Cabernet Franc: My Back Pocket Red for Every Occasion

A fresh, juicy wine that’s crowd-pleasing and food friendly

Uncomplicated joy. When I think of Cabernet Franc, that’s what comes to mind. These wines are light, fresh, vibrant — and affordable. They’re easy drinking “house party with your friends” and “relaxed evening at home” sort of wines. 

Case in point: This Sunday is the Super Bowl. I honestly have no idea who’s playing, but I do know that I’ll be sipping Cab Franc while we Zoom with friends and watch the game, snacking on nachos and buffalo wings.  

Cab Franc is so versatile that it has long been my go-to dinner party choice. Don’t know what your friend is serving? No problem. Pick up a bottle on the way, and you’re all set (Side note: I’m so excited for dinner parties to resume that I’m thinking ahead — I consider it self-care). And it has the cool factor of being a wine insiders’ pick — once restaurants reopen, you’ll see it on tons of by-the-glass lists. 

What to know

Cabernet Franc is a French grape with an interesting history. Along with Sauvignon Blanc, it’s the parent grape of the world’s most planted variety, Cabernet Sauvignon. In comparison to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cab Franc makes wines that tend to be lighter in color, body, and tannins, so they’re ready to enjoy right away. They’re fruity (crushed raspberries + boysenberries) with floral and herbal notes, and a silky texture similar to Pinot Noir. 

Cab Franc is widely planted in the Loire region, where you might see them labeled with the subregions Bourgueil, Chinon, and Saumur. This is where some of the world’s most notable Cab Francs are made. Perhaps the most coveted producer is Clos Rougeard. Sadly, after an eight-generation run, the Foucault family recently sold the estate, driving collector fever as fans try to snap up the remaining bottles, which sell for $300 to $600. 

Cab Franc is also important on the Right Bank of Bordeaux, where it blends with Merlot to make some of the world’s most coveted wines, like Chateau Cheval Blanc. Here’s a story about the legendary 1947 Cheval Blanc, considered one of the best wines of all time.

But interesting (and far more affordable) Cab Francs being made the world over, in places like Italy’s Tuscany, South Africa, and Argentina, and stateside in Virginia, New York, and California. The ones from cooler regions tend to have more herbal flavors and a lighter body; those from warmer areas are lush and silky, with a medium body.

And they really are food friendly thanks to a combination of juicy fruit, vibrant acidity, and low tannins, along with relatively low alcohol. This week, I sipped Cab Franc exclusively. It was great with Mandarin orange chicken and steamed broccoli. I loved it with a cheese and charcuterie board. And it was fantastic with pizza (yes, it’s been a junk food week — don’t judge). And tomorrow with seven-layer dip, nachos, and chicken wings? Bring it on. 

To find the best values available online right now, I tasted through several Cab Francs and picked my favorites.

Four to try

Bel Air “Jour de Soif” Bourgueil 2019 ($17)

This is my favorite of the four — and the cheapest! It’s from Domaine du Bel Air, an organic estate run by the Gauthier family in the Bourgueil region of the Loire for five generations. It’s the ultimate weeknight sipper — fresh-picked raspberries, violets, stony minerality, and silky texture, with a medium body. Completely crushable (I’m stocking up on for dinner parties down the line).

Chevalerie Peu Muleau Bourgueil ($23)

This biodynamic estate run by the Caslot family is a favorite estate of the sommelier Pascaline Lepeltier, who wrote a great article about it on Chambers Street Wines, where I found this bottle. Any vintage of these wines you can find are a treat. Tart red raspberries and cranberries dominate the nose, followed by mouthwatering acidity and flavors of Rainier cherries and wild herbs in this light-bodied wine. I found that I liked it even better after it was open for a day or two, so it’s a great pick if you’re just having one glass a day.

Inconnu “Lalalu” Cabernet Franc, 2019 ($25)

With Inconnu Wine, the Berkeley, California-based winemaker Laura Brennan Bissell is focused on simplicity, believing that less is more and honest wine speaks for itself. That sentiment comes through vividly in this Cabernet Franc, that’s all about crunchy red fruit, freshness, vibrancy, and tension. It’s organically farmed with low intervention techniques, including spontaneous fermentation and low sulfur. 

Lo-Fi “Clos Mullet” Cabernet Franc 2018 ($32)

This is a lush expression of Cabernet Franc that I love, coming from the low intervention Southern California winemakers, Lo-Fi Wines. This wine took me to summers in the Pacific Northwest, picking blackberries and making blackberry cobbler. Along with crushed berries, there are wild herb and eucalyptus aromas. If you’re looking for a wine to transport you to a lazy summer afternoon, this is it.