In honor of the 14th of July, I’m going to compare a French Loire Valley Cabernet Franc vs. a Chilean Cabernet Franc from Limari.
The Cabernet Franc Varietal
Cabernet Franc is actually a parent grape of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Carmenere. However, it doesn’t often get to take the center stage like the first two internationally or all three in Chile. Instead, it is often blended with other Bordeaux varietals.
If you want to try Cabernet Franc as a single varietal, the first place to look is the Loire Valley. There you have Cabernet Franc which make lovely food wines due its higher acid, lower tannins and savory vegetal notes. At the same time, there are various producers (with the help of global warming) making wines with enough elegance and beauty to rival Burgundy.
In Chile, Cabernet Franc as a single varietal bottling is rarely the feature wine of a producer. In fact, at the mid to lower end price range, it’s often hard to distinguish it from Carmenere. They’re mostly produced in the Central Valley, but there are also some in Casablanca. I was surprised to find this one from Limari, so I decided to try it out.
Tasting Notes
2017 Tabali Vetas Blancas Cabernet Franc Limari
Takes 30-45 minutes for the nose to unfurl, but it’s pretty and complex with sweet floral notes, tobacco, herbal notes and some dark berry flavors. The palate also has some dark berry fruit along with a savory minerality and spice on the back end. Good acidity (3.25 pH) despite being more on the dark fruit side. No hard edges or heat despite 14.5% alcohol.
Not a fruit driven wine, but it reminds me a lot of a Right Bank Bordeaux with a lot of Cabernet Franc. Obviously, it’s missing the plumy Merlot since this is 100% Cabernet Franc, but the other minerally and herbal notes that can be found in Right Bank wines are there. The limestone and calcium carbonate mixed in the alluvial soil in Limari might be part of the reason. “Vetas blancas” means “white streaks” referring to the calcium streaks in the soil.
Cabernet Franc is not one of the typical grapes grown in Limari, but it’s not a bad match. I would love it if they tried blending it with some Merlot from other parts of Chile to try a Right Bank Bordeaux blend. Tabali is a consistent producer; I’ve never had a bad wine from them. 90 pts AC.
2016 Agnes & Rene Mosse Cabernet Franc Vin de France
Natural wine. These are made from 40 year-old vines on clay and gravel soil. 20% of the grapes go through carbonic maceration. This wine used to be labeled as Anjou Rouge, but they’ve broken from the appellation system, so this Loire Valley red is just called “Vin de France.”
The nose is quite vegetal, but not overdone. There’s also a touch of clay. The palate is high in acid, fairly light and elegant and more red fruit dominated with a touch of grape bubble gum sweetness on the back end which must come from the partial carbonic maceration. There’s also a bit of a fizzy tingle making it feel partly carbonated. Then there’s a savory mineral streak on the back end. The vegetal side is mostly on the nose while the palate is more about tart red fruit, but it’s certainly not a sweet fruit driven wine. Interesting wine. I’m running across more Cabernet Franc with carbonic maceration. 90 pts AC.
Comparison
The Loire Valley Cabernet Franc comes off a little tarter than the Tabali, but it’s actually a little fruitier on the palate while the Tabali is more standard and less vegetal on the nose but even drier on the palate. The Tabali is also higher in alcohol and thicker. Both are probably more food wines for most consumers. I would pair these with a vegetarian or mixed Supreme pizza.
Where to find them
In Chile, Tabali wines can be found in many places. You can buy directly from them for cheaper though. They also export. This line is generally under $20.
Domaine Mosse wines can be found internationally, and here in Chile from Edwards Fine Wines. They cost around $20-30.
