Wines

Domaine de I’R runs along the picturesque Vienne river in the region of Chinon, the heart of Cabernet Franc country. Founded in 2007 by Frédéric Sigonneau, the young winery quickly climbed the ranks to become a top producer of Cabernet Franc. The popularity of his wines is no surprise, as the estate has raised the bar for what Carnet Franc can offer through its sincere attention to taste and quality. The vineyard is managed as naturally as possible, working in harmony with the natural elements to produce a red wine with exceptional flavor and utmost purity. Throughout the entire winemaking process, there are no compromises, and the wines undergo frequent tastings during vinification. Healthy grapes are fermented in raw cement tanks, the porosity of which allows for a smooth, controlled, and gradual fermentation producing an incredibly rich and flavorful red wine.

96 Points! The 2019 Bel Canto is more Cabernet Franc-dominated and includes 17% Merlot. While it doesn't match the 2018, it's a beauty offering impressive redcurrant and spiced plum fruits, notes of spicy oak, dried flowers, and leafy herbs, medium to full body, a pure, seamless, gorgeous texture, and ultra-fine tannins. It's just a stunning Cabernet Franc from Washington State that offers incredible pleasure today given its balance and texture yet will evolve for 20+ years. 290 cases. - Jeb Dunnuck

94 Points! While the 2022 Cabernet Franc Appellation San Carlos is bright and fresh at first blush, it also has a tension of tannin lurking beneath the surface, offering memorable twin powers of verve and intensity. Green tea and tomato leaf give it a savory, herbal edge that delights, contrasting well against a foundation of cassis and black plum. This one stays with you. Cellar through 2037. - Virginie Boone, robertparker.com

From the importer: Les Perrières’ is the Bretons' greatest red, from one of the most prized hillside parcels in Bourgueil. These old vines give very low yields of 20 hectoliters/hectare on average.

One of the greatest Cabernet Francs from the Loire Valley...and it's only $25!

Benoît et Celine Blet cultivate 10 hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards in Oiron (département Deux-Sèvres in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, about 50 kilometers south of Saumur) that are planted with Chenin Blanc, Cabernet Franc and Gamay de Bouze. The domaine was founded in 2004, and I am always blown away by the huge personality of the wines that will be even finer and more complex after some years in the bottle. This is one of my favorite Loire producers, but unfortunately, I have never managed to visit the domaine. - Stephan Reinhardt, robertparker.com

95 Points! Gorgeous black and blue fruits, spring flowers, graphite, and smoky tobacco notes all shine in the 2022 Cabernet Franc, a remarkably pure, silky, medium to full-bodied blend of 76% Cabernet Franc, 17% Cabernet Sauvignon, and 7% Merlot. While it shows the perfumed, accessible style of the vintage, it brings rock-solid depth and concentration, ripe tannins, and a great finish. Drink over the coming decade. - Jeb Dunnuck

Originating from vines planted on clay and chalk (tuffeau) soil, this wine offers the distinctive character of Cabernet Franc: deep and bright ruby color, fine aromas of red fruits (red current, cherry) and floral subtleties (violet, iris), fine and velvety tannin, with a fresh and balanced finish.

Founded directly above the San Andreas Fault, DeRose Vineyards is located in one of the most active earthquake areasin the World. Furthermore, it is one of only a few wineries anywhere to have a major fissure dissecting its wine cellars. DeRose has vineyards on both sides of the infamous fault. Soils east of the break contain fragmented granite and crumbled sandstone while those on the west side are mostly granite and limestone. Some blocks lie precisely above the line, their tilled surfaces concealing the fissure far below. Cabernet Franc grows east of the fault in loosely packed loam where the drainage is excellent.

A temperamental grape variety in many locations, Cabernet Franc thrives on the DeRose estate, creating heavily extracted wines with wonderful viscosity. Winemaker Pat DeRose prunes each vine in the winter and later exposes the grapes to beneficial sunlight with careful leaf removal. Clusters are thinned after veraison to attain proper vine balance.

94 Points! Quite a rich and fleshy wine for this appellation, but this was the hottest and driest vintage since 1947! Plenty of licorice and damson plum, plus stacks of velvety tannins. Beautiful balance on the medium- to full-bodied palate. Long, gentle finish. From organically grown grapes. Drink or hold. - JamesSuckling.com

99 Points! As difficult as it is to pick a winner between the Gualtallary and El Cepillo bottlings, the 2021 Gran Enemigo Gualtallary Single Vineyard gets my nod as the supreme example of the Gran Enemigo Single Vineyard Cabernet Francs. It hails from a plot planted on calcareous rocky soils in 1995 with 10,000 vines per hectare, fermented with 40% whole bunches in barrique and underwent a 15-month élevage in 100-year-old foudre. Opening with a brooding, inward and quietly perfumed nose, its aromatic profile ceaselessly expands to encompass all manner of herbal and floral complexity, combining simmering intensity with supreme elegance. The palate follows suit with a rich, silky, refined and gently succulent energy, releasing into a graceful, dense and glacial conclusion that gives equal measure to vertical energy and horizontal richness. The finish slowly but steadily builds upon itself, revealing shimmering acidity and ultra-refined tannins with increased aeration. There is no better example of Cabernet Franc's suitability in the Uco Valley, a match rendered here with incomparable finesse, depth and complexity. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

98 Points! Is it possible to create a wine with structure but without weight? The 2021 Cabernet Franc Gran Enemigo Gualtallary offers a remarkable answer to that apparent paradox, finding the solution in a balanced combination of terroir and careful cellar work. It's almost utopian—a mountain wine with the structure and character of high-altitude vineyards, yet with the agility and freshness of an oceanic red. Purple in hue, it opens with blackberry and plum, layered with mountain herbs, a hint of sour cherry, cassis and floral tones of violet and lavender. Dry and juicy, with a slightly compact feel, the wine glides across the palate with weightless grace, supported by fine, chalky tannins. This wine is a triumph. - Joaquin Hidalgo, Vinous

95 Points! The 2022 Cabernet Franc is high-toned, fresh, and mineral-driven, with supple tannin and unobtrusive oak. Medium-bodied, it's well put together and a screaming value for the modest price. This will age well given its natural mouthwatering acidity and firm structure; cellar through 2037. - Virginie Boone, jebdunnuck.com

93+ Points! Sourced from Gualtallary's Adrianna Vineyard, the 2022 Cabernet Franc contains 10% Malbec and underwent a 60-day maceration and aged for 15 months in a mix of foudre, barrique and tank. Opening with a dark-fruited, floral and spice-inflected nose, the palate offers dramatic richness tempered by a sturdy, upright, mineral-driven core. It concludes with an explosive, long and layered finish that balances vibrant energy and staining intensity. This is a strikingly overperforming example of the variety that should develop beautifully in the cellar. - Matthew Luczy, robertparker.com

"Vieilles Vignes" comes from vines with a minimum of 50 years of age. The wine is a blend of two distinct terroirs, one in flatter sections closer to the Vienne river; the other on the hillsides.Calcareous soils with hard rock underneath on the hillsides. Flint-clay on limestone in the flats. Native-yeast fermentation in small concrete vats. Maceration of 30 days. Aging for about 6 months in French oak barrels of 5 to 10 years of age.

96 Points! Lots of Bordeaux-like currants, cedar pencil, chocolate, and leather nuances emerge from the 2021 Cabernet Franc Tinaquaic Vineyard, an incredibly well-balanced, medium to full-bodied red that has fine tannins and a great finish. It might be one of the finest Bordeaux blends I've tasted from this estate, and if you were to put this in a blind tasting of top Bordeaux, you might just shock your friends – and yourself. - Jeb Dunnuck