A #CabFrancDay Celebration!
It’s December 4 – you know that that means! #CabFrancDay! I wouldn’t miss a chance to celebrate this wine holiday. Not only because my friend Lori Budd of Exploring the Wineglass and Dracaena Wines founded it…but because I really enjoy Cabernet Franc!
For this year, I pulled out three Turkish wines and one Hungarian wine. On an unseasonally nice Sunday afternoon, I hauled the bottles and food to my partner in crime’s place on Büyükada (on of the Prince’s Islands that are a part of Istanbul). We created a feast for two of foods we thought should pair well with this grape. But of course we began with the ever-present, cannot live without cheeseboard loaded with goodies like British extra mature cheddar, truffle Brie, Lanceshire, Old Groendal, beyaz peynir, truffled almonds, chili jam, muhammara, green tomato and chili salsa, salami…
It was so nice, we started with the two board and the two lighter wines outside on terrace overlooking their front garden and the water beyond. Until the wind picked up and drove us inside to the fireplace! To complete our menu we also prepared:
- seared eggplant on garlic yogurt
- lamb chops seasoned simply with salt and pepper
- potatoes gratin with onions, bacon, and raclette
- leek börek
- roasted cherry tomatoes with garlic
- buttery oyster mushrooms over rice
The food was all very yummy. How about the wines?
Arda Solera Cabernet Franc, 2020
The Arda Solera Cabernet Franc is a new collaboration between Arda winery and Süleyman Er, owner of the Solera wine bar. Süleyman grows a variety of grapes in his Marmara area vineyards but until he’s able to build his own winery and get licensed, Arda makes his wine under the Arda Solera label. This is the first year for Arda making his Cabernet Franc which spent five months in French oak before bottling.
Semi-opaque ruby in the glass with aromas of prune, violet, and green pepper. Not an overly complex wine, the palate delivered all the notes found on the nose along with some deeper black pepper streaks carried on rough, linen-like tannins. Medium acidity and high alcohol at 14% abv didn’t exactly help the overall impression the wine gave.
In the end, it was nice enough and went well with some of the foods. But not the best example of Cab Franc in Turkey. Nor can it hold a candle to the wine Akın Gürbüz created when he was making wine with Solera’s grapes.
Paşaeli Öküzgözü Cabernet Franc, 2020
I know what you’re thinking. What?! What is this wine that I’ve never heard of?? In all likelihood, even if you live in Turkey you don’t know this one because it’s only available from Metro. Where it was only about 90 TL. Although that was slightly before the economy here really hit the fan so who knows now…
The wine (blend % unknown – I did ask but, shrug) spent six months in 225 liter oak barrels before bottling.
The blend poured a clear ruby with an aromatic bouquet rising from the glass. The nose alone let you know that this simple table wine would punch above its price category. Red plums burst from the glass chased by fresh herbs, forest spice, and cinnamon stick shavings. The palate displayed candy fruits, juicy cherry, and dashes of pink pepper alongside light tannins and moderate acidity and alcohol (13.5% abv).
Quite enjoyable on its own and it went surprisingly well with the spicy green tomato salsa.
Sevilen Magnesia Cabernet Franc, 2017
The Magnesia Cabernet Franc (named for Magnesia – the nearby Greek ruins from which the winery takes its location name) is one of Sevilen’s top-shelf wines. A limited release bottling, it came out for the first time just last year. They source the grapes from one of their vineyards on the Güney Plateau (in the inner Aegean). The grapes fermented in French oak then aged a further 24 months in barrels.
I decanted this about an hour before we drank it and was glad I did. The densely colored wine didn’t want to give up a lot when I first poured it. But after it spent time resting, layer upon layer unfolded from the glass. Delicate violet petals and aromatic eucalyptus surrounded a core of cassis and black mulberry sprinkled with graphite shavings, forest spice, fresh black pepper, and a long finish. On the palate it as medium-full bodied and structured with well-integrated, smooth tannins and fresh acidity. High alcohol at 14.5% abv reached a nice balance with the fruit and overall structure.
This was the best overall wine pairing with the foods. It drank especially well with the seared the lamb chops, mushrooms, and potatoes.
Jammertal Villányi Franc, 2016
In June I visited Budapest as a judge for the Winelovers Wine Awards. We were all very generously given a bit of a swag bag which included many nice things, including a few wines. One was the Jammertal Villányi Franc (which also popped up in one of the side tasting classes). So, when I went through my wine room to see what I had for this year’s #CabFrancDay, I grabbed this one to compare it to the Turkish wines.
Like the Sevilen, we decanted this about an hour before drinking. Not quite as dark or mysterious (in color or aroma) as the Sevilen, smelling the Hungarian Jammertal Villányi Franc was like drowning in a vat of jam. Not a horrible way to go, I suppose. Rich jammy, cooked black fruits thoroughly seasoned with black pepper and just a hint of graphite. Plushy tannins present throughout lead to a smooth, chocolately finish. Medium-full bodied with nice acidity and 14.5% abv.
Nice but didn’t love the food at all.
We tried to choose foods and seasons that should more or less pair well with Cab Franc. Of the four wines one performed beautifully with the food, two were meh but not disagreeable, and one just didn’t work at all. This does not encourage me to change my opinions about wine and food pairing. But it was a fun experiment.
Follow the #CabFrancDay hashtag today on Twitter for more blog posts, discussions, and facts from Lori about Cab Franc!