The grape that spent 200 years in someone else's shadow
Cabernet Franc was always the blending ingredient — always the supporting role. Then the Uco Valley gave it a solo career. Now winemakers call it the most exciting red in Argentina.
In Bordeaux, it was always the blending grape. Always second. In the Uco Valley at 1,200 metres, it became something else entirely.
Cabernet Franc is the grape winemakers have been quietly obsessed with for years while everyone else was drinking Malbec. At altitude in Mendoza's Uco Valley, its herbal edge sharpens into something thrilling — graphite, violets, pomegranate — with a silky texture that nothing in Bordeaux quite achieves.
Why the Uco Valley changes everything about this grape
Cabernet Franc has always been a grape of contradictions. In the Loire Valley of France, it makes light, food-friendly reds with earthy charm. In Bordeaux, it disappears into blends — the third actor in the Merlot–Cabernet Sauvignon drama. Nobody gave it a starring role because nobody found the right stage.
The Uco Valley found it. At 1,000–1,400 metres above sea level, with intense UV radiation, cold nights and dramatic temperature swings of up to 20°C between day and night, Cab Franc keeps its natural freshness while building the kind of concentration usually reserved for warm-climate reds. The result: pomegranate, raspberry, graphite and violets, with a texture so silky that sommeliers in London and New York started asking for it by name.
Producers like Zuccardi, Achaval Ferrer, and Clos de los Siete began betting serious money on it. Now Cabernet Franc from the Uco Valley is among the most coveted Argentine reds in the world — and still priced like an insider secret.
The complete Cabernet Franc guide
Chapter 01
Why It Matters
From blending grape to solo star — the story of Cab Franc's rise in Argentina.
Chapter 02
Argentine Style
What altitude does to this grape — graphite, violets and a silky texture Bordeaux can't match.
Chapter 03
Best from Uco
The vineyards and producers making Argentina's finest Cab Franc right now.
Chapter 04
Tasting Notes
How to read a glass of Cab Franc — the aromas, the structure, the finish.
Chapter 05
Pairings
Lamb, duck, wild mushrooms — why Cab Franc is the most food-versatile red in Argentina.
"In Bordeaux it played a supporting role for 200 years. In the Uco Valley, it finally got the leading part."
Argentina Through Wine
Start with the story
Chapter 01 explains why this grape went from afterthought to Argentina's most exciting red.
Chapter 01: Why It Matters →Quick answers
What does Argentine Cabernet Franc taste like?
Argentine Cabernet Franc shows red fruit — raspberry, cassis and pomegranate — with characteristic herbal notes of bell pepper and graphite, violet florals, and a silky texture. At altitude in the Uco Valley, tannins are fine-grained and the finish is long and mineral.
How is Argentine Cabernet Franc different from French?
French Cabernet Franc tends toward lighter, earthier, herbal styles. Argentine Cab Franc grown at altitude in the Uco Valley is riper, more structured and fruit-forward, while retaining the grape's signature freshness and herbal edge.
What food pairs with Cabernet Franc?
It pairs brilliantly with lamb, duck, grilled vegetables, mushroom dishes and herb-crusted meats. Its natural affinity for herbs and earthy flavours makes it more versatile at the table than Malbec.