Paul and I hosted a blind tasting of five Cabernet Francs from Virginia (of course). Our amateur team was provided with a simple scoring sheet and after a brief discussion about the Cabernet Franc grape and its characteristics, the tasting began. The wines were wrapped in paper bags so that our tasters did not know which wines they were tasting, and these included the 2012 Barboursville Reserve, the 2013 Marquis de Lafayette by Breaux Vineyards, Gadino Cellars’ 2012 Cabernet Franc, a 2013 offering by King family, and 2013 Cabernet Franc by Zephaniah. Light fare was served as the tasting and scoring was conducted, and these allowed our team to see how the wines paired with cheeses, dried meats, and prosciutto-wrapped dates.
https://oringsuspensiones.com/en/upr2y6b So which Cabernet Franc won the contest? Here is how they ranked:
https://juristas-ruidos.org/1gkr6fqhttps://www.daathize.com.br/g78hf3bn Gadino Cellars 2012 https://baixacultura.org/2025/02/01/mycugf65jl Barboursville Vineyards 2012 Reserve Breaux Vineyards 2013 Marquis de Lafayette King Family Vineyards 2013 http://www.servicebrandglobal.com/img/sugyzuko/ Zephaniah Vineyards 2013
Our team of sippers appreciated the brambleberry and tobacco notes of the Gadino Cabernet Franc; it also offered a generous length. I found it to be very lively with vibrant fruit elements. The Barboursville Reserve was a close second but was a bit tight at the beginning compared to the winner; lots of swirling coaxed out the cedar and pepper notes and eventually dark berry aromas and flavors.
http://www.servicebrandglobal.com/img/modojywem/http://www.galleriamoitre.com/vuwy5mtryb8 Once the official tasting was done, we feasted on braised lamb shoulder chops flavored with fresh mint and green olives, couscous, and roasted green beans topped with roasted almond slivers. These paired quite well with the wines that were poured for the tasting.
https://www.nhgazette.com/2025/02/01/of71f3g9http://www.servicebrandglobal.com/img/jecacami/ It was fun to showcase one of Virginia’s premier grapes at this taste off. We did not take ourselves too seriously, and we enjoyed the conversation that the wines engendered.
Seek out these or other Cabernet Francs and hold your own wine tasting with family, friends, and food. Of course, always mention that Virginia Wine Time sent you! Watch the video of our tasting below by pressing play.
https://baixacultura.org/2025/02/01/9r3thfvixi https://oringsuspensiones.com/en/eyjndhll6
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