20 bottles from the Global Cabernet Franc Masters 2024

This year witnessed our inaugural Global Cabernet Franc Masters competition. Patricia Stefanowicz MW choses a collection of some of the best bottles alongside her tasting notes and potential food matchings.

x`VIÑA MAQUIS GRAN RESERVA CABERNET FRANC 2020

Producer: Viña Maquis,

Region: Colchagua Valley,

Country: Chile

Grape varieties: 87% Cabernet Franc, 7% Carmenere, 3% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Petit Verdot,

ABV: 14%,

Vintage: 2020

Approx. retail price: £19.49

Owned by the Hurtado family since 1916, in 2000 Ricardo Rivadeneira Hurtado, an agronomist and oenologist, joined Viña Maquis and is now the executive director and winemaker, also performing the roles for the Hurtado family’s Viñedos Calcu. Viña Maquis is located between two rivers and benefits from this prized location. This wine is a wonderful expression of terroir.

Deep ruby-coloured, the aromas show summer pudding fruits with black pepper and vanilla pod accents. The juicy attack leads to a layered palate framed by brisk acidity and silky tannins. The very spicy, savoury, lingering finish suggests the wine will work well with Louisiana creole jambalaya or, in the cooler climate of the Alps, a crôute Savoyarde.

 

THE DRIFT ESTATE GHOST IN THE MACHINE CABERNET FRANC 2022

Producer: Bruce Jack Wines The Drift Estate

Region: Western Cape C

ountry: South Africa

Grape varieties: 87% Cabernet Franc, 13% Petit Verdot

ABV: 13.5%

Vintage: 2022

Approx. retail price: £17.99 (exclusive for Majestic On Trade)

Located in the Overberg Highlands at high altitude with ancient soils, this farm – to use the appropriate term – harvests vegetables, olives and honey, as well as grapes. The focus is on organic, as far as is possible in this extreme climate with its cold winters and cool summers. And there is also a focus on inclusion and diversity as well as sustainability.

Small-batch production is what has created this ‘dream wine’. The grapes are sourced from the Drift Farm, and other Western Cape areas. The resulting wine has a deep ruby colour and concentrated bramble, Christmas pudding and raspberry fruit, accented by complex vanilla, tobacco and cloves, with hints of leather and fresh herbs. Sweet-fruited, the palate shows crisp acidity and linen-textured tannins supporting the mid-weight palate. A sappy, mouthwatering finish lingers on and on. The intensity and complexity suggest pairing with something fairly simple, such as baby rack of lamb with rosemary and a whiff of garlic.

 

EL ENEMIGO CABERNET FRANC 2021

Producer: El Enemigo

Region: Gualtallary, Tupungato, Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Grape varieties: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Malbec

ABV: 13.5%

Vintage: 2021

Approx. retail price: £22

From grapes grown on deep calcareous soil interspersed with rocks in Gualtallary, Tupungato, in the northern part of the Uco Valley at an altitude of 1,470m, El Enemigo has produced a revelation. Almost opaque purpleblack in hue, the wine has integrated dark berries with a touch of granite and hints of herbs.

Well-integrated oak with smoke and cedar wood accent the rich, polished palate. Lively acidity and linen-textured tannins add structure. Harmonious, albeit youthful, this wine has a long, warm finish, and will match marbled beef off the grill, or tender marinated ostrich steaks with sautéed chestnut mushrooms.

 

VIK ‘A’ 2021

Producer: Viña VIK

Region: Millahue, Cachapoal Valley

Country: Chile

Grape varieties: 85% Cabernet Franc, 15% Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14%,

Vintage: 2021

Approx. retail price: £22

VIK Chile, the retreat hotel associated with the VIK winery, is perched on a hilltop in picturesque Millahue Valley with the Andes mountains in the background and the vineyards below. VIK Chile, designed by architect Frank Gehry and renowned sculptor Richard Serra, has a floating, sculptural roof of bronzed titanium.

This wine is equally sculptural and elegant. Deep ruby-purple, the wine shows ripe red berries, and blackcurrant with cedar wood and tobacco nuances. The sweetfruited palate has crisp acidity, velvet tannins and complex cinnamon and cardamom spices. Full-bodied, the wine is charming and would be fantastic accompanied by herbed pork chops.

 

ARBA WINE KYZYL ARBA CABERNET FRANC 2013

Producer: Arba Wine

Region: Almaty Region

Country: Kazakhstan

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc,

ABV: 12.8%

Vintage: 2013

Approx. retail price: £32 Located in the Assa Valley of Almaty, near Karakemer, at about 1,000m above sea level are Arba Wines’ vineyards. With expertise from Italian viticulturist Mario Fregoni and Turin oenologist Donato Lanati, Arba Wines planted their vineyards with selected vines and rootstocks from France. One of the successes is this lovely Cabernet Franc. Deep ruby-coloured, this vintage shows red raspberry, cherry and cranberry with floral aromatics and gentle vanilla oak. Mid-weight, the palate is beautifully integrated with brisk acidity and satin-textured tannins. A lingering wine to pair with sautéed chicken livers, Swiss chard and grilled tomatoes.

 

RIETVALLEI JMB CABERNET FRANC 2019

Producer: Rietvallei Wine Estate

Region: Robertson

Country: South Africa

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 13.81%

Vintage: 2019

Approx. retail price: £43.99

Rietvallei is a sub-region located east of Robertson towards Little Karoo, and has a long history. In 1864 Alewyn Burger bought land for his son Jacobus François. The vineyard is currently cultivated by sixth-generation Kobus Burger and his family. The soils are well drained and vary – just like in Bordeaux – from calcareous/clay-limestone to sandy loam. So it is not really a surprise that Cabernet Franc can produce fine wine here. This single-vineyard expression is made from the 623B clone. Deep ruby-hued, on the nose the wine exhibits red fruits, cigar tobacco and cedar wood with a hint of violet. Sweet-fruited, the palate shows dried red plums balanced by racy acidity and velvet tannins with kitchen spices. An intriguing wine with length and complexity, pair it with roast beef or partridge in a red wine plum sauce.

 

BACKSBERG PATRIARCH CABERNET FRANC 2022

Producer: Backsberg, Region: Stellenbosch

Country: South Africa

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14%

Vintage: 2022

Approx. retail price: £35

Established as a farm in 1916, Backsberg was the first South African winery to be certified as carbon-neutral, in about 2006. The winery sponsors numerous carbon-sequestering and other sustainable projects. At the very top of Backsberg’s wine offering is Patriarch. The wine is only made in exceptional vintages from carefully selected grapes from a handful of plots.

This Cabernet Franc is delicious. Deepish ruby in hue, it shows beautiful violets, crushed rose petals and cedar wood accenting the dark red berry fruits. Mid-weight, the palate has brisk acidity and silky tannins supporting the flavours. Perfumed, integrated and lingering, this gorgeous wine will match roast pork loin stuffed with sautéed onions and mushrooms or veal in a delicate cream sauce.

 

HICKINBOTHAM THE NEST CABERNET FRANC 2021

Producer: Hickinbotham Vineyard

Region: McLaren Vale, South Australia

Country: Australia

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14%

Vintage: 2021

Approx. retail price: £70

Hickinbotham first planted dry-farmed vineyards near the hamlet of Clarendon in 1971 at the upper limit of McLaren Vale. The site’s climate is influenced by the coast, the Onkaparinka River gorge and the rolling hills offering different exposures and funnelling refreshing breezes. Almost opaque purple-black in colour, the wine has cassis, brambles and Christmas cake with tobacco and a hint of hedgerow and leather.

Dry, but sweetfruited, the wine’s flavours are balanced by crisp acidity and linen-textured tannins. Beautifully-defined with intriguing spices adding complexity, the wine will match rabbit simmered in white wine and chicken stock with onions and a bit of garlic.

 

KAVAKLIDERE SARAPLARI 1929 CABERNET FRANC 2021

Producer: Kavaklidere Saraplari

Region: Aegean

Country: Turkey

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14.5%

Vintage: 2021

Approx. retail price: £46.50

A tribute to the year in which Kavaklidere was established in Ankara, the grapes are grown on the Guney Plateau in the Aegean region, which is known to do well with the Bordeaux varieties. The ‘1929’ Cabernet Franc is exemplary.

Very deep purple-black in colour, there are blackberries and brambles in the fruit, accented with vanilla and toasty oak and a hint of lead pencil shavings. Dry, but with a sweet edge to the fruit, the fullbodied palate is framed with crisp acidity and dense, corduroy-textured tannins. Cinnamon spice and white pepper notes add interest and the oak is well integrated, giving a succulent wine with good length. This is a wine to savour with gently-spiced Turkish dishes, but would also work well with a rich Spanish paella.

 

PASCUAL TOSO ALTA CABERNET FRANC 2022

Producer: Bodegas y Viñedos Pascual Toso

Region: Maipú, Mendoza

Country: Argentina

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14%

Vintage: 2022

Approx. retail price: £70

Las Barrancas is located in the Maipú district on the plateau of Mendoza at about 750m above sea level. Here Pascual Toso’s vineyards comprise more than 220 hectares on a range of decomposed soils, making them suitable for different grape varietals. Aged for 14 months in French and American barrels, this Cabernet Franc is very deep purple-ruby in hue, showing dense black fruits and smoky oak with a herbal lift and violet note.

The flavours are supported by lively acidity, satin tannins and warming alcohol. The finish is sappy, savoury and lip-smacking, suggesting the wine deserves an interestingly sauced dish, such as guinea fowl with leeks and chestnut mushrooms in red wine.

 

WARWICK CABERNET FRANC 2021

Producer: Warwick Wine Estate

Region: Stellenbosch

Country: South Africa

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14%

Vintage: 2021

Approx. retail price: £55

Situated in the foothills and mid-slopes of the Simonsberg Mountain, with altitudes of 240-360m above sea level, the vineyards benefit from both the elevation and the cooling ocean breezes. Bordeaux varieties make up a large part of the estate and this Cabernet Franc is a gem. Deep ruby-hued, the wine exhibits dark plums and morello cherries with vanilla pod and an attractive rose petal accent.

The mid-weight palate is beautifully balanced with racy acidity and satin-textured tannins framing the flavours leading to a lingering spicy finish. Elegant and textured, the wine will pair well with classic Chinese dishes, but will also suit barbecued meats.

 

TENUTA DEI SETTE CIELI SCIPIO 2019

Producer: Societa Agricola Tenuta dei Sette Cieli

Region: Tuscany

Country: Italy

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 14.5%

Vintage: 2019,

Approx. retail price: £90

Established in 2001 near Bolgheri at 400m above sea level on hills surrounded by the lush woods of Monteverdi Marittimo, the 10 hectares of vineyards embrace the Tyrrhenian Sea below, which offers cooling breezes. This Cabernet Franc is fermented with indigenous yeasts and aged for 24 months in barriques. Deep ruby in colour, the wine shows black cherry and ripe raspberry, accented by smoky wood and kitchen spices with a hint of undergrowth.

The palate is packed with sweet fruit and integrated wood, balanced by crisp acidity and linen-textured tannins. Mid-weight with a lingering finish exhibiting a sweet red pepper nuance, the wine will pair well with mixed lentils, red and white beans, slow-cooked with onions and lardons served over rice, perhaps accompanied by pork belly.

 

HOOSEGG JADE MOON CABERNET FRANC 2018

Producer: Hoosegg by Philip Shaw

Region: Orange, New South Wales

Country: Australia

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 13.2%

Vintage: 2018

Approx. retail price: £73

Hooseeg is the fulfilment of Philip Shaw’s dream. Having transferred his Philip Shaw label to his sons in 2015, Philip established this new ‘vision’. The ‘Hoo’ is Shaw and the ‘Egg’ symbolises this new beginning – a catchy name. This Cabernet Franc is sensational and unforgettable.

The wine has a deep purple-black colour, raspberry and morello cherry fruit with cedar wood and smoke accents. The palate is quite weighty, but elegant, showing racy acidity and abundant, satin-textured tannins framing the concentrated, layered flavours. A textural wine with a lingering finish, it will match beef Wellington or filet mignon.

 

CHAMLIJA TURANDOT 2020

Producer: Chamlija

Region: Strandja Mountains, Thrace

Country: Turkey

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 15%

Vintage: 2020

Approx. retail price: £110

Chamlija’s vineyards are located in the Kirklareli Province. The province name, taken from Bulgarian, means ‘the city of vines’. Cabernet Franc is grown in a number of the vineyards, including the northernmost at 380m altitude, as well as in sites found at 280m and 150m. The expression is exemplary, displaying a nearly opaque purple-black colour, dark berry fruit, tobacco and chocolate, and a leather nuance. Dense and brooding on the palate, the wine is rich and fullbodied, almost meaty, with enough fresh acidity and abundant tannins and good length. This is an intense wine that requires a dish like venison or duck cassoulet to show it at its best.

 

HOOSEGG JADE MOON CABERNET FRANC 2019

Producer: Hoosegg by Philip Shaw

Region: Orange, New South Wales

Country: Australia

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 13.4%

Vintage: 2019

Approx. retail price: £75

From Shaw’s vineyard in the Orange district comes this younger sibling to the 2018 Cabernet Franc. Almost equally impressive, the wine shows a deep rubypurple hue and black cherry, ripe raspberry, toasty wood, and cocoa and floral accents on the aromatic, elegant nose. The mid-weight palate has lively acidity and linen-textured tannins supporting the intense flavours and leading to the long finish, redolent of baking spices (vanilla pod, allspice, cinnamon and cardamom). The wine will pair nicely with succulent wild boar or kangaroo steaks, marinated in red wine, olive oil, garlic, cardamom and soy sauce. Elegant, though warming, the wine would also pair well with chicken marinated in lemon and orange juice, bay leaf and red chillies, then roasted.

 

HEIR APPARENT CABERNET FRANC 2019

Producer: Heir Apparent

Region: Spring Mountain, Napa Valley, California

Country: USA

Grape varieties: 90% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.6%

Vintage: 2019

Approx. retail price: £80

Local topography, which includes the steep terraces of the Mayacamas Mountains above St Helena, as well as unsettled weather patterns, make this the coolest and dampest appellation in Napa Valley, and this similarity to the meso-climate in Bordeaux makes it a perfect area to grow Cabernet Franc. This example displays a deep ruby colour, cassis, black raspberry and sweet red pepper, accented by toasty wood and pencil shavings notes. The palate is quite full and rich. Nicely integrated, the wine is a perfect match for anything off the barbecue – animal, vegetable or even fish.

 

GALLICA CABERNET FRANC 2019

Producer: Gallica

Region: Oakville, Napa Valley, California

Country: USA

Grape varieties: 98% Cabernet Franc, 2% Cabernet Sauvignon

ABV: 14.5%

Vintage: 2019

Approx. retail price: £150

Winemaker extraordinare Rosemary Cakebread is the proprietor of Gallica, located in Oakville, Napa Valley. The Cabernet Franc and Cabernet Sauvignon grapes for this wine are sourced from the organically-farmed Oakville Ranch Vineyard and co-fermented to create this Bordeaux-style blend.

Exhibiting a deep purple-ruby hue, the wine’s bouquet has dark black fruits and morello cherry with cedar wood and hints of sweet bell peppers and lavender. Textured, layered and well-defined, the wine has a long savoury, sappy finish redolent of baking spices and vanilla pod. A ripe yet elegant style to match the likes of beef with parsnip purée and braised chard accented by a dash of quatre épices.

 

KAVAKLIDERE SARAPLARI EGEO CABERNET FRANC/MERLOT 2019

Producer: Kavaklidere Saraplari

Region: Aegean

Country: Turkey

Grape varieties: 60% Cabernet Franc, 40% Merlot

ABV: 13.5%

Vintage: 2019

Approx. retail price: £9.75 Established in Ankara in 1929, Kavaklidere is owned by the fourth generation of the family.

Kavaklidere offers a wide range of wines from Turkey’s indigenous varieties and – nowadays – from international varieties too. This wine comes from vineyards at its Pendore winery in the Aegean region and offers a lovely expression of gently oaked Cabernet Franc blended with Merlot. Deep-ruby coloured with a garnet rim, the wine shows bright cassis and Victoria plum with floral overlay and vanilla pod accent. The palate is mid-weight with crisp acidity and linen tannins supporting the nicely defined flavours. An absolute bargain, perfect with simple roast chicken.

 

PARADISE RESCUED B1OCKONE CABERNET FRANC 2017

Producer: Paradise Rescued

Region: Bordeaux

Country: France

Grape variety: 100% Cabernet Franc

ABV: 13.5%

Vintage: 2017

Approx. retail price: £16.30 When Paradise Rescued began its sustainability project in 2010, the Hourcat Sud block of Cabernet

Franc was the only vineyard it owned. So, the company had no choice but to make a 100% Cabernet Franc. Originally named ‘Cloud 9’, the now organic brand has been renamed B1ockOne as the vintages began to create a ‘founders’ legacy’. Deepish ruby with a hint of garnet on the rim, the wine shows strawberry, raspberry and blue plum fruit with crushed rose petal and cedar wood. The mid-weight palate exhibits juicy fruit with brisk acidity, velvet tannins and a lengthy finish. Nicely integrated gentle vanilla oak adds dimension, suggesting a good match for artisanal exotic meat terrines or saucissons with cornichons on the side.

 

VIÑEDOS CALCU TINY BLOCKS CABERNET FRANC 2020

Producer: Viñedos Calcu

Region: Colchagua Valley

Country: Chile

Grape varieties: 95% Cabernet Franc, 3% Petit Verdot, 2% Carmenere

ABV: 14%

Vintage: 2020

Approx. retail price: £18.99

Based in Marchigüe in the Colchagua Valley, Viñedos Calcu embraces the surrounding hilly countryside. Its name ‘Calcu’ is derived from ‘Calel’, meaning ‘mountain’, and ‘Curá’, meaning ‘stone’. The vines are sustainably grown on granitic soils with iron-rich calcareous seams and are influenced by the cooling breezes from the Pacific Ocean a mere 26 kilometres away. This wine is a lovely example of Cabernet Franc. Very deep ruby-hued, the wine has plenty of ripe dark fruits and toasty oak with Cabernet Franc’s signature violet lift.

Full-bodied, the palate is framed by racy acidity and abundant linen-textured tannins, accented by kitchen spices (cardamom, allspice and cinnamon) and a hint of spun sugar on the rich finish. An attractive wine, quite warming, it will match succulent châteaubriand very nicely.