Best Cabernet Franc: 12 award-winning wines to try

If someone mentions Cabernet Franc, your mind will likely drift to France. The aromatic and fragrant grape is widely grown in Bordeaux for blending with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot, usually constituting the smallest percentage. And for 100% Cabernet Franc wines, France is still widely regarded as the place to go, with the cool Touraine region in the Loire particularly well-suited to growing the grape.

Elsewhere in the world, the grape is often grown to be employed in copies of the classic Bordeaux blend, but we are seeing more single-varietal Cabernet Franc wines appearing. It thrives in cooler climates and at high altitudes.

With a lightness, bright raspberry fruit, soft tannins and moderate acidity, the best Cabernet Franc wines are easy to drink and can be enjoyed young – although there are of course wines with great cellaring potential too.

cabernet franc grapes — The 2024 IWSC top Cabernet Franc wines hail from Argentina, Mexico, Canada, Italy and Hungary

There’s a real geographical spread to the best Cabernet Franc wines from the IWSC 2024. Although Argentina dominates with two Gold medals, there are wines from Canada, Mexico, Italy and Hungary scoring highly.

And indeed, it’s Argentina taking top position. Trivento Golden Reserve Cabernet Franc 2022 achieved 95 points and a Gold medal. Judges praised it for its ‘delicious, dark brooding black and purple bramble and cassis with subtle hints of violet’.

Along with a score of 95 and a Gold medal, Casarena Bodega y Viñedos Lauren Single Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2021 shares the top position. It was labelled by the judges as ‘texturally elegant with ripe tannins and oodles of blackberry’.

With 93 points and a Silver medal, the ‘polished’ Pacheco Pereda Estirpe Organic Cabernet Franc 2022 is ‘balanced’. And the ‘gorgeously rugged’ Black Sage Vineyard Cabernet Franc 2021 achieved 93 points and a Silver medal.

Discover the full list of the best Cabernet Franc, as judged by the IWSC 2024.

HOW DO WE JUDGE THESE WINES?

We run a tightly structured, rigorous wine tasting process. That means that each wine sample is pre-poured into numbered glasses and assessed blindly by the judges. Most importantly, our IWSC wine judges are experts in their field, who work across all sectors of the wine industry. For evidence, see our full list of judges.

HOW DO WE SCORE THESE WINES?

Only the best wines sampled receive a Gold or Silver award. For example, to win Gold, wines have to score between 95 and 100 points. Meanwhile, Silver wines range from 90 to 94 points. Click here to read more on our scoring system.

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