The house grapes · red
Cabernet Franc: the grape that gave us Cabernet and Merlot
Cabernet Franc makes a lighter, more perfumed red than its famous daughter, Cabernet Sauvignon: less color, less weight, more aroma. In the glass, it brings to mind raspberry, violet and a green touch of bell pepper. For a long time it played a supporting role; today plenty of people consider it the most charming of the family.
Where it comes from
VIVC, the international catalog of grape varieties, records France as its country of origin. It's traditional in Bordeaux and, even more so, in the Loire Valley, where it makes reds such as Chinon and Saumur-Champigny.
It ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. That's why, according to Argentina's wine institute, it ripens well even in cool climates.
What it's like in the glass
Compared with Cabernet Sauvignon, it has less body, less color and less acidity, but it's more perfumed. Body is the weight of the wine in your mouth; acidity is what makes your mouth water. The tannin, that dry-mouth feeling of black tea, is there, but it tends to be more delicate.
The aroma is red fruit, like raspberry, with violet flowers. And there's the green touch of bell pepper, which comes from a natural substance in the grape, pyrazine. A little adds charm; a lot becomes a matter of taste. Some people love exactly that.
What it pairs with
Since it's lighter, it goes well with medium-flavored food and with anything that has herbs and bell pepper. You can serve it a little cooler than full-bodied reds, which helps in the Brazilian heat. A few ideas:
- Roast chicken with rosemary, or galinhada (Brazilian chicken and rice)
- Grilled linguiça sausage and roast pork leg
- Calabresa sausage pizza with bell pepper
- Eggplant parmesan and vegetable lasagna
- Charcuterie board with salami and semi-cured cheese
- Feijão tropeiro (beans with bacon, sausage and cassava flour)
Red meat? It works too, especially with a fuller-bodied Cabernet Franc. Your taste decides.
Where it shines today
In France, there were 33,000 hectares in 2015, according to the OIV. In the Loire, it's the star of Chinon, which presents itself as the region's main red wine appellation, and of Saumur-Champigny. In Bordeaux, it's only 9.5% of the red grapes, but it has a luxury showcase: at Château Cheval Blanc, in Saint-Émilion, 55% of the vineyard is Cabernet Franc. In the house's four countries:
- Argentina: it's the recent phenomenon. As of 1990, the country had 76 hectares of it; in 2024, there were 1,937, with 82% in Mendoza. Much of it is in the Uco Valley, close to the Andes.
- Brazil: it's one of the traditional vinifera grapes of Rio Grande do Sul. Embrapa recorded 308 hectares in 1996, a peak of 414 in 2004 and a decline in the following years. In the Vale dos Vinhedos Denomination of Origin (DO), it only goes into blends, alongside Merlot.
- Chile: it plays a supporting role. On the house's list of a thousand labels, the Chilean wines with Cabernet Franc are all blends.
- Portugal: it didn't make the house list. Among the 250 most-reviewed Portuguese wines, none has Cabernet Franc.
Its other names
It collects nicknames: VIVC lists 106. In the Loire, it's called Breton. Other recorded names are Bouchet, Bouchy, Acheria and Morenoa.
VIVC also records Bordo among its synonyms. But careful: in Brazil, Bordô is a different grape, also called Folha de Figo, and the statistics count it separately.
Its whole family
Cabernet Franc is the root of the family. With Sauvignon Blanc, it gave rise to Cabernet Sauvignon, as UC Davis showed in 1997. With Magdeleine Noire des Charentes, it gave rise to Merlot, according to a 2009 French study. The same study proposes that it's also one of the parents of Carménère, so widely planted in Chile.
In other words: when you drink a Bordeaux blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc, you're drinking the whole family together in the same glass: Cabernet Franc and two of its daughters.
To start with: Cabernet Franc by price range
The price range the house saw at big stores in Brazil, in the month shown. The price changes; the range tends to stay.
- Almavivaover R$ 300checked Sep 2026
Throwing a party? How many bottles to buy →
Top rated with Cabernet Franc
Average rating from the people who drank it (X-Wines), from 1 to 5. Tap to see the wine's page.
- Catena Zapata Estiba Reservadarating ★ 4.8
- El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Gualtallary Cabernet Francrating ★ 4.7
- Almavivarating ★ 4.7
- El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Agrelo Cabernet Francrating ★ 4.7
- Viña Vik Winery VIKrating ★ 4.6
- El Principal Andetelmorating ★ 4.6
- Viña Vik Winery La Piu Bellerating ★ 4.6
- El Enemigo Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Chacayes Cabernet Francrating ★ 4.6
See all 94 labels with Cabernet Franc in the search →