#CabFrancDay the Turkish Way!
It’s #CabFrancDay y’all!
In 2015 Lori Budd of Dracaena Wines and Exploring the Wine Glass created #CabFrancDay to celebrate her favorite grape. While I’ve still not been able to get my hands on a bottle of Dracaena Wines Cab Franc (next time I’m State-side!) I’m still excited to be able to celebrate the day she created. And you can celebrate along with all of us Cab Franc lovers too! Follow along with the day’s three hashtags: #CabFrancDay, #LoveCabFranc, and #CabFrancLove.
Cabernet Franc
Most probably know Cab Franc as a blending grape. In Bordeaux-style wines, Cab Franc often is blended with two of its offspring: Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. However, the grape has quite come into its own. Not only are plantings of Cab Franc found around the world but more varietal Cab Franc wines have reached the market. Dracaena Wines website tells us that the grape is one of the twenty most widely planted varieties! And that it can be found in very important wine regions such as California, Bordeaux, Southwest France, Washington, Oregon, New York, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Michigan, Canada, Chile, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Brazil, Italy, Hungary, Croatia, and Romania.
I, of course, would add Turkey to that list! Bordeaux-style blends having a great popularity in Turkey, Cab Franc is no stranger to Turkish vineyards. Over the last three years especially though we’re seeing more and more varietal Cab Franc wines. In Turkey, Cab Franc plantings exist in a number of growing regions including Thrace, Marmara, the Aegean, and the Mediterranean.
7Bilgeler Solon Attica Cabernet Franc, 2019
7Bilgeler (or Yedi Bilgeler) sits in the south of Turkey’s Aegean region less than 10 kilometers from one of the country’s most famous archeological sites: Ephesus. Several of 7Bilgeler’s blends contain Cab Franc. Earlier this year I expressed a wish to a friend to see a varietal Cab Franc from 7Bilgeler and not a month later, BOOM!
I immediately tried wishing for both a million dollars and a publisher for my book but no such luck with those.
The 7Bilgeler Solon Attica Cabernet Franc joins the winery’s varietal Malbec and Shiraz wines in the Solon Attica line. While not specified on the label, I’d guess this wine spent a wee bit of time ageing in oak but, being a 2019, not a great deal.
Appearance: medium intense purple-ruby
Alcohol: 14% ABV
Nose: Initially fruity with bright cranberry aromas joined by woodsy-pine, leather, and black pepper.
Palate: Medium-bodied with medium acidity and soft tannins. A silky mouthfeel unfolded with flavors of red plum, nutmeg, pepper, and leather back breath.
My favorite Turkish Cab Franc? No. That one will come up next week in the December #WinePW post! But did I very much enjoy this? Absolutely.