- The Sad Plight of Cabernet Franc by Mike Steinberger
- Cabernet Franc extracted from The Wine Grape Varieties in California by Rhonda Smith
- Cabernet Franc extracted from Wines, Grapes and Vines by Jancis Robinson
- Cabernet Franc extracted from A Concise Guide to Wine Grape Clones for Professionals, 2nd Edition by John Caldwell
- Cabernet Franc extracted from A Practical Ampelography Grapevine Identification by PierreGalet translated by Lucie Morton
- Optimizing Varietal Fruit Character in Cabernet Franc condensed from a seminar given by Adam McTaggert at the Eastern Winery Exposition
Attributes of Cabernet Franc:
- Needs to be planted on soil that does not filter water too quickly
- Suited to cooler climates
- Buds and ripens considerably earlier that Cabernet Sauvignon
- More vigorous and more productive that Cabernet Sauvignon
- Amenable to cane pruning and vertical shoot positionting (VSP)
- Can dehydrate if it is too water-stressed, blocking the fruit ripening process
- Good resistance to diseases, but susceptible to downy and powdery mildew
- Difficult to bring to full maturity
- Can reach optimum sugars and natural acidity levels ahead of phenolic ripening, yielding vegetal aromas
- Brings green pepper notes if unripe, minty notes if just ripe and black currents if fully ripe
- Can bring complex perfume, finesse and subtlety to blends
- Brings and important structural element, complex perfumes and freshness in Merlot blends
- Has a paler color than Cabernet Sauvignon and less concentrated polyphenols
References:
1. Anthony Hanson, MW, A Fresh Look at Cabernet Franc in Bordeaux, The World of Fine Wine, Issue 28, 2010.
2. Growing Cabernet Franc in the Mid-Atlantic is an excellent guide to growing Cabernet Franc written by Mark Chien and presented at the 2012 2012 Eastern Winery Exposition.
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