Wines made from Cabernet franc grapes of Bordeaux Supérieur

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

Wine made from Cabernet franc grape variety>France >Bordeaux >Bordeaux Supérieur

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 Bordeaux

Bordeaux Supérieur is an appellation level applied to wines produced in the Generic area of the Bordeaux PDO. They are produced from the classic Bordeaux Grape varieties. The reds are, as the name suggests, intended to be a slightly "superior" form of the standard Bordeaux AOC wines. They are therefore heavily based on Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon, with smaller amounts of Cabernet Franc, Petit Verdot and Malbec.

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

OakPresent in 81% of Cabernet franc
EarthPresent in 78% of Cabernet franc
Black fruitPresent in 76% of Cabernet franc
Red fruitPresent in 69% of Cabernet franc
Non oakPresent in 65% of Cabernet franc
SpicesPresent in 63% of Cabernet franc
OakyPresent in 62% of Cabernet franc
LeatherPresent in 43% of Cabernet franc
MicrobioPresent in 41% of Cabernet franc
BlackberryPresent in 41% of Cabernet franc

VanillaPresent in 40% of Cabernet franc
CherryPresent in 39% of Cabernet franc
EarthyPresent in 36% of Cabernet franc
PlumPresent in 35% of Cabernet franc
TobaccoPresent in 34% of Cabernet franc
Dark fruitPresent in 27% of Cabernet franc
Red fruitPresent in 27% of Cabernet franc
Black currantPresent in 27% of Cabernet franc
PepperPresent in 26% of Cabernet franc
SmokePresent in 26% of Cabernet franc

News about the grape variety Cabernet franc

Walls: Counoise spreads its wings

It’s easy to forget that the southern Rhône’s four most prevalent red varieties aren’t indigenous. Grenache, Carignan and Mourvèdre all appear to originate from Spain; Syrah made its way down the river from the northern Rhône. Of the long tail of other grapes, most have their roots closer to home. Plantings have dwindled in recent years, but today local varieties are experiencing renewed interest. One that’s finding a lot of fans – both in the Rhône and further afield – is Counoise. Scroll down ...

Sauternes – shaken or stirred?

Sauternes is one of the world’s most respected fine wines. Old vintages can fetch high prices at auctions, and Château d’Yquem is the quintessential show-off bottle on Instagram. As people’s drinking habits change however and the appeal of sweeter wines lessens, the public is increasingly drifting away from Sauternes. ‘Over the last decade, we’ve seen consumption going down,’ confirmed Miguel Aguirre, vineyard manager of the historical Sauternes château, La Tour Blanche. ‘We produce more than we ...