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Characteristics of the Cabernet Franc grape variety

Cabernet Franc is an ancient French wine variety that is cultivated all over the world. The unique personality is a strong grassy flavor, mixed with delicious blackcurrant and mulberry fruit flavors. Because of the lighter body, her main function in the local area is to reconcile Cabernet-Sauvignon and Merlot. But the world-renowned Chateau Cheval Blanc uses her as its main ingredient. Areas with low temperature and moist soil are more suitable for the growth of Cabernet Franc. She likes a continental climate and is not afraid of bad weather during the harvest period.

Introduction

Cabernet Franc, also known as “Butcher”. Compared to Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc is lighter in color, less tannin and less structured. But its strengths lie in aromas resembling raspberries and red currant, as well as the finesse in texture. In the southwestern regions of France (eg Bergerac, Côte du Las, Côte de Frondon), Cabernet Franc is often used in blends to add aroma complexity to other grape varieties.

In Bordeaux, Cabernet Franc is more used in Saint-Emilion, Fronsac, Bourget, and Bray than in the Médoc region, and the wines produced have a higher proportion of this variety of grapes. The body is lighter and fresher.

Morphological characteristics

Botanical characteristics: green shoots, densely tomentose, with light red stripes on young branches; young leaves green, with glossy leaf surface, with light red, leaf margins wine red, leaf back with hairs; mature leaves are medium and large, Heart-shaped, 5-lobed, deeply carved, with sharp serrated margins, the upper surface of the leaves is rough and vesicular, the underside of the leaves is fluffy, the leaf margins are obviously rolled down, the autumn leaves are dark red, and the petioles are sagittal. Bisexual flowers.

Fruit characteristics: The ear is medium in size, conical, the ear is about 15cm long, 10cm wide, and the average ear weight is about 200 grams. , round, purple-black, thick fruit powder, fruit juice, 19% sugar content, 0.78% acid content, 70% juice yield, low tannin content, there are 1-2 seeds in each fruit, and the seeds are small.

Growth habit

This variety is one of the most vigorous of the red varieties, with erect and stout branches. It is a late-maturing and very late-maturing variety. It germinates in mid-April in Tianjin, blooms in late May, and matures from mid-to-late September to early October. The growth period is more than 150 days, and it requires an effective accumulated temperature of more than 3200 °C.

The bud eye germination rate is high, the fruiting strength is medium, the fruiting branch rate of the trellis is more than 90%, and the average number of fruit ears per fruit branch is 1.55.

The fruit ear is conical or cylindrical with short shoulders, with large auxiliary ear, medium or large, and the ear weight is 200-450 grams. The fruit is densely packed. The fruit is nearly round, purple-black, and small, with an average grain weight of 1.4 grams. Fruit powder is thick. The peel is thick.

The pulp is juicy, sweet and sour, with a unique fragrance. Each fruit contains 2 to 3 seeds. The sugar content of the pulp is 19% to 21%, the acid content is 0.7% to 0.8%, and the juice yield is 73%. The wine brewed with it has a ruby ​​red color, harmonious fruit aroma and wine aroma, appropriate cabernet aroma, low acidity, low tannin, softness, mellow taste, perfect wine body, and easy ripening.