Wines made from Cabernet franc grapes of Central Otago
Discover the best wines made with Cabernet franc as a single variety or as a blend of Central Otago.
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.
The wine region of Central Otago is located in the region of South Island of New Zealand. Wineries and vineyards like the Domaine Amisfield or the Domaine Felton Road produce mainly wines red and white. The most planted grape varieties in the region of Central Otago are Pinot noir et Pinot gris, they are then used in wines in blends or as a single variety. On the nose of Central Otago often reveals types of flavors of cherry, perfume or pomegranate and sometimes also flavors of savory, sage or cedar.
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