Grown mainly for Bordeaux-style blends with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, adding acidity and aroma as a minor (10%-15%) component, Cabernet Franc seems to have originated in Bordeaux, spread from there to the Loire and beyond to the Midi and Basses Pyrenees, where it is blended with Carignan and Tannat.
Recent DNA investigations reveal Cabernet Sauvignon is a cross between Cabernet Franc and Sauvignon Blanc, so it's a case, in those Bordeaux blends of the child dominating the father. On that basis it should come as no surprise to learn that Cabernet Franc is similar to Cabernet Sauvignon, but ripens earlier, making the vine suited cooler climates than Cabernet Sauvignon.
In Bordeaux, plantings of are treated as an insurance policy against bad weather around harvest that may damage Cabernet Sauvignon. Wines made from Cabernet Franc tend to be lighter in colour, softer and fruitier with lower acid and tannin and a smoother mouth-feel, elements which make the variety ideal for blending.
In Italy most plantings are in the north-east, and the variety is grown as far south as Apulia. Tuscan growers like the balance and elegance it brings to super Tuscan blends and may be blended with Sangiovese in Chianti. Outside France and Italy, there are plantings in Catalonia, Hungary, Slovenia and Kosovo.
Away from Europe, Cabernet Franc can be found in South Africa, Australia, Chile, Argentina, Canada and the United States. In New Zealand, the climate brings Franc-like flavours to Cabernet Sauvignon so plantings of Cabernet Franc remain limited.
Thin-skinned and early ripening, the variety thrives in chalky clay soils. The vine is vigorous and upright, with bunches of blue-black berries with low acidity that produce aromatic, spicy, earthy wines with acid, tannin and varietal character that can add finesse and a peppery nose to blends. Its primary contributions to a blend are alcohol, flavour components and elegance.
Cabernet Franc tends to have a pronounced aroma with notes of raspberries, black currants, violets and graphite. It often has green, vegetal notes ranging from leaves to green capsicum. Over-cropping and underexposure accentuate the green flavour elements.
Cabernet Franc arrived in Australia in James Busby’s collection of vines in 1832. Unsuitability for fortifieds or heavy reds, it was neglected until recently, but the variety has now been planted in a number of regions, including McLaren Vale and the Clare Valley in South Australia and North-eastern Victoria.