wine. Colour still intense at the core, orangey towards the outer rim. Complex, powerful bouquet with notes of dark, jammy fruit, spice, tobacco leaf and caramel. Palate round and velvety with extraordinary depth of fruit. Low acidity. Tannins well integrated. Long finish. Still good ageing potential.

1979

Lighter, more delicate style that lacks a little volume. Evolved, brick-amber hue. Slightly herbaceous, minty nose.

1978

A firmer style with good weight and acidity. Colour full with brick red at the rim. Fresh and minerally on the nose with a note of roasted coffee. Palate sweet, quite suave with attractive cherry fruit. Fresh finish.

1975

Superb wine produced from a yield of 21 hl/ha. Still a good rich colour, brick red and cherry. Wonderfully smoky, complex nose with notes of jammy fruit and spice. Palate rich and powerful with abundant ripe tannins. Finish firm and cedary. Still considerable ageing potential. Must be the pick of this vintage in Bordeaux.

1971

The most surprising wine of the tasting. Yield of only 18hl/ha. Orangey hue. Amazingly vibrant nose with distinctive notes of citrus fruits (mandarin, grapefruit), mint and spice. (Apparently this was a vintage marked by the presence of noble rot in the vineyards.) Palate fine, full and complex with the trademark unctuousness of Cheval Blanc. Still good grip.

1970

Good colour, but showing evolution. Nose rather leafy and herbaceous. Palate more attractive, medium bodied with a soft, round texture and certain grip. Drink now.

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