Kreis, 2020 Rou-Rou-Rouge Cabernet Franc
I have discovered over the years that when a person chooses to grow and/or work with Cabernet Franc in regions where it is not necessarily the obvious choice, it is often because of a deep love of the Cabernet Franc expressions from the classic appellations in the Loire Valley. This is very much the case with the Kreis family based in Stuttgart in southern Germany. Bernd Kreis launched his import company Weinhandlung Kreis in 1996, and today counts among its Loire Cabernet Franc producers some of the most elite in the respective appellations, including Clos Rougeard, Domaine des Roches Neuves and Domaine des Closiers in Saumur-Champigny, Domaine du Bel Air in Bourgueil and Philippe Alliet in Chinon. And in 1998, he planted a tiny parcel of 0.13 hectares of Cabernet Franc vines near the hamlet of Haigst southwest of Stuttgart with the plans to make a wine inspired by some of his favourites from the Loire.
Located in the region of Württemberg, the city of Stuttgart is perhaps best known for being the "cradle of the automobile," and is the home of the global headquarters of both Mercedes-Benz and Porsche. But long before there were cars and the autobahn, Württemberg was known for its hilly, rural agricultural landscape and a rich history of viticulture that dates back to the Middle Ages. The vineyard landscape is defined by the Neckar River and its tributaries, which weave their way across the region cutting across the landscape creating steep slopes ideal for the cultivation of grape vines. Bound to the west by the Black Forest and to the southeast Swabian Jura mountains, the region is protected from cold winds and excessive rain making it warmer and drier than other German wine regions, and while we are situated at a latitude similar to that of the Aube in southern Champagne, Württemberg is Germany's premier red wine growing region, with 70% of the vineyards planted with red wine varieties.
The most red planted variety is Trollinger, followed by Lemberger, Schwarzriesling (Pinot Meunier) and Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir). At what is likely the northerly limit where most red varieties are successful, Cabernet Franc is not the obvious choice of varieties to plant in Württenberg. But as regions like the Burgenland in Austria and Szekszárd in Hungary have demonstrated, Cabernet Franc is planted and successfully cultivated in these region alongside Lemberger, which goes by the name Blaufränkisch in Austria and Kékfrankos in Hungary. Moreover, with the warming climate, Cabernet Franc has a fighting chance to successfully ripen on well-chosen sites in Württemberg.
The Kreis family's parcel of Cabernet Franc is located in the the southern part of Württemberg in the sub-region of Remstal & Stuttgart. The vines are planted at an elevation of around 360 to 390m above sea level, on a very steep - around a 35° - slope with a south-southwest orientation, giving the vines the benefit of the warmer and stronger afternoon sunshine. The vineyard is also terraced, reinforced by sandstone walls, and the stone walls absorb the heat during the daytime and radiate that heat back to the vines at night giving them added warmth to aid ripening. Finally the soils are on the warmer side, and are comprised of a shallow red marl topsoil of about 30 to 50cm with a clayey texture, which is beneficial for water retention, and this is followed by a red sandstone bedrock. While I haven't visited the parcel, all things considered, this would appear to be warmer and sunnier site, which could be a good one for Cabernet Franc.
The first vines were planted in 1998, and at the time, Cabernet Franc was not an authorized variety in Germany, but when you're committed to Cabernet Franc you are committed to Cabernet Franc! The regulations required that they would've had to plant half the block with an "experimental" variety and half with one that was authorized, but because of how small the parcel was, in a cheeky move by the family, they planted the block all with Cabernet Franc, but registered the vineyard as Merlot in the beginning. Thankfully for a Cab Franc monomaniac like me, the variety is now authorized in Germany, and we are starting to see a few more examples of single-varietal Cabernet Franc emerge from the region, in addition to this example from the Kreis family.
Thanks in part to the world-shrinking power of social media, I had the opportunity to get my hands on a bottle of the Kreis 2020 Rou-Rou-Rouge Cabernet Franc when I met Bernd and his son Kilian Kreis earlier this year in the Loire Valley. Vinified 100% whole cluster in 500L older oak barrels, the wine presented in a beautiful, savoury cool-climate way with notes of perfectly ripe red fruits and black currant, coupled with mint and bramble, and piquant spiciness, which I loved. A vibrant backbone of acidity was perfectly in balance with the fruit, and the firm, slightly chewy tannins were complemented by juicy, friendly mouthfeel with plenty of ease and approachability. The wine had surprising concentration and persistence, and while enjoyable now, I suspect that this will continue to improve over the next 3 to 5 years.
As my first German Cabernet Franc, I had no idea what to expect, but I can say with confidence that the family's enthusiasm for the grape came through in the glass in spades. This is a charming example of the variety that also exudes a certain quiet confidence and worldly understanding of the variety and how to get the best possible expression from the vineyard and place. While there isn’t a lot of Cabernet Franc in Germany, this wine is a reminder nothing is impossible, and some of the best wines in the the world are made on the margins, at the edge of what is possible, it’s simply a question of someone having the passion and commitment to try.
