Canadas Best Wines 2021: Cabernet Franc

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The 2021 WineAlign National Wine Awards of Canada

Few varieties in Canada exist in a vacuum of discourse and argumentation as does Cabernet Franc, that brutally honest and polarizing grape. Rarely is Cabernet Franc considered middle-of-the-road — and because it evades the “space between,” we either love it or hate it. Still, the prevailing attitude in Canadian circles dictates that the varietally pungent and hyaline Cabernet Franc must take a rightful place as one of Canada’s signature red wines.

Like the similarly structured medium-bodied reds the grape produces in western Europe, Canadian Cabernet Franc has the kind of inviting acidity that can form symbiotic unions with wine-friendly food. Imagine the richness of marbled, sometimes smoked, and often slowly cooked meats. Additionally, roasted nightshades, in eggplant, sweet peppers, tomatoes and foraged fungi. This year, the medals were nearly split between B.C. and Ontario in the top 10 category for Cabernet Franc. So many expressive, site-specific wines. —MICHAEL GODEL

WineAwards-2021-PellerEstatesNiagara2019PrivateReserveCabernetFranc

1. PELLER ESTATES NIAGARA 2019 PRIVATE RESERVE CABERNET FRANC
Niagara Peninsula, Ont.
Platinum
$24

WineAwards-2021-BlastedChurch2019CabernetFranc

2. BLASTED CHURCH 2019 CABERNET FRANC
Okanagan Valley, B.C.
Platinum
$32

WineAwards-2021-13thStreet2020CabernetFrancJune'sVineyard

3. 13TH STREET 2020 CABERNET FRANC JUNE’S VINEYARD
Creek Shores, Niagara Peninsula, Ont.
Gold
$25

WineAwards-2021-Fielding2018EstateBottledCabernetFranc

4. FIELDING 2018 ESTATE BOTTLED CABERNET FRANC
Lincoln Lakeshore, Niagara Peninsula, Ont.
Gold
$40

WineAwards-2021-PaintedRock2019CabernetFranc

5. PAINTED ROCK 2019 CABERNET FRANC
Okanagan Valley, B.C.
Gold
$45

WineAwards-2021-RavineVineyard2019Lonna'sBlockCabernetFranc

6. RAVINE VINEYARD 2019 LONNA’S BLOCK CABERNET FRANC
St. David’s Bench, Niagara Peninsula, Ont.
Gold
$55

WineAwards-2021-MissionHill2019TerroirCollectionVista'sEdgeCabernetFranc

7. MISSION HILL 2019 TERROIR COLLECTION VISTA’S EDGE CABERNET FRANC
Okanagan Valley, B.C.
Gold
$60

WineAwards-2021-RiverStone2019CabernetFranc

8. RIVER STONE 2019 CABERNET FRANC
Okanagan Valley, B.C.
Gold
$37

WineAwards-2021-FortBerens2018CabernetFranc

9. FORT BERENS 2018 CABERNET FRANC
B.C.
Gold
$29

WineAwards-2021-InniskillinNiagara2018ReserveCabernetFranc

10. INNISKILLIN NIAGARA 2018 RESERVE CABERNET FRANC
Niagara Peninsula, Ont.
Gold
$26

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