Guide to Canada’s Best Wines 2020 – Top Cabernet Franc
Announcing Canada’s Top Cabernet Francs
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Category Overview by Janet Dorozynski, DipWSET, PhD
Although cabernet franc was for many years always the bridesmaid and never the bride, the variety is finally having its long overdue moment in Canada. A native of Bordeaux and one of the parents along with sauvignon blanc to cabernet sauvignon, the variety traditionally was blended with cabernet sauvignon and merlot to add freshness and perfume to red Bordeaux blends.
It is also extensively grown in the Loire Valley in France, where it is made into single varietal wines that have caught the attention of trend-setting sommeliers in important global wine markets. And while there is no other growing region in the world that has made cabernet franc its signature variety, the variety has gained momentum and interest in Canada. Wine producers and consumers have embraced cool climate wines who appreciate the style and flavours of modern day cabernet franc that bare little resemblance to the excessive leafy and green versions that were produced from under ripe and over-cropped grapes from rainy Bordeaux and Loire vintages.
In Canada, cabernet franc is increasingly made into single varietal wines but also used to produce rosé, Icewine and more recently some very fine examples of sparkling wine. It is increasingly recognized and appreciated for the ability to produce expressive wines with floral aromas and that refreshing herbal lift and balanced acidity not always found in other reds.
Cabernet franc is one of the easiest vitis vinifera to cultivate in Canada, with cabernet sauvignon difficult to ripen fully, merlot sensitive to winter cold, and pinot noir just finicky, as it is everywhere. Largely as a result, cabernet franc is the most planted red in Ontario and fourth most planted red in British Columbia, along with tiny amounts grown in Nova Scotia and Quebec.
Our judging revealed a strong showing of single varietal cabernet franc wines. They come from various microclimates in the Niagara Peninsula in Ontario with some of the top rated wines coming from both the Bench sub-appellations of Beamsville and Twenty Mile Bench along with the lakeshore sub-appellations of Four Mile Creek, Niagara-on-the-Lake and Lincoln Lakeshore being among those to watch. In British Columbia, there are also a few gems coming from the Golden Mile and Skaha Bench sub-GIs in the Okanagan Valley.
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The Top 10 Cabernet Francs in Canada:
Thirty Bench Small Lot Cabernet Franc 2017, VQA Beamsville Bench ($75)
Megalomaniac Reserve Cabernet Franc 2017, VQA Twenty Mile Bench ($50)
Peller Estates Signature Series Cabernet Franc 2017, VQA Four Mile Creek ($55)
Stratus Cabernet Franc 2017, VQA Niagara On The Lake ($39)
Trius Showcase Red Shale Cabernet Franc 2017, VQA Four Mile Creek ($55)
Megalomaniac Frank Cabernet Franc 2018, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($30)
Cave Spring Cabernet Franc Estate 2018, Beamsville Bench ($35)
Tawse Cabernet Franc Grower’s Blend 2017, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($29)
Tawse Laundry Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2016, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ontario ($35)
Painted Rock Cabernet Franc 2018, Okanagan Valley, Skaha Bench ($52)
More top Cabernet Francs:
Chateau Des Charmes St. David’s Bench Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2016, VQA St. David’s Bench ($35)
Gray Monk Odyssey Cabernet Franc 2016, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($40)
Organized Crime Cabernet Franc 2017, VQA Beamsville Bench ($42)
Peller Estates Private Reserve Cabernet Franc 2018, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($24)
Redstone Cabernet Franc Redstone Vineyard 2017, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore ($40)
Essence Cabernet Franc 2018, VQA Creek Shores ($50)
Fogolar Cabernet Franc Picone Vineyard 2016, VQA Vinemount Ridge ($44)
Redstone Cabernet Franc Redstone Vineyard 2018, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore ($40)
Trail Estate Cabernet Franc Foxcroft Vineyard 2018, VQA Twenty Mile Bench ($45)
C.C. Jentsch Small Lot Series Cabernet Franc 2016, VQA Golden Mile Bench, Okanagan Valley ($58)
Southbrook Cabernet Franc Laundry Vineyard 2018, VQA Lincoln Lakeshore ($45)
Black Sage Cabernet Franc 2018, VQA Okanagan Valley ($25)
Tightrope Cabernet Franc Thomas Vineyard 2018, Naramata Bench ($32)
Fort Berens Cabernet Franc 2018, VQA Lillooet ($33)
Marynissen Platinum Series Cabernet Franc 2017, VQA Niagara Peninsula ($35)
Tinhorn Creek Oldfield Reserve Cabernet Franc 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($40)
Kacaba Premium Series Cabernet Franc 2017, VQA Niagara Escarpment ($33)
CedarCreek Estate Cabernet Franc 2018, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($35)
Deep Roots Cabernet Franc 2018, Naramata Bench ($40)
Fort Berens Cabernet Franc Reserve 2018, BC VQA ($43)
One Horse Town Cabernet Franc 2017, VQA Ontario ($27)
Gold Hill Cabernet Franc 2014, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($35)
Gold Hill Cabernet Franc 2015, BC VQA Okanagan Valley ($35)
Stratus Weather Report Cabernet Franc 2018, VQA Niagara-on-the-Lake ($29)
indicates a 5 star value rating from at least one critic.
Return to the complete Guide to Canada’s Best Wines.