Anyone who's been drinking wine for awhile has probablyheard of Cabernet Franc, but it's usually just a blending grapeoften mentionedas the "third varietal" in most Bordeauxblends and meritages, backing up Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. (Petit Verdotand Malbec being numbers 4 and 5 of the five in Bordeaux, as you might remember.) It alsogained a small degree of infamy by being the other grape dissed by Miles inSideways, but without nearly the vitriol he reserved for Merlot.
So, what is it? Cabernet Franc is a red grape. It's chemically very similar toCabernet Sauvignon, and little over a decade ago, some grape taxonomistsdiscovered that Cabernet Franc is one of the two parent grapes of CabernetSauvignon. (Sauvignon Blanc is the other.) I found this fascinating, sinceCabernet Sauvignon usually produces heavy, tannic wines, while both its parentsvinify in a much lighter, more acidic style.
While the grape hails from Bordeaux, the onlyFrench wine made exclusively from Cabernet Franc is Chinon from the Loire Valley.Cabernet Franc grows relatively well in cooler climates, so it can be founddomestically in places like the Pacific Northwest, cooler areas of California,and more and more in New York. Canadahas begun growing a fair bit of it as well.
Cabernet Franc yields a lighter, somewhat perfumier, more subtly flavored winethat often has an "herbal" character. Aside from its chemical similarities,it's easy to see after tasting it why it's blended so often with CabernetSauvignon. Its fruitiness and relative lack of tannin can be used to"round off" some of the harshness that exists in many CabernetSauvignons, especially young ones.
Foodwise, most cabernet francs aren't going to be the best pairing for bigbeefy meals with rich sauces. However, the herbal character and acidity make itone of the few red wines that can go with salads.It also generally pairs well with pork, chicken, and fish. You can also have itwith Mediterranean foods, roasted vegetables, and it makes a nice alternativeto Chianti for red sauces.
Since it's not still produced in huge quantities as a single varietal, thesewines tend to be a little tougher to find and are a little more expensive.There aren't many Cab Franc dominant wines that have the high end price pointof Cabernet Sauvignon (other than Chateau Cheval Blanc, Miles' "specialbottle" in Sideways, which, ironically is about a 50/50 blend of CabernetFranc and his other favorite, Merlot) but there aren't very many on the low endof the scale either. I've rarely seen one for much under $15. There are somereasonably priced ones out there, like the following:
Domaine de Pallus "Les Pensées de Pallus" 2005 Chinon – If youwant to understand why Cabernet Franc done as a single varietal can be astand-in for an Italian red, try this one. Again, Chinon is the only French100% Cabernet Franc variety. Like most French reds, it's best with food, anddefinitely needs to be allowed to breathe for a minimum of half an hour afteryou uncork this pink-topped bottle. Once the fume and the funk clear, the fruitbegins to open, and you start getting aromas of raspberries and smoke. As forthe weight and flavor -- imagine a Beaujolaisand a Chianti snuggling up and getting to know each other really well. It's gotthe chalky minerality of a Chianti, but the fruitiness of a Beaujolais-- and it's best served with a slight chill. It's heavier than either of thosewines, and it's OK on its own. I tried it with a Spanish recipe for monkfishthat called for a rosé. The Chinon worked just as well, and it played nicelyoff of the red pepper, onion, and almond puree that made up the sauce. (Thewhole thing was over couscous.) Also balanced well against the sautéed spinachwe had as a side. $17-20.
Wit's End. "The Procrastinator" 2006 Cabernet Franc – ThisAustralian Cab Franc from McLaren Vale has a name after my own heart. Whatstruck me first about this wine was the mouthfeel. It's got a slightly thick,velvety texture even though the body itself isn't all that heavy. A very"friendly" wine for starting an evening . It's smoky and seductivelike a pinot noir, but has a bit more weight and tannin. The nose is a clean smellof cherries, which are the flavor we picked up the most. We had this with amustard-covered, grilled pork loin chop with some roasted vegetables. Thispairing was "absolutely heavenly," according to the SPinC. Theroasted, grilled flavors brought out more of the tannin and smoke in the wine,which still keeps much of its fruity brightness with the food. Around $20.
Hahn 2006 Central Coast Cabernet Franc – For a great contrast instyles of this grape, you'd be hard pressed to find a better one than this winefrom Californiaand the aforementioned Australian. This wine is initially quite "hot"tasting and really needs a little time to decant, like most any California cabernet.It's much more alcoholic and has considerably more weight and tannin than theAussie entry. The nose again is cherries with a little bit of leather andsmokiness. The wine is medium bodied, with some fruit, but a full, tannicfinish with some chocolate flavors lingering. Mushroom burgers (beef burgerstopped with sautéed mushrooms, not grilled portabellas) and bulgur with walnutsand chopped spinach were our pairing with this one, and the higher levels oftannin and alcohol allowed it to set up nicely next to earthy, meaty flavors.The acidity also held its own against the spinach. A "food" francrather than one to drink on its own. About $15.
