Introduction
Cabernet Franc has found a home here at Chateau Niagara becoming known as the “King”. It is uniquely suited to our climate. Much like many of the wineries of the Finger Lakes showcase multiple wine styles made from their signature grape, Riesling, We make five different wines from Cabernet Franc. Let’s explore this signature grape’s history, flavors, winemaking, foods and our approach to this regal grape.
The History and Origins of Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc is an old French grape originating somewhere in the southwest of France. The infamous Cardinal Richlieu brought the vines to the Loire valley where they flourished, finding a near perfect climate for them there. In the Loire valley region, particularly Chinon,it is world renowned for Cabernet Franc varietal wines, and is indeed one of the few places where it is known as a varietal. It is most often known as a blending grape, being a major player in the classic Bordeaux blend.
Cabernet Franc is known to be one of the parents of Cabernet Sauvignon, when it was crossed with Sauvignon Blanc. However, did you know that is also one of the parents of Merlot? Perhaps this is why the classic Bordeaux is primarily made from these three grapes, it’s a family affair!
Cabernet Franc has found a home in New York state, where the climate is well suited to the grape. The various growing regions within the state showcase just how sensitive the flavors of Cabernet Franc can be to ripening. In the cooler regions the wines show the oft-mentioned, slightly under-ripe herbaceous note of “Bell pepper”. In the warmer regions it is more ripe but showing lower acids and therefore less fruitful flavors. Out on the west coast, the much warmer climate reduces these acids, and associated flavors even further. Here in Niagara we find just the right combination of growing conditions to fully ripen, but not over-ripen the grape.
Understanding the Flavor Profile of Cabernet Franc
In these near perfect conditions you see flavors of bright to dark red cherry as the dominant note, followed by plum, cassis, tobacco, leather and sometimes caramel. These are all highly dependent on the stylistic choices of the winemaker. The grape can express so many different characteristics that it is a winemaker’s dream grape here. If picked early, and pressed early it makes a very bright and flavorful rose, with very light cherry and strawberry notes, and indeed is perfect with a fresh strawberry or raspberry. If picked late, the flavors can go to very dark fruit and express notes of tobacco and leather.
Chateau Niagara’s Approach to Crafting Premium Cabernet Franc
Cabernet Franc does not respond well to over-cropping or having shaded fruit. At Chateau Niagara we limit the crop to that which we can just properly ripen. In the vineyard shoot positioning and leaf plucking is performed early on our vines. Our rows are oriented north-south and we leaf pluck on both sides of the row to fully expose the fruit. No herbicides are allowed on the property.
In the winery, grapes are crushed and if we are making rose, they are allowed a scant 4 hour skin contact, pulling just a beautiful pink to watermelon color depending on vintage. Roses are then aged in stainless steel. A fascinating wine that we have developed is the Precoce. This is a Nouveau style wine made with some very different winemaking processes. The crushed grapes are put in a tank with pitched yeast and sealed with a breather to allow escape of CO2. However, unlike in another wine processes, an oilless air compressor is hooke up and air is pumped into the tank. This oxygen rich air latches onto the color in the skin and fixes it very early in the process. Also the oxygen causes the yeast to bloom and the fruits become very expressive.The wine is then pressed off early, well before fermentation is complete to limit alcohol extraction of the skins. The result is very fruity, dark wine without significant tannins.This makes a very fun and easy drinking, quaffable wine.
For the big Cabernet Francs that we are well known for, classic techniques are used that utilize extended maceration and hot ferments to extract as much color and tannins as possible. They are then barrel aged in neutral barrels to maximize the fruit character. We also make a reserve from the press fraction of the wine that is two-year barrel aged before bottling.
Finally making a Cabernet Franc Appassimento. This classic Italian style is finding favor in the cool climate region of Ontario, Canada, just across the river from us. A portion of the grapes are partially dried removing about 40% of the moisture. The grapes are not dried to raisins, but to a slightly more shriveled appearance than fully dried. The result is re-integrated with the wine and the effects are stunning. Deep jamminess, dried fruit, leather, caramel and rich tobacco notes evolve.
Conclusion
In the recent International Cabernet Franc Competition for 2025 held in California, we were awarded a double gold and Best of Show by the peoples judges for the 2022 Cabernet Franc Reserve. We were also awarded a gold and Best of Show by the professional judges for the 2023 Cabernet Franc Appassimento in the specialty wine class. These are both great examples of this variety to try. Why not visit the winery and try some or buy online at our wine shop?
