Recently on my Youtube channel, I did an interview with Chris Primus, wine maker at San Juan Vineyards. In the interview, we talked about the time a few years ago when everyone thought Cabernet Franc would be the hot varietal. It never came to fruition, and I asked Chris (who happens to make an outstanding Cab Franc) his thoughts on that. He pondered that question for a moment and said…”maybe its the name.” Of course he was kidding, as he went on to elaborate. His perspective was that Cabernet Franc is not nearly as fruit-forward as many popular wines. It is more feminine, and expresses nuances, rather than outright bombastic fruit.
It is hard to put a finger on why a certain grape varietal is popular or not. Certainly Pinot Noir is feminine and light on the palate, and it is very popular. However, it did get me thinking about why such a great wine like Cabernet Franc struggles to find a place in the heart of the majority of wine drinkers. in my discussion with Chris, it came to me that part (I certainly recognize the many possibilities) of the reason is that Cabernet Franc may suffer from an identity crisis. What do I mean by that?
Cabernet Franc, unlike Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot is a wine of many faces. When produced in the Loire Valley of France, in the regions of Chinon, Anjou, Bourgueil, or Saumur-Champigny it often times comes across as vegetal. Cab Francs from the Loire Valley is like drinking a puree green salad with some tomato stem thrown in the mix. Herbaceous is often the word used to describe most of these wines. Now, for the average consumer, this can be quite off-putting. I mean, who likes to drink their salad without the benefit of a delicious salad dressing? However, believe it or not, there are wine drinkers out there who truly enjoy this style of wine. I myself like a wine in this style from time to time.
Now move to the New World where Cabernet Franc was predicted a few years back to be the next hot varietal. Even in this environment, Cabernet Franc can express itself in entirely different ways. Take the San Juan Vineyard wines as an example. Wine maker Chris Primus (whom I interviewed) believes in very little if any oak intervention. As a result, his Cab Franc comes across as pure and balanced. The fruit expression is true to the varietals expression of terroir of the Horse Heaven Hills appellation in Washington State. However, many wine makers choose to give their Cabernet Franc a heavy dose of new oak. Cabernet Franc + new oak = mocha, chocolate and creamy tannins.
So, Cabernet Franc can go from herbaceous and vegetal (as expressed in the terroir of the Loire Valley), to creamy mocha-chocolate driven wines that are oaked, to new world terroir-driven wines that sometimes express vegetal characteristics, put oftentimes express a pure expression of the fruit. Do you see the conflict?
With most consumers, for a wine to become popular, it has to express a commonality. There is nothing common about a Cabernet Franc. As a result, it will most likely never take a foothold into the mainstream of the average wine consumer. I love Cabernet Franc for its Sybil characteristics. It may never become the sweetheart of the wine consumer, but it should be in the top five. My advice to you is find the style of Cabernet Franc you like, and seek out the producers who fit into that genre. I think you will be pleasantly surprised with what you find.
Cabernet Franc is awesome, and deserves a place in your heart. Just figure out what spot in your heart it will inhabit.
Cheers! Stan The Wine Man
