The grape variety of the month: Cabernet Franc
Originally from the Gironde area (Bordeaux), in France, Cabernet Franc is a black grape variety that loves sandy, stony and calcareous soils. Also very widespread in North America, in Chile and Argentina, in South Africa, Australia and New Zealand, in our country we find it mainly in Veneto, Lombardy, Friuli-Venezia Giulia and Tuscany where it is also vinified in purity.
A vine that can produce great wines, with structure, balance and pleasant drinkability.
The vine and its particularities
It is often used in blends with other vines since its herbaceous nature is not so easy to manage. This is why it requires a lot of attention and care when working in the vineyard, starting from pruning the vine up to the manual selection of the bunches before the harvest. In order to obtain an elegant and refined pure cabernet franc it is important to respect the ripening times of the grapes, so as not to risk the hints of pepper and pepper being excessively abrupt and making the wine very green and unpleasant.
Characterized by medium and five-lobed leaves, it has medium-small, compact and cylindrical bunches with medium-sized spherical berries, of an intense blue color almost tending to black. The skin of the grape is rich in bloom: a waxy substance that protects it from dehydration.
Organoleptic characteristics of Cabernet Franc
COLOR
Its color is brilliant ruby red, which with evolution over the years tends towards garnet.
FLAVORS
It has truly unique aromatic notes: red berries (strawberries, blueberries, raspberries and currants) that mix with smoky traces, bell pepper, pepper and violet , with an ever-present herbaceous background. The refinement adds tertiary aromas of licorice, balsamic notes , chocolate, leather and graphite.
ON THE PALATE
Enveloping, warm, round and structured, always with excellent freshness and never heavy in the mouth. It stands out for its great balance which stimulates drinking and satisfies the palate, but above all the heart.
TO COMBINE WITH…
Its aromas, tannins and spicy notes of evolution make it perfect in combination with grilled meat, ribs in barbecue sauce, pulled pork, hamburgers and curry chicken.
TO BE SERVED AT…
16-18 degrees, even reaching 20 degrees for older bottles.
Our cabernet franc
These are the bunches that we let rest on the vine as much as possible, the ones that close the harvest period every year and that wait until the first days of October. The care of our cabernet franc is precise and punctual, almost obsessive, with the aim of obtaining the best from this variety that is often difficult to "tame".
Starting from winter pruning, up to the defoliation of the vine during spring and the manual selection of the best bunches to harvest during the harvest, nothing is left to chance among the rows of our cabernet franc. We dedicate 2 hectares of our longest-lived vineyards to this wine, which have continued to give us a great bottle and many satisfactions for over 20 years.
Frank!
With its intense and deep ruby red color it shines in the glass and satisfies the sight from the first glance. It is always intriguing on the nose and opens with pleasant notes of small berries (blackberry, blueberry, raspberry and currant), and then continues with floral notes of rose, violet and tertiary aromas given by the 14-16 months of maturation in barriques of French oak. Spices, black pepper, coffee , tobacco and leather leave room for a fresh and pleasant sip, round , structured, warm and with elegant and silky tannins .
Click here to bring our Frank to the table!
Awards received in 2023
Wines of Italy Gambero Rosso 2023 - 3 Glasses
EnoConegliano Vini Veneti 2023 - Dama d'Oro
The WineHunter Award - Gold
Luca Maroni Yearbook 2023 - 92/100
James Suckling - 92 points
Vitae AIS 2023 - 4 Screws