Adventures in Dining!

Nine terrific Cab Francs you should try.
Jenise Stone

Recently, we joined John DeGloria for a sampling of wines made from the cabernet franc grape at his wine and cheese store, Slough Foods, just over the Whatcom-Skagit county line in Edison. Called cab franc for short, it’s a grape John loves especially and that love was very evident as he poured these wines. I actually share his affinity for it now but it wasn’t love at first sight, I have to admit. At wineries, when it used to be less common as a single variety grape than it is now (it was used for blending), it always seemed to be sandwiched in a line-up between a fruitier wine like zinfandel or merlot and an earthier, broodier cabernet sauvignon. By comparison, it seemed somewhat tasteless. Hearing that, a friend shook his head over my hopelessness and said patiently, “Jenise, this grape requires food.” Oh.

Shortly thereafter, a tasting group I belonged to had a cab franc night. We tasted all the wines initially without food then tasted how they came alive with food. It was a night and day difference—the flavors were explosive--and I’ve been pursuing this grape ever since. So has everyone else. The grape’s popularity has risen hugely in recent years domestically, and a number of Washington wineries are turning out fine versions. Chinook and Colvin come immediately to mind.

Historically, however, this grape has been better appreciated in France. It’s one of the five traditional Bordeaux blending grapes (the pricey Cheval Blanc made famous in the movie Sideways is 66% cab franc), and it has the spotlight to itself in the Loire Valley, which has made the Loire the Mecca of the cab franc cognoscenti. Oh, and did I mention how affordable it is? Loire Cab Francs of fine, fine pedigree typically cost in the range of $12-30. It is no accident, therefore, that John has so many Loire versions in his store. (Though he has a larger selection than most, you’ll also often find good Loire Cab francs at the Haggen Fairhaven and Food Co-Op.)

What does it taste like? Though some versions, especially in the Loire, can show aspects of red fruit, the wine is more typically all black fruit like blackberry, black currant and black-skinned plums, but lots of red wines can taste of those. What differentiates cab franc from the rest is an herbaceous green note that can taste of green tobacco, fennel, dill, other herbs or all of the above.

2004 Bernard Baudry "Les Granges", Chinon: Red fruit, herbs, and the frisky grapiness of youth. Yummy. $13.

2002 Chanteleuserie, Bourgueil: A reunion with an old friend—an earlier vintage was my very first Loire Cab Franc. Cherry and cranberry fruit with tobacco notes and gentle herbs. This wine isn’t available but the 2004 will be soon. About $15.

2004 Domaine Filliatreau "Fouquet", Saumur: A little blacker fruit on this one with ripe black currant and a mix of sweet herbs; very feminine and delineated. One of my three favorites of the night, and one of the wines I brought home with me. $13.

2003 Clos Roche Blanche, Touraine: A big galoot of a cab franc after the Filliatreau, and a perennial favorite of Loire cab franc fiends. Easy black fruits and fuller body without a lot of distractions. $12.

2003 Chateau du Hureau, Saumur: Ooh! An instant favorite: lots of complex berries and black cherry with thyme and tarragon notes, good focus and drinking in an especially friendly way right now. I brought some home. $16, and my WOTN (wine of the night).

2004 Philippe Delesvaux, Anjou: Dense black fruit and the most fruit-forward wine of the night with trace amounts of sweetness from super-ripe fruit and a shot of banana taffy character. Ripe enough to not require food in the way that most Loire cab francs do. $15.

2003 Chinook, Washington: Go out to the garden and make a bouquet out of sweet-smelling wildflowers and a few sprigs of dill. Crowd your nose in, inhale. That's what this wine smelled of. Sweeter fruit than even the Anjou with broad berry-cassis flavors. Just lovely, and deservedly one of Washington state’s most sought-after wines. $20.

2003 Alexander Valley Vineyards, California: Heady and strong black fruit with anise and celery root, and a bold masculinity provided by the oak's big frame. Not overdone, though and a very good version of the bigger California styles. $21.

2003 Chateau Gaillard, Saumur: This was the last bottle of 2003 John had. And he’s going to try to secure the 2004 because this wine ended up being the WOTN for many in that it blended old world complexity, spice and acidity with the familiarity of very ripe fruit and new oak grip. Not for Loire purists, but a real attention-getter and the third of my favorites. $20.

To read more about Slough Foods, click here.

(1-24-2006)

Jenise Stone is a wine enthusiast and avid foodie who lives in Birch Bay, Washington. She can be reached by emailing jenise@tasteofskagit.com.

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