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“It's Like Fire and Ice, Basically. I Feel My Role in the Band is to Be Somewhere
in the Middle of That, Kind of Like Lukewarm Water.”
Note: This week’s Forgotten Grape page is dedicated to my good friend and wine connoisseur Bryan Stroh, who absolutely LOVES drinking Cabernet Franc all by itself. And this week, yes Bryan, you do need to drink Cab Franc all by itself.
The title quote this week comes from one of the greatest fictional bassists of all time, Derek Smalls of Spinal Tap, and it nicely sums up the role that both bassists play in most rock bands and that Cabernet Franc (cab-ur-NAY FRAHNK, or as its friends call it, Cab Franc) plays in traditional Bordeaux blends. Most bassists are included in the band simply to hold the line, to keep the song going and provide a constant rhythm and beat while the lead singer wails, prances, and entertains the crowd, the lead guitarist shreds and breaks off on his own riffs, and the drummer bangs away in his own little world, partially obscured to the rest of the audience (and if you don’t think there’s a correlation between drummers being partially obscured on the stage, being in their own world, and several of the most famous drummers of the 1960’s and 1970’s dying prematurely from drug overdoses, then you just don’t know rock n’ roll, my friend...but that’s a conversation for another time). Bassists are the benchmark, the constant, the metronome that keeps things ticking while melodic chaos ensues all around.
Likewise, Cab Franc is blended into clarets and Bordeaux blends for precisely the same reasons: because it provides a stiff, dry backbone that keeps these famous wines upright and prevents them from getting too fruity (from the Merlot and Malbec) or too tannic (from the Cabernet Sauvignon or Merlot). In this case, Cab Franc is like the traffic cop or the disciplinarian – keeping order and everything else in line to ensure that the wine remains in its drinkable sweet spot. It’s what makes the wine wine.
But, while most bassists enjoy a state of relative anonymity for most of their careers (honestly, show of hands out there from those of you who could tell me what band Ross Valory played bass for, or who knew who Michael Anthony was before he broke out the Jack Daniels bass for the first time), there are those bassists that stand out, those that get noticed and actually lead the band either through their charm, their charisma, or their singing or songwriting prowess. You can see some of those men on the front page and up above – punk/indie god Mike Watt, Sting, Gene Simmons, Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Paul McCartney, Geddy Lee of Rush, Primus’ Les Claypool, Bootsy Collins...these are the bassists who redefine the instrument and role of the bass player itself, men who can keep the beat but lead at the same time. They are unafraid to step out from the darkest trenches of the stage and introduce themselves to the audience. They are the bassists not afraid to go solo.
And so there exists Cabernet Francs that can do the same, Cab Francs that can stand on their own in 100% varietal wines and be enjoyed and enjoyable all on their own. These wines can be dry, sharp, and short, and may be an acquired taste for some – much like Primus’ music, Gene Simmons’ theatrics, or the two-string lead slide bass of Morphine’s dearly departed Mark Sandman (we miss you, Mark!) – but even if you don’t appreciate what they have to offer, you have to appreciate that they do clearly make a statement and cater to a specific set of individuals out there. There’s no doubt that Cab Franc belongs in that solo realm, even if you don’t want to drink it. And, as it were, no other realm is more synonymous with 100% varietal Cabernet Franc than France’s Loire valley.
Now we broke down the Loire a bit on our Chenin Blanc page and will break it down even further when we highlight Forgotten Grape Melon de Bourgogne early next year, but suffice to say, along the western-flowing portion of the Loire, from the town of Orleans to the seaside city of Nantes, Cabernet Franc is the dominant red varietal of the region, used in 10% varietal wines that bear the appellation names of Anjou, Chinon, Vouvray, and Bourgueil. Despite the preponderance of Cab Franc in the Bordeaux region, the Loire is where Cab Franc was born, and recent DNA tests of Cab Franc grapes have proven that it is in fact the genetic parent (along with Sauvignon Blanc) to Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet another case where the son has exceeded the father in talent, fame, and success.
All this being said, Cab Franc is an incredibly ubiquitous grape, grown on almost every continent around the world. And more and more, you will find it stepping out from its dutiful assigned role in blends and grasping the spotlight to itself. It still doesn’t have the same cache or level of fame among the general public as lead singers and guitarists like Cab Sauv or Merlot (and even the drummers Carmenere and Malbec are catching up fast – like the Dave Grohls of wine that they are), but for real connoisseurs and those that appreciate how numerous disparate parts can come together to form one solid, melodic, harmonious song or wine, Cab Franc is a cult classic. Isn’t it about time you
tried it out for yourself or gave it another chance?
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What It Looks Like, What It Smells Like, and What It Tastes Like
Cabernet Franc looks like:
Cabernet Franc smells like:
Cabernet Franc tastes like:
Now here is where we get into the love it/hate it division of Cab Franc, as well as carry on the old world/new world division. Old world Cab Francs (from France and Italy) will have strong, pungent, almost vegetal aromas on the wine – scents of green olives, leather, tobacco, bell pepper, and grape stems. New world Cab Francs, though, tend to bring more fruit and floral scents to their bouquets – raspberries, strawberries, cherries, and violets. Two contrasting styles, and again, two very different acquired tastes, each with its own proponents and opponents.
Again, there is a distinct difference between the old world Cab Francs of the Loire, France, and Italy and the new world styles of the U.S., Australia, and abroad. Typically, old world Cab Francs will be very dry and very short wines. You may get an initial burst of some fruit right on the tip of the tongue – cherry, strawberry, or raspberry – but that will fade quickly into a mellow, almost salty dryness, akin to an olive brine (note: this is not a bad thing, just an acquired taste, like how some people prefer martinis to Manhattans). New world wines may also possess some dryness as well, but will typically be more redolent of bigger fruit flavors, although those flavors are often heavier and darker than in the old world vintages. These wines also might have more length on their back ends.
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• Despite its birthplace in the Loire and that region’s history of producing 100% varietal Cab Franc wines, Bordeaux is still the one region in France that grows more Cabernet Franc than any other. Nearly half of all of France’s nearly 90,000 acres of Cabernet Franc is grown in Bordeaux (primarily in the right bank appellation of Pomerol, St.-Emilion, and Fronsac) and through the late 1960’s, roughly equal amounts of Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc were grown in the region. However, even with the explosion of Cabernet Sauvignon over the last 30 years, Bordeaux winemakers are not giving up on Cab Franc in favor of the more popular grape. Cab Franc acreage has continued to rise over that period, from around 25,000 acres in the late 1960’s to 35,000 acres by the turn of the century.
• As you may or may not know, the Bordeaux wine region is divided into two major sections: the wine appellations on the “left bank” (lying close to the mouth of the Gironde river, on the western shores of the river), and those on the “right bank” (further southeast along the northern slopes of the Dordogne river). Left bank/right bank dissension has long been part of the history of Bordeaux, ever since the Classification of 1855, when only left bank chateaux were included in the classification process. It wasn’t until one hundred years later in 1955 that the a group of right bank chateaux in the Saint-Emilion appellation finally organized themselves into their own classification of growths. But only themselves – neighboring Pomerol was left completely out. The differences between left bank wines and right bank wines, though, lies deeper than just who classified who and when. Left bank wines, because of their stonier soil, generally favor Cabernet Sauvignon in their blends, with Merlot added as a secondary grape. Right bank wines, on the other hand, have more clay soil that favors Merlot, so Merlot is the primary grape with Cabernet Franc as the secondary grape. Interestingly, both of the two Premier Grands Cru Classe A (a.k.a. the top of the line) classified wines in Saint-Emilion, Chateau Ausone and Chateau Cheval Blanc, use Cabernet Franc for at least half of their blends – 50% for Ausone and 57% for Cheval Blanc. The rest of those wines are Merlot with small amounts of Malbec and Cab Sauvignon blended in as well.
• Lest you think Cab Franc is a France-only varietal, BZZZZZZZZZZ! Wrong, buddy. Cab Franc is one of the most ubiquitous grapes and is grown all over the world. Here in the United States, you not only find Cabernet Franc in the traditional California regions of Sonoma, Napa, and the Central Coast, but because of its early budding and ripening properties and its ability to thrive in many different kinds of soils, it’s become a popular wine crop in colder wine regions such as Washington state, Virginia, New York’s Long Island and Finger Lakes regions, Michigan, and especially in Canada, where Cab Franc grown in Ontario’s Niagara Peninsula and in British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley are
often pressed into ice wines. Cabernet Franc wines are also produced in disparate
regions such as China and Kazakhstan, and small amounts are grown in Australia,
New Zealand, South Africa, and Chile as blending wines.
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Fun Facts to Impress/Bore People At Parties
From Brein’s Brain to Your Plate
“Cab Franc, eh? Well some people love it and some people hate it. I personally love it. I pour a Cab Franc at my restaurant and I find that really good ones tend to pair nicely with a lot of different things, because of their dryness and lower tannins. But for most people, they hear Cab Franc and they think of that dry, olive, stemmy, vegetable scent on the wine, so that’s a great pairing with a Cab Franc – marinated olives and other vegetables. Slice up some carrots, pepper strips, jicama, and some good, large green Kalamata olives and let them sit overnight in some vinegar and spices. Then just serve it like crudités with a Cab Franc. The dryness of the wine will contrast nicely with the sourness of the vinegar, and the aroma from the wine will also match nicely with those veggies.”
“For me, a good Cab Franc cries out for chicken, because it’s not too big as to overpower the wine, but not so salty as it’s going to take away from the wine either. So I’ve got two different chicken dishes you can try with your Cab Franc. Only, well I’ve got one and my wife Rory has one. She used this one for her catering company The Chef’s Wife Catering and people really seemed to like it. It’s a variation on a traditional Marseillaise dish. So what you want to do is first fry up some bacon or lardons, then brown a whole batch of chicken thighs in the bacon fat. Move the chicken and bacon to a big earthenware pot, then add in some tomatoes, onions, garlic, oranges, and olives. Lots of disparate flavors there, right? Anyway, you then just slow-cook that for 3 or 4 hours, letting all the flavors meld and those chicken thighs get super, super tender, and then serve. That will really be awesome with a Cab Franc. And it’s French, so it totally works.”
“Okay, so the other chicken dish is a really simple one: roasted lemon dill chicken. Rub the inside and outside of a whole chicken with lemon dill butter and then put it on a spit and roast it. It’s going to go really nicely with a Cab Franc, as the tartness of the lemon and the earthiness of the dill will balance out the dryness of the wine. You probably won’t even notice the shortness of the wine, either, because of all the exquisite flavors going on there.”
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Chef Brein Clements is the chef/owner of Restaurant Omakase in Riverside, CA, which
is quickly becoming SoCal’s answer to El Bulli. Minus the molecular gastronomy. He
began his cooking career at Domaine Chandon in the Napa Valley and moved on to become
Chef de Cuisine at the famed Balboa Bay Club before opening his own restaurant. Plus
he’s only 28. My man knows his wine and he knows his food. Each week he’ll provide
ingredient and dish recommendations that match up well with the week’s forgotten
grape. You should heed what he says. No, seriously, heed it.
2004 Lakeshore Winery Finger Lakes Cabernet Franc
In anticipation of our upcoming “United Grapes of America” feature (coming in October),
we thought we’d try out a Cabernet Franc from one of the other wine regions here
in the U.S. Lakeshore Winery is located along the shore of Lake Cayuga in New York’s
Finger Lakes region, and co-owner Annie Bachman just happens to be a fellow Tiger
like Chris (a locomotive to Annie for helping us out!). And the Lakeshore Cab Franc
is a perfect example of how different Cab Francs can taste depending on the location
they come from. This Cab Franc had an exceptionally complex nose with sour cherry,
fresh tomato and tomato greens bursting from the glass. Flavorwise it elicited many
different responses from our tasting panel. It is a very, very dry wine that some
felt tasted like Cherry fun dip or red or purple sour Pixie sticks, while others
got more of an unsweetened grape flavor to it, like purple Kool-Aid powder before
you add the sugar to it. It wasn’t a long wine, but it was tart, dry, and refreshing,
with some strong dry fruit flavors. It’s a wine that benefits from having a slight
chill on it, and actually improved the longer it was open and oxygenated, especially
after being the refrigerator overnight. You can pick up a bottle of this true American
beauty directly from the Lakeshore Winery and help them support the tradition of
American winemaking while pushing your own boundaries by trying a wine from a fairly
uncommon wine region right in your own backyard.
2006 Cass Winery Paso Robles Cabernet Franc
Our good Friends Lisa, Bryan, and Lood are at it again up at the Cass Winery in Paso
Robles. Their 2006 Cab Franc is a prime example of a new world style of Cab Franc.
A super darky, inky plum-colored wine opened up in to sweet, jammy raspberry aromas
cut with a fair amount of green pepper. The nose was rather Zinfandel or Syrah-like,
and also exceptionally fragrant, almost perfumy at times. On the palate, the wine
started off rather soft, with raspberry cream flavors, before getting bigger and
bigger on the tongue and finishing with a distinct alcohol burn (14.8% ABV is lofty
for a Cab Franc). This wine had the typical dryness of a Cab Franc but with darker
fruit flavors thrown in; not nearly as salty as the old world wine we tried (see
below) and not nearly as short, with a long, dark finish. You can buy this directly
from the Cass Winery and see what a new world Cab Franc is all about. By the way,
Lisa and her husband Ted will be pouring their wines at The Wine Lab in Newport Beach,
California this Friday, October 2nd. The Wine Lab also just happens to be where we’ll
be hosting our next Forgotten Grapes wine tasting on Wednesday, October 14th. Suffice
to say, we’re going to at The Wine Lab on both the 2nd and the 14th, and we hope
to see you there too. Slap us five when you see us there and introduce yourself;
we’ll sip a glass of Cass together.
Our Friend of the Forgotten Grapes Tasting Squadron tastes all of the wines you see
here ahead of time to ensure that you aren’t getting anything rotten or clunky. We
also try to ensure that most of the wines highlighted here are affordably priced
($20 or less) so you can try them out for yourself without having to take out a second
mortgage or sacrificing your kid (or future kid’s) college fund to do so. Lastly,
the Friends of the Forgotten Grapes has relationships with all the fine wine purveyors
we link to in this section. We know them, we trust them. You can order these wines
from them online right now and be trying them out in the next couple of days. Do
yourself a favor and order from them by using the links below. It’s totally worth
it. And tell them that ForgottenGrapes.com sent you, too.
Typically a Cab Franc will have a deep garnet color and some translucence to it, where you can kind of see some light through it and it’s not as inky dark as Merlots, Cabernet Sauvignons, Malbecs, or other noble grapes from Bordeaux. However, with some of the more new-world versions of Cab Franc, the winemakers will macerate the grapes a bit longer and allow for more of those tannins to seep into the juice, creating a deeper, darker, black cherry or plum colored wine closer to its Bordeaux brethren. It’s going to be up to you to decide which wine you are drinking, but you should be able to tell by the color. And the label. Duh.
2008 Domaine de la Semellerie Chinon
Since we tried the best that America has to offer, we figured we needed to try a
French Cab Franc just for comparison’s sake. So we picked up this young but intriguing
Chinon at our new favorite wine superstore Total Wine & More and decided to try it
out. It had a lovely dark garnet color to it, and the nose just kept evolving and
evolving: first it was orange blintzes with rum, orange, and cheese; then it was
dirtier scents like cigar tobacco, newsprint, and ground-up vines before it settled
into the classic Cab Franc vegetal/stemmy bouquet. In the mouth it started off with
a burst of strawberries before turning immediately into olives and olive brine. Very
salty as it lingered on the palate. The fruit notes, however, were brighter than
expected, and the wine was not as dry as other Cab Francs. Plus it had some length
to it as well – not much, but some. We picked ours up at Total Wine & More in Rancho
Cucamonga. Consult the Total Wine nearest you (or search on their online provider
WineAccess.com) for this one and try it yourself.
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Go On. Try It. You’ll Like It. 
