Sip & Savor: Cabernet Franc Day

Paso Celebrates International

Cabernet Franc Day

Cabernet Sauvignon might rule the wine pantheon as king, but in recent years, its father Cabernet Franc has gained a tribe of fans drawn to the wine’s mesmerizing blackberry, violet and herbaceous notes.

To shine a light on this Bordeaux variety, several Paso’s winemakers got together to celebrate Cabernet Franc Day on December 4 at Cass Winery’s Event Center. The day-long interactive experience began with a seminar spotlighting six international producers followed by a Paso-focused grand tasting. Some 16 local wineries showcased their Cab Franc (as it’s popularly called), both as a varietal wine and in blends.

This worldwide dedication to Cab Franc got its Paso start in 2015 when winemakers Lori and Mike Budd, founders of Dracaena Wines, launched an online event with participation from various international Cab Franc producers.

But it was the efforts of Neeta and Kunal Mittal, owners of LXV Wine, to take it a step further and launch it as an in-person experience by corralling interest from local Cab Franc producers.

“We’ve had great support from Austin Hope and the J. Lohr teams and the Paso Robles CAB Collective,” said Neeta Mittal. “There’s an intrigue about Cab Franc since there’s so little produced here and people are getting into it.”

The December 4 homage marks the death anniversary of France’s 17th-century Cardinal Richelieu who loved this blue-black grape. The legend goes that such was his fascination that he transported vine cuttings from Bordeaux to the Loire Valley where it sealed its connection to the region’s hallmark Chinon, Saumur-Champigny and Bourgueil wines.

Medium body, low in tannins, often perfumey and herb-driven, Cab Franc shines as a varietal wine in the Loire or at times blended with a small percentage of Cabernet Sauvignon. In Bordeaux, it’s an important blending component in the iconic blends of Left Bank and makes up a significant part of the signature Right Bank style, usually blended with Merlot.

Regarded among the 20 most widely planted grape varieties in the world, Cab Franc did not originate in Bordeaux. It is native to Spain’s Basque country from its most primitive clone known as “acheria.” From Spain, it spread to the Pyrenees and over to Gironde in Bordeaux, where it had an ‘a-ha’ moment with Sauvignon Blanc, which resulted in their offspring Cabernet Sauvignon.

Cab Franc also crossed with Magdalene Noir de Charente producing Merlot and gave birth to Carmenere when co-mingled with Gros Cabernet. You can say Cab Franc was one helluva busy grape in the vitis vinifera pantheon!

The Cab Franc celebration kicked off with Wes Hagen, Wine Educator at LXV Wine, delivering the powerpoint presentation in his signature enthusiastic style.

“Much like Cardinal Richelieu who kept things moving in France, Cab Franc keeps things moving in a Bordeaux blend,” he explained.

With 160,000 acres planted worldwide, Cab Franc is one of the

Discussion panel members Steve Peck, Michael Mooney, and Stasi Seay with organizers Neeta and Kunal Mittal (center). Photo: Mira Honeycutt foundational wine grapes of Europe. (In Paso, 1,200 acres of Cab Franc are under vine compared to 17,000 acres of Cabernet Sauvignon.)

The six-six-wine flight began with a lighter style from Saumur, France with the 2018 Vignerons de Saumur Rouge, “Les Epinats,” a floral yet restrained wine showing a grippy minerality delivered by the region’s chalky soil.

From Bordeaux’s St. Emilion region, the 2018 Chateau Bel Air was a classic blend, equal parts of Cab Franc and Merlot, showing traces of Brettanomyces, a yeast (not always desirable) that did add an Old-World charm to the deep-hued blend with dusty tannins supported with the lush softness of Merlot.

The 2017 Havas & Timás from Hungary’s cool region of Eger was a delicious cassis-kissed, 100 percent Cab Franc redolent of strawberries, showing the variety’s bright sunny side. From Chile’s Maipo Valley, the 2017 Garage Wine Company expressed aromatic blue fruit intensity balanced with refreshing acidity.

From Crozet in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, the 2020 Stinson Family was full-bodied with an oak-driven baking spice character. Napa Valley’s 2016 Crocker and Star was a Cab Franc-driven blend supported with Cabernet Sauvignon, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

The tasting was followed by a panel discussion with Steve Peck, Director of Winemaking at J. Lohr; Michael Mooney, co-owner/winemaker of Chateau Margene; and Stasi Seay, Director of Vineyard at Hope Family Wines, all reflecting on Cab Franc’s versatility from Paso’s diverse appellations.

“Cab Franc is well suited to different expressions from different sites,” Seay commented.

At the grand tasting attended by 125 people, Paso Cab Franc showed its different personalities from Rotta’s hi-octane (16.00 percent abv) to Union Sacre’s lighter Beaujolais-style. Robert Hall, Daou, LVX, J. Lohr, Paris Valley Road, Hope Family, Chateau Margene, Adelaida, Ancient Peaks and Brecon were among the participating wineries. While some produced 100 percent Cab Franc, others were Cab Franc-dominant blends.