My Most Memorable Cabernet Francs of 2021
After first committing to curating a list of my most memorable wines of the year, I looked back with a moment of pause and a regretful "UGH" at the thought of having to "choose" some of my favourite wines of the year. I mean, these wines are like my children, I love them all so dearly, how can I pick my favourites? Then upon further reflection, and reviewing my photos, videos and notes from 2021, I did realize that there were indeed some standout Cabernet Francs that I enjoyed this year, although perhaps not for the most obvious reasons.
Over the course of the last twelve months, I've tasted over 100 different Cabernet Francs, including reds, rosés and even sparkling, from producers on four continents. The majority of what I tasted has been from the Loire Valley, which has been a thrill to dive into this region on the level that I have, and to see the diversity of styles coming from the complex mosaic of terroirs across the region. For my research, I've also explored expressions of Cabernet Franc from other parts of France (2022 preview - the conversation on Bordeaux and Cabernet Franc-dominated blends begins) and Europe, the Southern Hemisphere, as well as North America. So while I could've easily curated a list from my most memorable wines of the year exclusively from the Loire, I wanted to highlight some of these other region stories and wines that were particularly memorable this past year.
The Loire Valley has been a treasure trove of discoveries this last year. I've had dozens of conversations with producers from across all corners of this region and I have learned so much about the terroirs here and diversity of expressions of Cabernet Franc from east to west. First up, Arnaud Lambert's 2019 Clos Mazurique Saumur Rouge. While I first discovered Arnaud Lambert in 2017 thanks to Levi Dalton's podcast I'll Drink To That, 2021 marked the first year I tried his wines. His 2019 Clos Mazurique was the first of several wines from his range I got to try, and this wine has likely been my most consumed Loire Valley Cabernet Franc this year. From a monopole site located in the storied commune of Brézé, this wine is simply magical. Graceful, poised, playful, with beguiling aromatics that pull you in and silky tannins that cascade off the tongue. Retailing for around $20USD (more in Canada, less in Europe), this is a superb value from one of the elite producers in the Loire Valley.
Also from the Loire Valley, and unexpected discovery, the Château de Chaintres 1989 Saumur-Champigny. I came across this wine at the flagship LCBO store in Toronto, Ontario, and it was a mere $100 per bottle. I admit I was initially skeptical about this wine, unsure of its provenance, and why a 30+ year old wine was just $100 on the shelves. But after I reached out to the estate, I learned that this was a current release from the domaine (both for export markets as well as for the local market in France), a library wine, aged to perfection in their tuffeau chalk cellars. The fruit was harvested from vines within the “clos” of the Château, a vineyard that once belonged to the monks of the Abbey de Fontevraud. This is a complex terroir that is now parcelled into eight different plots, and in 1989 these parcels would’ve been harvested all together to make a single cuvée for the estate. The 1989 vintage was likely one of the top vintages for Cabernet Franc in the Loire Valley, and the wine in the glass showed all the hallmarks of a banner vintage. Concentration, balance, depth and complexity. Yet, with 32 years in the bottle, it was a truly humbling wine to drink, revealing the patience, honesty, modesty and the soul of a vigneron, and a snapshot of a moment in time.
Finally, rounding out my three most memorable wines from the Loire this year, the Bernard Baudry 2020 Les Granges from Chinon. This was the first red wine I got to try from the Loire from the 2020 vintage – the year that will continue to be looked back on in infamy for decades to come. The day that the wine was delivered to my apartment was a Friday, and I had a hell of a week with the death of my grandfather only 5 days before. I remember standing in my kitchen, exhausted, and opening a bottle, with no clue of what I was going to make for dinner that night, but as soon as the wine graced my lips it was as if someone swooped in and gave me the biggest hug and said “it’s all going to be ok.” I remember looking at the bottle and saying out loud in my quiet, empty apartment “This is why I love Cabernet Franc.” This grape can produce wines from great terroirs that are profound, transcendent and require deep contemplation, but it can also produce wines that are friendly, companionable and familiar, which offer a sense of ease and accessibility.
From elsewhere in Europe, I got to explore and expand my understanding of Villány, Hungary through the lens of the Wassmann 2016 Cabernet Franc. This region has been on my radar for about 8 years, and until 2021, I have not had a wine from this premier red wine growing region in Hungary. From a distance, Villány was a curiosity. Why is this European region, with a plethora of indigenous grapes, focusing on Cabernet Franc? So much so that they have their own PDO for the grape and place (Villány Franc) and an annual conference/event featuring the variety (Franc & Franc). Thanks to the kindness and generosity of Susann Hanauer, one half of the Wassmann Wine Estate dynamic duo, some of the mystery was revealed. Through a half dozen or so emails back and forth, Susann patiently shared a wealth of information about Villány’s history with Cabernet Franc, the region’s geology, microclimate, as well as other notable producers in the region, etc. This thorough introduction has helped me get a better understanding of the puzzle that is Hungarian Cabernet Franc, and has also laid the groundwork for further research. The wine was so singular in its persona, showing markers of a warmer climate Cabernet Franc with more flesh and tannin, but still restrained with plenty of backbone, with an alluring perfume of lavender, tarragon and cured tobacco, and a distinctive spiciness. Stripped down, layered, honest – a perfect introduction to the people and the wines of this little corner of Hungary.
Moving onto the Southern Hemisphere, the examples I got to try from both South Africa and Argentina were few in number in 2021, but I am confident this will change in 2022. The examples of Cabernet Franc I had from Argentina demonstrate a passion and enthusiasm for a grape that is quietly becoming another important calling card for showcasing the country’s elite and premium wine-growing terroirs and producers. But it was the Gabriëlskloof 2017 Landscape Series Cabernet Franc from Bot River, South Africa that was particularly special for me in 2021. Up until this point, my knowledge of South Africa as a producer of high quality, terroir-expressive Cabernet Franc was limited to the flag-bearing benchmark wines for Raats Family Wines in Stellenbosch. Gabriëlskloof, led by award-winning winemaker Peter-Allan Finlayson, was a new producer for my radar, so I emailed the team at the winery to get a better understanding of their terroirs, the Bot River ward in Walker Bay, and their relationship with Cabernet Franc. Chris Keet Jr, the winery’s viticulturalist, who also happens to have his own Cabernet Franc-focused project called Weather Report, generously shared lots of detail about the estate’s vineyard terroirs and practices. And I later learned of the great Cabernet Franc lineage of the Keet family, Chris’s uncle of the same name, was the winemaker of potentially one of the great cult wines from South Africa in the 1990s, the Cordoba Crescendo, a Cheval Blanc-inspired Cabernet Franc dominant blend from Stellenbosch. The 2017 Landscape Series Cabernet Franc did not disappoint. Savoury, energetic and finesse-driven, with an edge of quiet confidence, the wine was as thoughtful as it was thought-through, and a great continuation of my exploration of Cabernet Franc from South Africa.
Finally, to conclude this global journey of my most memorable Cabernet Francs of 2021, we arrive to North America, source of some of the most varied terroirs and microclimates for the variety in the world. Naturally, with the Niagara Peninsula being in my backyard, I tried numerous examples from newer as well as established producers of the grape, which was a thrill, especially having just moved back to Ontario after a 6 year hiatus. But for my most memorable wine from this part of the world in 2021, I have to look to my neighbours (or neighbors!) to the south, but not too far from the Canada-US border. This July, I had a chance to visit the Finger Lakes of New York for the first time in my career, thanks to the kind invitation from the folks at the FLXCursion. A whirlwind few days concluded with a walk-through of the Cabernet Franc blocks of Magdalena Vineyard with newly crowned Wine Enthusiast Winemaker of the Year Fred Merwarth of Hermann J Wiemer. Fred and I spent a little over 90 minutes together, where I got to pick his brain about their plantings, clones, viticultural practices, site-specific microclimates around Seneca Lake, winemaking techniques, and lots more. With 20 years of viticulture and winemaking experience, Fred is a wealth of knowledge and I was lapping up every nugget of detail I could. Upon my return home, I reviewed my notes and opened the bottle of 2019 Magdalena Vineyard Cabernet Franc. Having spent as much time as I did with Fred in the vineyard, really brought this wine into focus. It also gave me an insatiable appetite to learn more about New York Cabernet Franc (with deeper dives into Long Island and the Hudson Valley Cabernet Franc coming in 2022). Intentional, contemplative, seamlessly combining fineness, delicacy and vibrancy within a well-chiseled frame, the wine is resilient and reveals deep understanding of grape and place, that only comes with patience, time and experience.
2021 marked the first "official" calendar year of Cab Franc Chronicles, and it’s been quite a thrilling ride. If there’s one thing I learned over the course of the last year, the more I dive into a particular topic as it relates to this grape, the more I realize I don’t know. Wine is an endless source of discovery, regardless of what aspect of this fermented grape beverage you find fascinating. I have a lot of things in the pipeline for 2022, and I look forward to what the New Year holds. To whoever might be taking the time to read this, thank you for your support and enthusiasm. I appreciate you being on this journey, and I look forward to learning more together in 2022.
Addendum
For those that know me personally know that I had a rather significant birthday this year. To celebrate, I pulled the cork on a very special wine from my collection, a bottle I had been hanging onto for some time. This wine was the Clos Rougeard 2009 “Les Poyeux” from Saumur-Champigny. And while this wine was hugely significant for me this year and in general, I chose not to include it in my more “official” list of favourite wines from 2021. Clos Rougeard represents the pinnacle of Cabernet Franc for many wine professionals and enthusiasts – our North Star if you will. For those that have ever had an “ah-ha” moment with Cabernet Franc, regardless of its origin or provenance, there is likely some sort of “six degrees of Kevin Bacon” effect that links it back to Clos Rougeard, this place and the 8 generations of Foucault family ancestry. Something of a cult wine back in the day, the price of this wine is now stratospheric for many Cabernet Franc lovers, myself included, making finding and let alone experiencing this wine somewhat unattainable to many. The conversation I want to focus on about Cabernet Franc is one that is about accessibility and discovery. There are thousands of examples of the grape from the Loire alone, not to mention the examples from the rest of the world, that are worthy of our attention. And these are the wines that I am seeking out, researching and talking about. If you can afford a bottle of Clos Rougeard, it is one I will always recommend people try. But if you don’t have the means, my mission is to help you find a Cabernet Franc that excites you on a level that speaks to your soul, regardless of its price point or provenance, because that wine is out there – the one that compels us to pause and notice its humble nature and greatness all at the same time.
