🍇 Cabernet Franc
A red grape from France, a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon; the main red grape of the Loire Valley.
Cabernet Franc is a dark-skinned wine grape from France and the ancestor of several famous Bordeaux varieties. The VIVC catalogue lists 106 synonyms for it, including Breton and Bouchet.
The full pedigree of Cabernet Franc itself is unknown, but its offspring are well studied. According to the VIVC, confirmed by DNA markers, Cabernet Sauvignon comes from a cross of Cabernet Franc with Sauvignon Blanc, and Merlot is another of its descendants. So Cabernet Franc is a parent of two of the world's most widely planted wine grapes.
According to the OIV, in 2015 Cabernet Franc covered 33,000 ha in France, or 4% of the vineyards, making it the country's seventh variety by area. There are even small plantings in China, about 3,000 ha.
The best-known appellation where this variety leads is Chinon in the Loire Valley, which dates from 1937. Its rules say that red and rosé wines are made from Cabernet Franc, while Cabernet Sauvignon may take up no more than 10% of the vineyard. White Chinon is made only from Chenin Blanc.
Why it matters to you. “Cabernet Franc” on a wine from the EU means at least 85% of this variety; if two varieties are named, the wine is made from them alone, and the one with the larger share comes first. A red Chinon label may not mention the variety at all: the name itself tells you the wine is mostly Cabernet Franc. It is served at 15–18 °C.
How it connects to Wine
🍇 Cabernet Franc → kind of → 🍇 Grape varieties → kind of → 🍷 Wine
Links
- Part of
- 🍇 Grape varieties
- Origin
- 🗺️ French wine
- Where it grows
- 📍 Bordeaux, 📜 Friuli, 📍 Libournais, 📍 Loire Valley, 📍 Anjou-Saumur, 📍 Touraine, 📍 Bolgheri, 📍 Pannonia, 📍 Villány
- Main grape in
- France: 📜 Haut-Médoc, 📜 Pauillac, 📜 Pomerol, 📜 Saint-Émilion Grand Cru, 📜 Margaux, 📜 Saint-Estèphe, 📜 Saint-Emilion, 📜 Saint-Julien, 📜 Bordeaux Supérieur, 📜 Bourgueil
and 44 more
📜 Fronsac, 📜 Lalande-de-Pomerol, 📜 Saumur, 📜 Anjou, 📜 Bourg / Côtes de Bourg, 📜 Cabernet d'Anjou, 📜 Chinon, 📜 Crémant de Loire, 📜 Côtes de Bordeaux, 📜 Rosé d'Anjou, 📜 Saumur-Champigny, 📍 Touraine, 📜 Bergerac, 📍 Médoc, 📍 Bordeaux, 📜 Anjou Villages, 📜 Buzet, 📜 Crémant de Bordeaux, 📜 Côtes de Duras, 📜 Irouléguy, 📜 Tursan, 📜 Brulhois, 📜 Canon-Fronsac, 📜 Corrèze, 📜 Côtes du Marmandais, 📜 Fronton, 📜 Haut-Poitou, 📜 Lussac-Saint-Émilion, 📜 Malepère, 📜 Montagne-Saint-Émilion, 📜 Saint-Nicolas-de-Bourgueil, 📜 Anjou Brissac, 📜 Blaye, 📜 Béarn, 📜 Cabernet de Saumur, 📜 Coteaux du Quercy, 📜 Entraygues-Le Fel, 📜 Orléans-Cléry, 📜 Puisseguin Saint-Emilion, 📜 Pécharmant, 📜 Rosé de Loire, 📜 Saint-Georges-Saint-Emilion, 📜 Saint-Sardos, 📜 Cabardès
Italy: 📜 Bolgheri Sassicaia, 📍 Bolgheri, 📜 Carmignano, 📜 Barco Reale di Carmignano, 📜 Montello Rosso, 📜 Atina, 📜 Curtefranca, 📜 Colli Euganei
Hungary: 📍 Szekszárd, 📍 Eger, 📍 Villány - Related to
- 🍷 Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia, 🍷 Variazioni in Rosso dell'Ornellaia, 🍷 Pöckl Admiral, 🍷 Dúzsi Cabernet Franc Rosé, 🍷 Dúzsi Ó Vörös Birtokbor, 🍷 Dúzsi Pentaton, 🍷 Dúzsi Cabernet Franc, 🍷 Dúzsi Grábóc Cuvée, 🍷 Dúzsi Görögszó, 🍷 Sarget de Gruaud Larose
- Wines made from it
- 🍷 Rosé
- Offspring
- 🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon, 🍇 Merlot, 🍇 Carménère, 🍇 Incrocio Manzoni 2.15, 🍇 Cabernet Moravia, 🍇 Bacchus Noir
Frequently asked questions
Who are the parents of Cabernet Franc?
Unknown: the VIVC catalogue gives no full pedigree. Its offspring, however, are known: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot.
How does Cabernet Franc differ from Cabernet Sauvignon?
They are different varieties but close relatives: Cabernet Sauvignon arose from a cross of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, as DNA analysis has confirmed.
Where is most Cabernet Franc grown?
In France: 33,000 ha in 2015 according to the OIV, which is 4% of the country's vineyards. There are also plantings in China, about 3,000 ha.
Is it true that red Chinon can be made from any variety?
No. Red and rosé Chinon are made from Cabernet Franc; Cabernet Sauvignon is allowed only as a secondary variety, up to 10% of the vineyard. White Chinon comes only from Chenin Blanc.
At what temperature should Cabernet Franc be served?
Like other red wines, at 15–18 °C. If the bottle has been standing in a warm room, put it in the fridge for half an hour.
What to read next
- 🗺️ French wine — The country's wine and winemaking: regions, grapes and appellations.
- 📜 Pauillac — A Médoc commune with three first growths: Lafite, Latour and Mouton Rothschild.
- 🍷 Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia — Le Serre Nuove dell'Ornellaia: red wine from the Ornellaia estate in Bolgheri; vintages 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 on the site.
- 🍇 Carménère — An old red grape from France, now rare there; its largest area is in Chile, about 11 thousand ha in 2015 (OIV).
- 📍 Anjou-Saumur — Schist and tuffeau with Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and rosés.
Similar
🍇 Merlot · 🍇 Cabernet Sauvignon · 🍇 Petit Verdot · 🍇 Chenin Blanc · 🍇 Malbec · 🍇 Tannat
Sources
- VIVC (Vitis International Variety Catalogue): passport Cabernet Franc
- OIV Focus 2017: Distribution of the world's grapevine varieties
- Cahier des charges de l'AOC « Chinon » (BO-AGRI, 2016)
- Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2019/33, Art. 49–50 (vintage year, wine grape varieties on the label)
- Simons C.T. Left out in the cold: Serving wines chilled. Temperature, 2019