Wines made from Cabernet franc grapes of Okanagan Valley

Discover the best wines made with Cabernet franc as a single variety or as a blend of Okanagan Valley.

More informations about the variety Cabernet franc

Cabernet Franc is one of the oldest red grape varieties in Bordeaux. The Libourne region is its terroir where it develops best. The terroirs of Saint-Emilion and Fronsac allow it to mature and develop its best range of aromas. It is also the majority in many blends. The very famous Château Cheval Blanc, for example, uses 60% Cabernet Franc. The wines produced with Cabernet Franc are medium in colour with fine tannins and subtle aromas of small red fruits and spices. When blended with Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, it brings complexity and a bouquet of aromas to the wine. It produces fruity wines that can be drunk quite quickly, but whose great vintages can be kept for a long time. It is an earlier grape variety than Cabernet Sauvignon, which means that it is planted as far north as the Loire Valley. In Anjou, it is also used to make sweet rosé wines. Cabernet Franc is now used in some twenty countries in Europe and throughout the world.

More informations about the region of British Columbia

The Okanagan Valley is one of six Designated Viticultural Areas in the Canadian province of British Columbia. The DryClimate in this "pocket desert" produces some unique wines made from Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Riesling, Pinot Noir, Pinot Blanc, Pinot Gris and Chardonnay. There is now an almost even split between white and red grapes planted, with Merlot the most common variety. Ice wine can be produced in the Okanagan Valley but the necessary temperatures are not as consistent as on the east coast, where the winters are much colder.

What are the typical flavors of the Cabernet franc grape variety?