Cabernet Franc

Accounts differ on how Cabernet Franc reached the Loire. One account holds that the variety has been cultivated there since the 11th century and was introduced to the region by the monks of Bourgueil Abbey, who called it "Bouchet". Another tradition holds that Cardinal Richelieu took cuttings of Cabernet Franc from southwest France to the Loire Valley, and International Cabernet Franc Day falls annually on 4 December. Cabernet Franc is likely the oldest of Bordeaux's grape varieties and belongs to the Bordeaux family of carmenets, red varieties whose name echoes the Latin carminium. It was as widely grown in Bordeaux as Cabernet Sauvignon in the 1960s but was considerably displaced by the more fashionable Merlot in the late 20th century.

• Synonyms: bouchet in the Libournais, bouchy in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, breton in the Loire Valley and acheria in Spain; it is also called Breton in Touraine
• On the right bank, in St-Émilion and Pomerol, the variety has traditionally been known as Bouchet
• Because Cabernet Sauvignon is the progeny of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, Cabernet Franc must predate Cabernet Sauvignon by quite a while

Cabernet Franc is listed under VIVC variety number 1927 with the prime name CABERNET FRANC, a Vitis vinifera with black (noir) berry skin, and its country or region of origin is given as France. Its origins seem to lie in Basque country in the western Pyrenees. No parents are recorded for Cabernet Franc: its passport lists no pedigree and leaves both parent fields empty. It is, however, recorded as having offspring. Cabernet Franc is a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, whose passport lists the pedigree CABERNET FRANC X SAUVIGNON as confirmed by markers, with Sauvignon Blanc as the second parent. It is also a parent of Merlot (VIVC prime name Merlot Noir), whose pedigree MAGDELEINE NOIRE DES CHARENTES X CABERNET FRANC is confirmed by markers. In 1997, pioneers of applying DNA analysis to grapevines showed that Cabernet Sauvignon is the progeny of Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc.

• Country of origin: France
• Parents: none recorded
• Recorded offspring: Cabernet Sauvignon (with Sauvignon Blanc) and Merlot (with Magdeleine Noire des Charentes)

Touraine in the Loire is a French wine region dominated by Cabernet Franc, especially Chinon, Bourgueil, Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil and Saumur-Champigny. Cabernet Franc is the sole grape variety of Bourgueil and Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil; it is grown alongside Chenin in Chinon, and alongside Pineau d'Aunis and Cabernet Sauvignon in Saumur Champigny. Soil shapes style: Bourgueil ranges from light gravel wines to the great ageing wines of tuffeau terroirs, and in Saint-Nicolas de Bourgueil the sands and gravels give subtle, refined tannins while tuffeau gives rounded, powerful tannins. The Chinon appellation area extends over 26 communes on either side of the Vienne River, up to its confluence with the Loire. In Bordeaux, Saint-Émilion is the variety's stronghold, and it plays a more discreet role on the Left Bank, in the Médoc and the Graves; on the right bank, in St-Émilion and Pomerol, it is by far the most-planted Cabernet. In the OIV's Focus 2017 report on the distribution of the world's grapevine varieties, the table for France lists 33,000 ha of Cabernet Franc, 4.1% of the national vineyard area.

• Italy: a considerable area of north-east Italy was planted with 'Cabernet', the majority of which is Cabernet Franc, and the variety is increasingly well-regarded in Tuscany, particularly in Bolgheri, both for blending and in pure, 100% varietal form
• Hungary: grown quite widely, particularly round Villány
• North America: particularly successful in Washington state, where it withstands freezing winter temperatures better than Merlot, and in the north east of the United States and Canada, including Long Island, Virginia, Pennsylvania and the Finger Lakes; in Ontario, Inniskillin makes a Cabernet Franc Icewine
• Southern Hemisphere: one critic names Bruwer Raats as the pioneer of fine varietal bottlings in South Africa; the variety is slowly catching on in Australia and has long been relatively popular in New Zealand, notably in Hawke's Bay
• New Zealand: top Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon blends often include small proportions of Cabernet Franc and Malbec

Cabernet Franc produces light to medium-bodied red wines with supple tannins and lively acidity, with aromas of red and black fruits and herbaceous and spicy notes, among them raspberry, blackcurrant, green bell pepper and fresh herbs. In Bordeaux it shows a moderately coloured robe compared with Cabernet Sauvignon, a nose where raspberry and violet often take centre stage, and a palate of freshness, finesse and silky tannins. Fully ripe Cabernet Franc has a lovely lightness of touch, lighter and softer than Cabernet Sauvignon, so that the wines can mature several years ahead of Cabernet Sauvignon grown in the same vineyard; fully ripe Loire examples have a beautiful silky texture, soft tannins and an aroma that has long reminded one critic of pencil shavings. Good cooler-climate dry reds are likely to show fresh red fruit (strawberry, raspberry, cherry), while those from warmer regions lean towards blackcurrant and blackberry, and the wines may also evoke green pepper and have earthy undertones.

• Underripe Cabernet Sauvignon can smell remarkably like fully ripe Cabernet Franc, both showing a leafy, currant bush aroma
• Loire reds can be weedy and stringy in cooler vintages, or if the vine's canopy is not carefully managed
• Its berries produce wines naturally rich in polyphenols, the building blocks of tannins

Cabernet Franc is often a blending partner. It is one of the grapes of red Bordeaux, with Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Petit Verdot and Malbec, and Merlot is ideal for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc, which can bring firmness and aromatic complexity. In a blend it softens Cabernet Sauvignon's power and gently complements Merlot's roundness. Cabernet Franc buds and ripens at least a week before Cabernet Sauvignon, and in the Médoc and Graves, Cabernet Franc and Merlot are grown as a sort of insurance policy against Cabernet Sauvignon not ripening properly. In the vineyard, its harvest falls between early-ripening Merlot and late-ripening Cabernet Sauvignon, and it requires attentive care when frost, drought or powdery mildew strike.

• Yields: in Italy as in France, yields have to be kept below a certain maximum if the wines are not to be off-puttingly herbaceous and grassy
• Other styles: in the Loire the variety is also used for rosé and Crémant, and Canadian Icewine is made by pressing grapes frozen on the vine
• In the Loire Valley it produces elegant red wines and fruity rosés

One critic's favourite Cabernet Franc-dominated wines have included Château Cheval Blanc in Saint-Émilion; in the Loire, Yannick Amirault's Bourgueil Petite Cave, Domaine des Roches Neuves' Saumur-Champigny Terres Chaudes and Philippe Alliet's Chinon Vieilles Vignes; and in Tuscany Paleo, Le Macchiole, Tenuta di Trinoro and 'W' Cabernet Franc from Poggio al Tesoro. Château Cheval Blanc's vineyard is planted to 55% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot and 5% Cabernet Sauvignon across 56 plots of clay, gravel and sand, and in 1911 the proportion of Cabernet Franc was already nearly 50%. A December 2025 International Cabernet Franc Day selection of top picks from one wine magazine included Charles Joguet's Les Charmes Chinon 2020 and the Stratus Cabernet Franc 2019 from the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario.

• Loire (one critic's favourites): Yannick Amirault, Bourgueil, Petite Cave; Domaine des Roches Neuves, Saumur-Champigny, Terres Chaudes; Philippe Alliet, Chinon, Vieilles Vignes
• Bordeaux: Château Cheval Blanc, Saint-Émilion, 55% Cabernet Franc in the vineyard
• Beyond France (a December 2025 Cabernet Franc Day selection): Stratus Cabernet Franc (Niagara Peninsula, Ontario), Damascene Cabernet Franc and Reyneke Estate Cabernet Franc (Stellenbosch, South Africa)

Dry Cabernet Franc reds make a good accompaniment for earthy, herby dishes. Sommelier Giuseppe D’Aniello recommends a Saumur-Champigny "with pasta cooked simply with tomato sauce, or with lamb cutlets served with tenderstem broccoli." Red Saumur Champigny pairs with saucisson sec as a starter and duck magret as a main course, and Bourgueil suits a seared duck breast. Loire Cabernet Francs respond well to being lightly chilled, which makes them particularly useful for red wine lovers in high summer.

Primary sources: https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=1927, https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=1929, https://www.vivc.de/index.php?r=passport%2Fview&id=7657, https://www.bordeaux.com/en/grape-varieties/cabernet-franc/, https://www.oiv.int/public/medias/5888/en-distribution-of-the-worlds-grapevine-varieties.pdf, https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/grape-varieties/cabernet-franc, https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/loire-wines/chinon, https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/loire-wines/bourgueil, https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/loire-wines/saumur-champigny, https://www.vinsdeloire.fr/en/loire-wines/saint-nicolas-bourgueil, https://www.nzwine.com/en/winestyles/merlot-cabernet/, https://www.wsetglobal.com/knowledge-centre/blog/2024/why-do-we-blend-wine, https://www.chateau-cheval-blanc.com/en/the-vineyard/. Reference: https://www.jancisrobinson.com/learn/grape-varieties/red/cabernet-franc, https://www.decanter.com/learn/international-cabernet-franc-day-a-myriad-of-styles-in-the-spotlight-569771/. Last verified 2026-10-04