Cabernet Franc
Also known as Bouchet, Breton
Probably Bordeaux / Loire Valley, France
An aromatic, herbaceous red grape long grown in the Loire and Bordeaux, valued both as a blending component and, in the Loire, as a light, perfumed single-varietal wine.
Sensory profile
Characteristics
Flavor & aroma
At a glance
Production facts
Prevalence
Widely planted
Climate
Cool climate
Ripening
Mid season
Wine styles
Still
Where it's grown
Geography
Shaded areas are the state, province or département(s) containing each region, so they run wider than the appellations themselves.
France
France
Bordeaux
A blending partner with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, prized for aromatic lift and freshness.
Italy
Friuli-Venezia Giulia
Grown as a varietal wine with a distinct green, herbaceous character.
Italy
Bolgheri (Tuscany)
A blending partner in Bolgheri, and the main grape of Le Macchiole's Paleo.
Background
Origin & History
Cabernet Franc is thought to come from the Basque Country: DNA profiling has found parent-offspring links with two old Basque varieties, Hondarribi Beltza and Morenoa, though which way each link runs is not settled. It is believed to have been established in Bordeaux's Libournais by the 17th century, although the first firm Bordeaux records date only from the late 18th, and in the Loire the name Breton recalls the legend that Cardinal Richelieu sent Abbé Breton to plant it at Bourgueil. Its ability to ripen reliably in cooler, damper sites than its more demanding descendant gave it early importance in the Loire Valley, where it remains the backbone of Chinon and Bourgueil.
Its most significant legacy came from DNA analysis published in 1997, which revealed Cabernet Franc, not some grander variety, as one of the two parents (with Sauvignon Blanc) of Cabernet Sauvignon. Later work showed it is also a parent of Merlot (with Magdeleine Noire des Charentes) and of Carménère (with Gros Cabernet) — so this lighter, more herbaceous grape sits behind three of Bordeaux's best-known reds.
Lineage
Family tree
Parentage not recorded — Cabernet Franc is an old variety of unknown origin. Click a related grape to explore its own lineage.