red grape

Cabernet Franc

Ancient variety; a parent of both Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot

Buds and ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon with thinner skins; tolerates cooler soils, which is why it thrives on Right Bank limestone and clay (Saint-Émilion) and serves as aromatic insurance in Left Bank blends.

Structure tendencies

body
medium
tannin
medium — finer-boned than Cabernet Sauvignon
acidity
medium-plus
alcohol
medium

tendencies in prose, as read by critics/consensus — not measured ordinals

Classic descriptors

Brings perfume (violet), red fruit, and a savoury leafy edge (pyrazines) to blends; in Saint-Émilion it adds lift and structure alongside Merlot.

In your cellar, from

In your cellar · 9

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