The Wine Pair Podcast

The Other Cabernet: Cabernet Franc!

• The Wine Pair • Season 1 • Episode 176

Share episode

If you think Cabernet Sauvignon is the only Cabernet, you’ve got another think coming (as Joe’s mom used to say). Cabernet Franc is on the rise, and it’s time to get on the bandwagon. Most famously from the Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc has for too long been the understudy to wines like Cabernet Sauvignon, often primarily used as a blending grape. But today you can find Cabernet Franc as the star of the show, bottled as its own varietal from vineyards all over the world. Part of the reason winemakers are starting to make more of it is because it is a wine that does a great job of reflecting the place where it is from - the nerds call that terroir - and so winemakers like it because they can make their own unique versions from wherever they are. We’ll break down what makes this wine different from Cabernet Sauvignon, and we taste and review a couple of Cabernet Francs to save you the trouble. Wines reviewed in this episode: 2022 Henri Bourgeois Wine Petit Bourgeois Cabernet Franc, 2020 Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc

Send us a Text Message and we'll respond in our next episode!

Contact The Wine Pair Podcast - we’d love to hear from you!

Visit our website, leave a review, and reach out to us: https://thewinepairpodcast.com/
Follow and DM us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thewinepairpodcast/
Send us an email: joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

Show Notes

Episode #176: The Other Cabernet: Cabernet Franc!  00:00

Hello fellow wine explorers! And welcome to The Wine Pair Podcast. I’m Joe, your sommelier of reasonably priced wine, and this is my wife and my wine pairing partner in crime, Carmela. And we are The Wine Pair! 

If you are new to our podcast, here is what you can expect. If you love wine and want to find great wines at affordable prices, and you want to expand your wine horizons, and you want to have some laughs and fun while doing it - then you are in the right place! Each week we explore a different wine varietal, style, brand, or region of the winemaking world, and learn about what makes them worth knowing about. And then we taste 2-3 of those wines that are reasonably priced to let you know if they are worth your hard earned money. If that feels like your vibe, then we are super happy you are here. And, we are proud to say that Decanter Magazine calls us fun, irreverent, chatty, and entertaining.

Ok, I did do something different there in the opening, and we would like to know what you guys think - should we call all of you out there in listening land wine explorers or wine nerds, wine enthusiasts, wine nuts, wine geeks, or something else? If we end up using your idea, we will put you on the podcast! Seriously. 

Ok, Carmela, this week we are going to finally get to one of the wines that listener Justin L asked us to do an episode on - and so this week we are talking about the other Cabernet: Cabernet Franc. Now, we did do a WTF episode on Cabernet France, but that was almost three years ago, and so, we think it is time to revisit this wine that has been called, as we mentioned in the introduction, the Rising Star of the Wine World. And, so you can learn even more about this fabulous wine, we are going to give you all new (ok, mostly all new) information in this episode about this wine, and we are going to taste and review two well rated Cabernet Franc’s to see if you should try and find them.

Now, the first question on your mind may be - what is the difference between Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon? Don’t you think that’s probably what people are wondering? I know I was wondering it. It’s such a good question that it requires some fun facts:

  • The first thing to know is that Cabernet Franc is actually one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, with the other being Sauvignon Blanc, so although they are different, there is a genetic link.
  • Cabernet Franc does better in cooler climates while Cabernet Sauvignon tends to do really well in warm climates, which is why you find so much Cab Sauv in places like California and eastern Washington state, and why you maybe don’t see as much Cab Franc.
  • Cabernet Franc tends to be lighter in color than Cabernet Sauvignon, the grapes have thinner skins, it is more medium-bodied and has less tannin than Cabernet Sauvignon. Which are all things we tend to prefer in our wines - which is something listeners should know about us. 
  • Cabernet Franc also has more acidity than Cabernet Sauvignon, which makes it a more versatile food wine, and less prone to being flabby or flat which can happen to a lot of Cabernet Sauvignon. 
  • In terms of aroma and taste, Cabernet Franc tends to be more red fruit oriented - tart cherry, raspberry, strawberry, red plum, and is said to sometimes have vegetal as well as floral and herb notes. Of the two, Cabernet Franc is the more likely to have minerality. 
  • Cabernet Sauvignon, on the other hand, tends to be more dark or black fruit oriented, like berry, dark cherry, black plum, and blackcurrant. Of the two, it is more likely to have notes of baking spices, with richer notes of things like pencil lead, wood box, leather, and tar. 
  • Cabernet Franc doesn’t tend to age as long as Cabernet Sauvignon, so it is often best within the first 5-10 years, while Cabernet Sauvignon can often just get going after ten years.
  • And, in terms of food pairing, Cabernet Franc is going to pair with a wider variety of foods, from white meat to red meat, soups and stews, and pasta and red sauce dishes. Cabernet Sauvignon tends to be a steakhouse wine, and can often overpower foods that are not heavy, rich, and full of fat.


So, in essence, while Cabernet Sauvignon is the powerful, bold, and more robust wine often associated with dark fruit and firm tannins, Cabernet Franc is its lighter, more elegant, and fragrant wine that is appreciated for its red fruit, floral, herbaceous notes, higher acidity, smoother texture, and more versatility with food.

But, Carmela, we are not here to talk about Cabernet Sauvignon, we are here to talk about and taste and review some Cabernet Franc, and we have two highly rated yet still reasonably priced Cabernet Francs to taste and review, one from the old world and one from the new world. . .

But first . . . we have to do our shameless plug.

Thank you for listening to us and for supporting our show, and if you haven’t had the chance to do so yet, now would be a wonderful time to follow or subscribe to our podcast and leave us a nice rating and review  to help us grow our listeners - and a huge thank you to all of you who have subscribed and rated us already! 

You can also follow us on Instagram at thewinepairpodcast, and on Bluesky. You can contact us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com, and you can sign up for our email newsletter there and you can also visit our “Shop Wine” and “Shop Accessories” sections where you can find links to buy the wines that we rate 7 or higher in each episode and also accessories we think are great choices for wine lovers and as gifts, too. 

And we want to make content you care about and you like, so send us a note or DM us and give us some feedback or let us know if there are wines you want us to try or wine making areas of the world you are curious about - and we’ll take care of it! joe@thewinepairpodcast.com

  • A shout out to Ted who sent us a really nice note to tell us enjoys our content and thinks if he did a podcast with his wife it would be similar, and he enjoys when we talk about James Suckling
  • A shout out, too, to Michael who sent some fairly scathing feedback to me about how he doesn’t care for how I talk to you, Carmela. I will just say that feedback is a gift, and I really appreciate when people take the time to send us feedback - positive or negative - because it shows you care, and it gives us, mostly me, the opportunity to get better.
  • A shoutout to JDM on BS who agreed that hot weather can make wines taste crappy if they get too warm - which I ran into this past weekend with a Pinot Noir at our son’s show that was just too warm.
  • On that same note, a shoutout to tips2liveby on BS who respond to a BS post sharing that as her Pinot got warmer as she was drinking it outside, she could really taste the change in the wine. 


And, as we do every week, we’ll tell you someone we think you should recommend The Wine Pair Podcast to - because the best way for us to grow listeners is when you tell your family and friends about us - and this week, we want you to recommend us to anyone who is stuck on Cabernet Sauvignon, because they need to learn about one of its parents and learn that there is much, much more to life and wine than Cabernet Sauvignon. 


RESEARCH ARTICLES AND LINKS FOR THIS EPISODE



Topic: WTF is Cabernet Franc? 11:46

So we talked about how Cabernet Franc is different from Cabernet Sauvignon, but now it’s time to learn about just what the eff Cabernet Franc is, or at the very least, reacquaint ourselves with this wine. You good with that, Carmela?

I am betting that some of you have run across Cabernet Franc and really were not sure what wine it was, if it is different from Cabernet Sauvignon, and just really didn’t know what to make of it. And, I will admit, it can be super confusing!

Now, despite being the parent of not only Cabernet Sauvignon but also Merlot and Carménère, and that it is considered an ancient grape, there is some mystery behind the origins of Cabernet Franc. It is believed to have originated in the Basque region that covers both France and Spain, and historical records dating back to the 17th century indicate that it was flourishing in the Loire Valley of France. However, it just doesn’t seem to have the same clarity of history that other grapes often do. 

Speaking of the Loire, its home is considered to be the Loire Valley where it was originally known as Bouchet, and by the 18th century, it had started to show up in other places in France and Europe, most notably in Bordeaux where it is still an important blending grape. 

However, despite being the parent of two of the best known wine grapes in Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it has been kind of a lesser known and more hidden gem. Part of that is because of its role as the backstop or support to other grapes, again, because it has been traditionally more of a blending grape. But it is an important understudy, and is one of the more planted grapes in Bordeaux. 

Sometimes, because it tends to bud early and does well in cooler weather, it was often considered a kind of a safety grape, or insurance grape, especially for Bordeaux blends. By that I mean that if the weather was crappy one year and the Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot wasn’t doing as well, they could use more Cabernet Franc in the blend. 

However, in the Loire Valley, it is more of the star of the show, often bottled as a single varietal. In fact, even today, 50% of all Cabernet Franc vines are in France, and 49% of all of those vines are in the Loire Valley, so it is really important there. You also may have heard of the wine Chinon, which is actually an appellation in the Loire Valley famous for its Cabernet Franc wines, and there, 95% of the vineyards grow Cabernet Franc. So, if you see a Chinon, just know it is a Cabernet Franc wine.

And, we are actually drinking a wine from the Loire today, so how about that?!?

Although most of the Cabernet Franc is in France, you can find it now being grown in many, many parts of the world, and you out there in listening land, may have started to see Cabernet Franc show up in stores and restaurants from some of these places, which includes Italy, Hungary, Canad, Chile, Argentina, the US, namely states like California, New York, Washington, Virginia, and Michigan, Australia, New Zealand, Bulgaria, Croatia, and even fucking China. 

Remember I mentioned that some consider it a rising star in the wine world? Some wine writers and experts have started to notice, as again some of you may have, that it is starting to show up a lot more. But why?

  • In an article from The Wine Economist from this past December, author Mike Veseth says that it is starting to be respected as a terroir wine, and by that he means that it does a good job of reflecting the vineyard where it comes from. So, winemakers, especially in the new world, really like this wine because they can make their own distinctive versions. 
  • In another article from Forbes by Liz Thach, and like our other reference material, you can find links to the articles we use when we put our shows together in our show notes, even in the Napa Valley wine drinkers are finding a lot to love in Cabernet Franc because it is lighter and more elegant than Cabernet Sauvignon, which again tends to be a smash you in the face wine, and it is more versatile with food, as we have said earlier. This is also a wine that you can serve a little chilled when it is made in its fresher, lighter style, so that is kind of fun, and perfect for summer!


So, as is the case when you learn something new, now that you have been listening to this podcast, you are going to start seeing Cabernet Franc all over the place.

And, on that note, I think it’s time to learn a little more about the specific wines we are drinking today. Whaddya say?


Cabernet Franc Wines We Chose for This Episode 17:09

As usual, the wines we have chosen for this episode are under $25, and they should be relatively easy to find because I bought them both at wine.com. Again, Cabernet Franc should not be hard to find, even in your local grocery store, and you may just find it in the Cabernet Sauvignon section, but any decent wine shop will not only have Cabernet Franc, but they can certainly source some good ones for you.

The first wine we are going to try today is the 2021 Henri Bourgeois Wine Petit Bourgeois Cabernet Franc. This wine is technically designated as an IGP, which stands for a “Protected Geographical Indication,” and so it is basically similar to the IGT designation in Italy, which means that it is guaranteed to be a specific wine from a specific region, but the rules are less strict than for a PDO or AOC wine in France. It doesn’t mean it isn’t good quality, it just means that they are looser in requirements and regulations.

This wine comes from Sancerre, which is of course most famous for their white Sancerre wine which is Sauvignon Blanc, but I have really enjoyed Pinot Noirs from Sancerre, often called Sancerre Rouge, and think the Cabernet Franc could be really nice, too.

There was a tech sheet for this wine which I always like, and the winery says the wine is macerated for 10 to 12 days - meaning they leave the juice in contact with the skins and seeds and other stuff to extract more flavor, and then it undergoes malolactic fermentation in stainless steel tanks, which helps to tamp down on some of the acidity, but it doesn’t look like it is oaked, so I expect a clean, bright wine with some roundness.

The winery says this about their background:
“For 10 generations, we have offered our passion and values ​​as winegrowers to develop Sauvignon Blancs and Pinot Noirs of great character. Established in Chavignol, in the heart of the best terroirs of Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, we cultivate a mosaic of plots respecting our unique terroirs of Kimmeridgian Marl, Silex and Limestone Clays.”

The second wine we are going to drink is the 2020 Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc from the Mendoza area of Argentina, which is an area said to be making some really good Cabernet Franc. In the 2021 version, they did mix in some Cabernet Sauvignon, but not in the 2020, so just letting you know that.

We also have a tech sheet for this wine, and they say the soil in this area is silty loam and the climate is semi-arid, however the elevation of the vineyards is high at over 3,000 feet, so that tamps down on the heat during the day a bit.

In terms of how the wine is made, they say that they harvest by hand in March, and remember, in the southern hemisphere, the seasons are flipped. They also select the grapes by hand at the winery, they macerate for 4 days at a low temperature before they ferment, and then they ferment for 7 days at a warm temperature of about 80 degrees fahrenheit in concrete tanks with native yeasts. Then they macerate again after fermentation for 20 days, they also use malolactic fermentation, and they age the wine for 10 months in concrete tanks and then age in the bottle for 4 months before releasing. So, again, no oak from what I can tell.

This is a pretty high alcohol wine at 14.5%, a full one and half percentage points higher than the first one, so I am expecting a different experience between these two wines for sure.

The winery gives some really interesting notes on the harvest of this wine. Does anyone remember what was happening in March of 2020? Anyone? This is what they said:
The 2020 harvest season was warm and dry, which contributed to an earlier ripening stage when compared to previous years. There were fewer berries per cluster, so yield significantly decreased. While this may not be entirely positive in terms of quantity, the grape concentration and skin quality obtained were absolutely splendid. Without a doubt, this season will be remembered as one of the most challenging ever, not only because of the technical skills required, but also because of the global pandemic that was spreading at the time. In this sense, understanding climate conditions and grape characteristics proved essential to identify the right times for maceration and the logistics required.

So, not to bring back the bad times, but it is very hard to believe it has been 5 years since we went through all of that crap. Let’s just hope we never have a pandemic like that again during our lifetimes. No comment on the current attitude toward vaccinations, which I guess is a comment. Maybe we should just let science decide what is best, but I digress. 

But, I think that is enough information - let’s get to drinking! We’ll take a quick break and be right back. And, if you have these wines or similar wines, drink along with us to get some participation points, which you can trade-in for free stickers. You just need to send me an email with your mailing address, and I will get those “I drink with The Wine Pair Podcast” stickers over to you!

LINKS TO SOURCES FOR THESE SPECIFIC WINES


2022 Henri Bourgeois Wine Petit Bourgeois Cabernet Franc, 2020 Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc Tasting, Pairing, and Review 24:30

Wine: Henri Bourgeois Wine Petit Bourgeois Cabernet Franc (Click here to find this wine on wine.com. We may be compensated if you purchase)
Region: France, Loire
Year: 2022
Price: $17.97
Retailer: wine.com 
Alcohol: 13%
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
Professional Rating: WW 91,  Vivino 3.6

What we tasted and smelled in this Henri Bourgeois Wine Petit Bourgeois Cabernet Franc:

  • Color: Dark red, opaque
  • On the nose: Cranberry, smoke, raspberry syrup, perfumy, floral, plum, spice, star anise, almost mulled wine
  • In the mouth: Medium mouthfeel, a little tart, cherry, raspberry, bitter stone at the end, tea-like tannins, tastes a bit young, crunchy fruits, cranberry, pomegranate, different than the smell


Food to pair with this Henri Bourgeois Wine Petit Bourgeois Cabernet Franc: Versatile, Fall foods, stews, pot roast with veggies, grilled chicken, eggplant parmigiana, cheese and meat board
 
As a reminder on our rating scale, we rate on a scale of 1-10, with no half points, where 7 and above means that we would buy it, and 4 and below means that we are likely to pour it down the sink, and a 5 or 6 means we are likely to drink it and finish it, but we are probably not going to buy it. 

Henri Bourgeois Wine Petit Bourgeois Cabernet Franc Wine Rating: 

  • Joe: 6/10
  • Carmela: 6/10


Wine: Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc (Click here to find this wine on wine.com. We may be compensated if you purchase)
Region: Argentina, Mendoza
Year: 2020
Price: $21.97
Retailer: wine.com
Alcohol: 14.5%
Grapes: Cabernet Franc
Professional Rating: V 91, Vivino 3.9

What we tasted and smelled in this Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc:

  • Color: Purple through and through, ruby around the rim
  • On the nose: Can smell the alcohol, smoke, tar, matchstick, herbs, grass, oregano, rosemary, vegetal, dirt, organic, red fruit, cherry, spice, black pepper, black strap molasses
  • In the mouth: More tannin, a bit hot like maybe it has too much alcohol, rich, maple, molasses, spicy, gingerbread spice, juicy, not super fruity but elegant, could be more of a summer wine if you chill it a bit


Food to pair with this Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc: Versatile, red meat, pasta with red sauce, pizza, pesto, garlic, stuffed chicken, creamy sauce, spicy foods, Phad Thai, butter chicken, grilled foods, picnic win

Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc Wine Rating: 

  • Joe: 7/10
  • Carmela: 7/10


Which one of these are you finishing tonight?

  • Carmela: Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc
  • Joe: Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc



Taste profiles expected from Cabernet Franc   37:58

  • General 
    •  The taste profile can be heavily impacted by the climate, which we all know, where warmer climates make heavier and bigger wines. But, taking that into account
    • Fruits like raspberry, strawberry, black cherry, blackberry, red currant.
    • Herbal/Earthy flavors like bell pepper, tobacco, dried herbs, pencil shavings, graphite.
    • Floral: Violet.
    • Other: Spices like black pepper, hints of chocolate or mocha (especially with oak aging), and sometimes even minerality
  • Henri Bourgeois Wine Petit Bourgeois Cabernet Franc
    • Winery: Crisp and fruity, this red wine develops the harmonious notes of red fruits so representative of the Loire vineyards. Aromas of strawberries, redcurrants, and cherries with hints of spice. A wonderful freshness makes this wine delicate and easy to drink.
    • WW: Fresh, fruity, and pleasing. This wine exhibits aromas and flavors of active red fruits
  • Kaiken Indomito Cabernet Franc
    • Winery: Nose: attractive aromas of ripe peppers and minty herbs. Palate: it has an alluring fresh sensation and very soft tannins.
    • Vinous: The aromas feature ash and blackberry with herbs, pepper and pyrazine notes. Indulgent with a taut palate and slightly rugged texture, the tannins have good volume.



What’s the Verdict on Cabernet Franc? 40:37
We are down with it. We want to continue to explore it. A better alternative to Cabernet Sauvignon. A good summer wine that should be served cool with picnic foods


Outro and how to find The Wine Pair Podcast 41:22
Ok, so, Carmela, it’s time for us to go, but before we do, we want to thank you very much for listening to us - and if you haven’t done so yet, now would be the perfect time to follow or subscribe to our podcast and also a fantastic time to leave us a nice rating and review on our website or Apple podcasts or other podcast app - and it is an awesome and free way to support us and help us grow listeners.

We would also love to hear from you about a wine you would like us to taste and review. You can leave a message for us on our website thewinepairpodcast.com and you can join our email newsletter there - and if you missed our latest newsletter, email me and I will send it to you. You can do that by reaching out at joe@thewinepairpodcast.com. And tell us some things you want to hear us do, or not hear us do!

Alright, with that, we are going to sign off, so thanks again, and we will see you next time. And, as we say, life is short, so stop drinking shitty wine.

Support The Wine Pair Podcast by heading to our website and shopping for the wines we give our highest ratings to in our Shop Wines section. Just click on this link - you pay the same price, and we may get a small amount of compensation.

You can also support us by clicking on this affiliate link to wine.com and find great wines under $20! 

And, if you are looking for a great website builder for your podcast, click on this link to use the service we use and love: Podcastpage.io.