CA Wines ›

Written by Master Sommelier Evan Goldstein

As a former kids' sports coach, I think a lot about team dynamics. Steady rather than a superstar, Cabernet Franc is often the key player on any blended red-wine team. I love to have players like Cabernet Franc on my squad - consistent, productive, and easygoing. Not nearly as demanding as Cabernet Sauvignon, and more predictable than Merlot, Cabernet Franc quietly makes many wines shine; yet when the pressure is on to perform solo, as it does in many Loire Valley appellations, it proves itself equal to the task.

Quietly residing among the 20 most planted grapes globally, Cabernet Franc (\ ˌka-bər-ˈnā-ˈfräŋk\) brings an herbal note to a wine, ranging from slightly tobacco-flavored to pungently leafy. It is used in Bordeaux, notably in St.-Émilion and Pomerol, but it is also important in the Médoc as a blending grape, and it features in other blends around the world. Some regions produce a wine that is 100 percent Cabernet Franc: from the Loire Valley‘s Chinon and its neighbor Bourgueil to, yes, California where we find great examples from Napa Valley and beyond.

0.73%

Total Vineyard/Winegrape Plantings in California
3,402 acres

Bearing and Non-bearing Acreage in California

0.73%

Total Vineyard/Winegrape Plantings in California
1,376.74 Hectares

Bearing and Non-bearing Acreage in California

(Year end 2021)

Signature Styles & Characteristics

Although any grape can be interpreted in innovative and at times, outlying styles, the below chart/graphic represents the preponderance of what you will find California winemakers producing.

Dryness/Residual Sugar

Cabernet Franc: 100 percent on a scale from Dry to of Dryness/Residual Sugar.
Acid (potential)

Cabernet Franc: 85 percent on a scale from to High of Acid (potential).
Alcohol (potential)

Cabernet Franc: 85 percent on a scale from Low to High of Alcohol (potential).
Body (weight on palate)

Cabernet Franc: 100 percent on a scale from Low to Full of Body (weight on palate).
Texture

Cabernet Franc: 100 percent on a scale from Gritty and Astringent to Round and Smooth of Texture.
Tannin

Cabernet Franc: 85 percent on a scale from Low to High of Tannin.

Aromas/Flavors

Fruit

Raspberry, strawberry, blackberry, black raspberries, red/black cherry, red/black currant, red/black plum, red/black currant
Herbal / Vegetable

Leaves, bay leaf/laurel, anise/fennel, red/black licorice, black olive, oregano, tea leaf, mint, eucalyptus, bell pepper (red/green, fresh or roasted), menthol, garrigue, rosemary, red/purple beet, cola, tobacco
Floral

Violet, flowering herbs, wildflowers
Earth

Gravel, mineral, dust, graphite, mushroom
Wood

Cinnamon, clove, dark chocolate, cocoa, caramel, vanilla, coconut, toast, coffee, smoke