Wines made from Cabernet franc grapes of Cabardès
Discover the best wines made with Cabernet franc as a single variety or as a blend of Cabardès.
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.
Cabardes is a relatively small appellation for red and rosé wines produced in the hills just North of Carcassonne in Southern France. The appellation was introduced in 1999, to represent and ensure the quality of the wines, which have been produced here since Roman times. The Languedoc-Roussillon/cabards">Cabardès catchment area, situated in the foothills of the Montagne Noire, is on the border between the Languedoc-Roussillon and the South West of France. This dual identity is reflected in the Grape varieties that make up the wines of the appellation: Grenache and Syrah from the south and east of France; Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot from the southwest and Bordeaux.
Last chance: You can still buy tickets to watch this Château Angélus virtual masterclass and taste the wines, via the Decanter at Home series – book here Guiding us through this tasting was estate co-owner and CEO Stéphanie de Boüard-Rivoal, the eighth generation of the de Boüard family at Angélus. After a first career in London in the financial industry, de Boüard came back to St-Emilion, and the estate where she grew up, in 2012, and told us, ‘it is now my turn to write a new chapter in ...
I first contributed to Decanter back in November 1988; the hundreds of columns and articles I’ve written since constitute a journey of discovery. I squirm, though, if I’m described as a ‘wine expert’. Whatever wine knowledge we acquire quickly cools, congeals and crusts over, like custard or gravy, as the years pass. The wine world expands at a clip. Every vintage rewrites history. It’s the chance to share discoveries – not just about wines, but about people, places and the act of drinking itsel ...
Growers in the village of Melambes in Crete saw devastating wildfires cause ‘complete damage to 300 acres (121.4 hectares) of old pre-phylloxera vines’ in July, according to an online crowdfunding page created to support viticulture in the area and help those affected. Although fire burned 90% of the vineyard, it’s hoped some damaged vines can be rescued, said winemaker Iliana Malihin, of her namesake winery and who has spearheaded a community project to revive the site in recent years. Ye ...