Some Thoughts on Bordeaux...

No.7 | Thinking Out Loud

Having just returned from four intense days of tastings in the Loire, I am simultaneously exhausted and rejuvenated. The Loire is the epicentre of single-varietal Cabernet Franc in France and the world. Tasting with vignerons there, seeing their passion for their star grape - it’s truly heart-warming and inspiring. A recap of my time there will come (hopefully) next week once I have a chance to review my notes, photos, and reflect on what I tasted and learned.

For now, I want to take a brief moment to talk about France’s other Cabernet Franc centre, Bordeaux, because over the last year or so in particular, my position on this region as it relates to Cabernet Franc has shifted ever so slightly.

From the calcaire plateau of St-Emilion looking south

Bordeaux is a powerhouse, and undoubtably France’s most famous wine-growing region. It is revered and emulated the world over for its wines, and is the standard other regions look to when working with its three principle grape varieties for reds, namely Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Cabernet Franc. While plantings of Cabernet Franc in the region are roughly around 14,000 hectares - nearly half of France’s total plantings, the other half being in the Loire, and about one third (!!) of the world’s plantings - this accounts for only 8.5% of the total area under vine in Bordeaux, and Cabernet Franc, generally speaking, plays a supporting role in the region’s red wines.

My objective when I launched this project was to speak about Cabernet Franc as a star variety, and to celebrate it for its accessibility and versatility. As far as I was concerned, that meant that Bordeaux was off the table.

But, last year, in the span of less than a month, I was involved in two events that helped shift my perspective on the behemoth that is Bordeaux.

Mid-May I led a Cabernet Franc-centric dinner in Mexico City for the local Commanderie de Bordeaux chapter. For this dinner, I curated a selection of Cabernet Franc-forward wines from across several Bordeaux appellations. In preparation for this event, I spent a lot of time researching the producers, and when possible speaking with them directly, so that I could better understand their unique relationship with Cabernet Franc. Much to my surprise, for many producers, while Cabernet Franc didn’t always dominate in their blends (simply by virtue of vintage variation), the assemblage was intended to highlight the characteristics of Cabernet Franc over those of its blending partners.

A few weeks later, I attended the Cabernet Franc Symposium hosted by Château Jean Faure in St-Emilion. The first of its kind, it brought together producers from Bordeaux and the Loire, along with key members of the press and industry, for a day-long celebration and exploration of the grape’s past, present and future in France and beyond. Seminars touched on everything from Cabernet Franc’s origins and ampelography, to plant material decisions in the vineyard, to the grape’s organoleptic profiles in the cellar. Panel discussions with some of the leading producers of the grape in both Bordeaux and the Loire featured rousing dialogue on topics like the future of the grape in France in light of climate change and shifting consumer perceptions. Tastings featured primarily single-varietal examples from Bordeaux, the Loire, and even beyond France’s borders. Suffice it to say, it was probably one of the highlights of my year to have been invited to attend such an event.

Naturally, if I was going to Bordeaux, I was going to make the most of my time, so I arranged some visits with a handful of producers that I felt were Cabernet Franc-forward in their DNA. A few producers were a little more illustrious, some more humble making only a few thousand cases of wine a year. Some make 100% Cabernet Franc, while others do not, but that does not make their story and work with Cabernet Franc any less important in the world of wine.

Beyond these experiences, there is much talk of vineyard plantings and climate change in Bordeaux. Many producers are planting or replanting with Cabernet Franc, on both the Left and Right Banks, in parcels that were once hallowed ground for Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot because of Cabernet Franc’s resilience and adaptability with the unpredictability of vintage conditions in recent years. In the extremely warm and humid 2023 vintage, Bordeaux producers suffered catastrophic losses of Merlot because of mildew and fungal diseases; and Cabernet Franc, when faced with the same pressures, came away nearly unscathed.

Now, it is certainly worth noting, as with anything in the wine world, that change does not happen overnight. Given how low plantings are, Cabernet Franc remains a grape for the “elite,” and we won’t be seeing 100% Cabernet Franc Bordeaux Supérieur gracing grocery store shelves anytime soon (if ever!). But there are changes afoot in the region, and stories worth telling.

All of this is to say, you can expect to see more Bordeaux content on Cab Franc Chronicles in the future. It will still be a minor focus compared to the Loire, and I intend to be quite selective about wines I feature and estates I talk about. Boutique vigneron to grand château, I look forward to sharing with you from a Cabernet Franc-centric lens, the interesting stories and off-the-beaten path wines that hail from this important region.

Have a favourite single-varietal or Cabernet Franc-forward wine from Bordeaux? Let me know what it is in the comments!

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From the Archives!

My first “official” Bordeaux post featured the Le Dôme 2009 St-Emilion Grand Cru. There is much more to this wine than meets the eye, but it was the 80% Cabernet Franc in the blend that initially caught my attention. Check out the video on YouTube!