Full Review

Bel Lago

Bel Lago
2018 Cabernet Franc, Leelanau Peninsula

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Cabernet Franc

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.5%
90 Points
Gold Medal
Exceptional
$48

Bel Lago
2018 Cabernet Franc, Leelanau Peninsula

Pair this wine with:
Beef Vegetables

Category: Cabernet Franc

Date Tasted:
Country: USA
Alcohol: 13.5%
Garnet color. Aromas and flavors of baked cherry, chocolate, and mole sauce on poblano pepper with a round, crisp, dry medium-to-full body and a tingling, interesting, medium-length finish with notes of raspberry and cherry, red fruit tobacco, and cocoa nibs with medium, coating, woody tannins and moderate oak flavor. An interesting and tasty Cabernet Franc with a considerable dollop of oak flavors and aromas.

Tasting Info

Wine Glass Style: Spicy & Complex
Aroma Aroma: baked cherry, chocolate, and mole sauce on poblano pepper
Taste Flavor: Same as aromas with notes of raspberry and cherry, red fruit tobacco, and cocoa nibs
Sweetness Sweetness: Dry
Enjoy Enjoy: Now on its own and with food
Recipes Pairing: Pot Roast, Steak & Potatoes, Beef Stew
Bottom Line Bottom Line: An interesting and tasty Cabernet Franc with a considerable dollop of oak flavors and aromas.

The Producer

French Valley Vineyard

The Producer
3655 S. French Rd
Cedar, MI 49621
USA
1 231-866-1010

Cabernet Franc

Wine Glass Cabernet.jpg
Serve in a Cabernet Wine Glass
Cabernet Franc is a parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, and it is ideally suited to cooler climates, as it buds and ripens earlier than Cabernet Sauvignon. Additionally, it is less susceptible to poor weather during harvest. In the Medoc and Graves region of Bordeaux, where it typically constitutes about 15% of the final blend, it is seen as a measure of insurance against poor cabernet sauvignon or merlot weather. Cabernet franc used to be planted almost as widely as cabernet sauvignon in Bordeaux well into the 60s, but cabernet sauvignon had swung into such favor that 30 years later it had twice the acreage of cabernet franc.

Cabernet Franc tends to be lighter in color and tannins than cabernet sauvignon, with an earlier-maturing character. On Bordeaux's Right Bank, cabernet franc has a stronger foothold, and is best known as the dominant grape in the blend for the famed château, Cheval Blanc. It is the most widely planted red varietal in the Loire, where it yields lighter wines, like Chinon, with distinct herbal overtones. US cabernet francs are still largely in the experimental stage; there is a huge spectrum of interpretations, from heavy Napa wines to lighter styles from the East Coast.

Cabernet Franc is noted for its deep ruby red color and peppery, spicy character. It has moderate tannins and good acidity. Generally a Cabernet Franc should be consumed with some age - at least five years - while the finest versions drink well for more than twenty years.

Pair Cabernet Franc with hearty foods such as wild game, game birds and roasts.