Wines made from Cabernet franc grapes of Beaujolais-Villages
Discover the best wines made with Cabernet franc as a single variety or as a blend of Beaujolais-Villages.
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.
Beaujolais Villages is the appellation for red, white and rosé wines from an area of 38 villages in the northern Beaujolais. The hilly terrain and granitic soil are considered superior to the flatter land of southern Beaujolais. As a result, Beaujolais Villages wines are considered to be of higher quality than those of the simple Beaujolais appellation. These juicy, light wines are based largely on the Gamay Grape.