Attributes of Cabernet Franc

One of the papers that my husband consulted when he did the research for Cabernet Franc for our replanting, was a paper available online called A Fresh Look at Cabernet Franc in Bordeaux, written by Anthony Hanson, MW. This link is actually a concatenation of several papers all on Cabernet Franc including:

• 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

I found that the above papers were very interesting reading and learned that Cabernet Franc is the most ancient known grape in Bordeaux, father of two other prominent grape varieties, Cabernet Sauvignon (Cabernet Franc x Sauvignon Blanc) and Merlot (Magdelaine Noire des Charentes). The traditional heartland of Cabernet Franc is the Right Bank in Bordeaux.

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

Cabernet Franc has been shown to be a viable red variety in the Mid-Atlantic states and also in our coastal area in Connecticut, where Preston Ridge Vineyard, Stonington Vineyards, Jonathan Edwards Winery and Saltwater Farm Vineyard all offer Cabernet Franc.

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.