Cabernet Franc is one of the three principal varieties in Bordeaux, as well as being the dominant variety in the fine wines of the western Loire Valley. In Bordeaux's Left Bank, Cabernet Franc serves as a blending component adding aromatic complexity to the more muscular Cabernet Sauvignon. On the Right Bank, the grape is found in the clay soils of St. Emilion, where it partners in equal parts with Merlot in the makeup of St. Emilion's most celebrated wine, Chateau Cheval Blanc.

In the cooler climate Loire Valley, Cabernet Franc is the grapeof choice as its early maturing nature makes it more suitable to capricious nature of the Loire. The top Cabernet Franc appellations in the Loire are Bourgeuil, Chinon and Saumur Champigny. The challenge in the Loire is ripeness. While these wines can be superb, buyers need to a pay close attention to the producers behind the wines as disappointments abound. The common thread to the top producers is strict commitment to rigor in the vineyards, keeping yields modest, treating each vintage according to the climatic conditions of the moment. Even in superb vintages like 2002 and 2005, we've sat at tastings comparing the wines from neighboring producers and enjoyed deeply colored, rich, aromatic masterpieces as we dumped out thin, tart, acidic disasters. Buyer beware. Loire Valley producers to look for include Philippe Alliet, Charles Joguet, Pierre Breton and Fabrice Gasnier.

There are ample plantings of Cabernet Franc in the New World where the grapeis used as it is in Bordeaux, in blends with Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. In the Napa Valley, there are excellent examples, particularly in the cooler mountain settings where Cabernet Sauvignon struggles to reach optimum ripeness. Some worthwhile single varietal bottlings are being produced by Pride Mountain, Chappellet, and La Jota, among other producers.

Surprisingly, Cabernet Franc is also showing some success elsewhere in North America, including in Virginia, near Monticello, where Thomas Jefferson first attempted to produce fine wine. Pay attention to current efforts, as these are proving more successful than Jefferson's early endeavors.