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aleheartilly · 9 days ago

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[FANFIC RECAP] End of year recap!

2024 was a productive year for me, and I want to celebrate that with a full recap of every story I published this year!

Have a wonderful 2025, everyone! May your projects be successful and your life happy.

Heroes of the revolutions, for Laguna Loire's week on @ffviiicharacterweek : in which Squall finds out his father and his girlfriend can bond on their weirdest (and successful) plans (AO3 | FF.net)

Choices, a plot bunny that's been pestering me since last year: in which Squall faces the messy feelings he feels, and Kadowaki gobbles up (sassy) wisdom (AO3 | FF.net)

Pet Names, a fluff story for the Hey Sweetheart 2024 event hosted by @ficwip : in which Squall and Rinoa start using pet names for each other (AO3 | FF.net)

My mind, a multichapter story about Rinoa, in celebration of her week at @ffviiicharacterweek : in which Rinoa grows out of her privileged life in Deling City and spreads her wings. Starting pre-game, finishes right after the game, with lots of headcanon, kinda experimental. Still ongoing. (AO3 | FF.net)

A shell, unveiled, another story written for Rinoa's character week, in which Rinoa deals with Squall being a touch-deprived young man in dire need of a hug, and ends up getting called the Liontamer and giving everyone the wrong right idea. (AO3 | FF.net)

Roses and Wine, a Julia/Laguna story written both for @ffviiicharacterweek and the 3 sentence fic event by ficwip. A tragic love story in three sentences, kind of new for logorrheic me. (AO3 | FF.net)

Seven minutes in heaven, a brief spicy story for some prompts of my bingo cards. Of course, it's Squall/Rinoa! (AO3 | FF.net)

Haven, another story for my bingo cards; in which Squall & Rinoa have to comfort each other during moments of crisis. (AO3 | FF.net)

Lullaby, once again for my hurt/comfort bingo card, in which something in the present recall a painful moment in Rinoa's past. (AO3 | FF.net)

Nocturne, written for the Dark&Cozy event at @ficwip, in which a cozy prompt gets a dark twist. (AO3 | FF.net)

Poppies, a story written for @ficwip event "A Picture’s Worth 1000 Words", for the August 2024 prompt, in which Squall comes to some conclusions about Laguna. (AO3 | FF.net)

Surrender, my very first Squall/Rinoa smut in English, in which Squall discovers what it means to truly yield to love, and they both learn the depth of love they're willing to touch, even though afraid, for each other. (AO3 | FF.net)

Red Thread, written for the @ficwip5k event. An AU in 5000 words based on the premise: what would happen if Ultimecia never existed? (AO3 | FF. net)

Amaranth, written for my @ffviiibingo Lore card: in which Squall, Rinoa, Irvine, and Selphie uncover something unexpected in the Tomb of the Unknown King, and end up finding out something about themselves, too. Just started! (AO3 | FF.net)

Lily, written for the Language of Bloom flash-fest held in the @character-a-character-b discord: in which mothers of FFVIII feel some things. (AO3 | FF.net)

#final fantasy viii #ff8 #ffviii #final fantasy 8 #squall leonhart #rinoa heartilly #final fantasy viii fanfiction #ff8 fanfiction #final fantasy 8 fanfiction #ffviii fanfiction #fanfiction recap #laguna loire #julia heartilly #irvine kinneas #selphie tilmitt #quistis trepe #zell dincht #nida #squinoa fanfiction

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cry-ptidd · 2 years ago

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Could I tell me about Laura's background? Family, ethnicity, etc? What her her skills, if she has any?

More Laura lore (lau-re lol)

Laura is French and her ethnicity is European. She was born on December 24th 1735 in La Besseyre-Saint-Mary (in the department of Haute-Loire in central France) and baptized three days after. (Her lightly tanned skin comes from her peasant family adapted working in the sun in the fields.)

Her parents’ names are Jean Chastel and Anne Charbonnier. She was the oldest of 9 siblings (although they will be born a few years after her). They were both peasants, but they made enough of a living to not worry much about money.

She was her father’s favorite child (even though she was a daughter and not a son), mostly due to the circumstances of her birth. Her mother had extreme complications during the birth, and Laura herself was pronounced dead a few minutes after birth, but then suddenly regained consciousness in the arms of her mother. That and the fact that her mother miraculously survived the difficult birth, made her father believe she was blessed by God and named her Laura (meaning ‘Laurel’, a tree associated with victory). Her mother recovered fully and was able to bear 9 additional children a few years after.

Her father was literate and taught her how to read and write. She was a devout Christian and attended church regularly.

Her early life was pretty calm, and she got along very well with her father, although her mother prioritized her siblings over her due to the favorable treatment of her father. She asked to remain celibate as a result of her faith, which both of her parents accepted. Her younger sisters were thus wed before her.

She was sometimes teased for her rather androgynous behavior, working ‘men’s jobs’ and being her father’s preferred child rather than his sons. Some people teased her saying she would play the man’s role and get with a woman due to her disinterest in men and behavior. (Which is true as she is a lesbian, but didn’t accept it until much later). She didn’t let the teasing get to her though and was known for being peaceful and just.

She was extremely diligent and always got her work efficiently on time, and sometimes helped her father at the inn he owned.

Her father wasn’t the most well-liked man, and some people said Laura and her mother were into witchcraft. (Those were just rumors, and Laura didn’t let the insults go to her head and made sure to protect her family’s honor.)

One day however, on March 31 1760, she was out herding cattle in a clearing, where a werewolf attacked her. She was bitten on the forearm and her lower stomach was scratched. Some of the villagers heard her cries and drove the beast away, and tended to her the best they could. No one believed her story of the werewolf, believing it to be just a very agressive wolf. It was all downhill from there to be fair.

(I will divulge her full backstory in a later post.)

Skills

By skills I’ll assume you mean both powers and everyday skills ?

Werewolf skills:

Immortality

Superhuman Senses

Superhuman Strength

Superhuman Durability

Superhuman Speed

Superhuman Reflexes

Regeneration

Impenetrable skin (at the exception of silver)

Transformation (into a werewolf)

Invulnerability

Intangibility

Self-Disintegration

Extreme pain tolerance

Her skills are about the same as Hans’, at the exception of her greater durability and truly gigantic wolf form.

She is a very powerful foe, and that is why Alucard decided to recruit her. He sometimes tries to pick fights with her due to her being very powerful but she turns him down, as she isn’t interested in the thrill of battle like Alucard is.

Everyday skills:

Excellent cooking

Organisation and cleaning

Knowledge in literature, theology and psychology

Sharpshooting skills

First-aid and basic construction

Basic sewing and darning

Driving

Unbreakable will and determination

Most of these (aside from the cooking, cleaning, and ‘book’ knowledge) were taught after she was recruited into Hellsing as part of her maid training (as well as being polite enough to be hospitable)

Despite her general grumpiness and disdain for being alive, she is pretty well-mannered and still maintains some old-timey language.

#hellsing #laura chastel #hellsing oc #oc posting #long post #Hellsing asks #my oc #oc lore #isn’t she a bit op ?#but who cares she’s awesome

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angelosearch · 1 month ago

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Word Search Tag Game

Rules: In a new post use the words below (or choose your own) to find where they appear in your WIP/s and share those parts.

Tagged by - @summonerluna who gave me the words rough, yellow and glass

(@irishais tagged me too but I had none of your words in anything! Need to use charisma more in my writing, especially when talking about Laguna haha)

Tagging - @highlordofkrypton @quiettekiyet (in your comic, perhaps???) @siobhann and giving you the words longing, ocean and warm

Starting off with glass. Here's an excerpt of my ongoing timeloop fic Minute Hand. This is I think three "loops" (chapters) from the last one I published (20).

Rinoa pushed her way into Timber’s oldest bar, which was noisy and fragrant with hops. There was an empty table, but Rinoa ignored it and made a beeline for the dark-stained wooden counter and sat on a barstool. Squall took the one beside her and she waved at the man behind the counter to summon him to their end. The bartender, Squall already knew, wasn’t too concerned about their ages. “Ah, if it isn’t the Princess of the Forest Owls,” the mustached man teased. “Haha, very funny Fred,” Rinoa said, rolling her eyes. “Can you get us a round? And keep them coming. I’ve had a long day.” Squall was surprised when the man brought them not only a pint of beer each, but also shots of something clear. Rinoa lifted her shot glass and smiled ruefully. “A toast—thank Hyne this day is over.” He must have made some kind of face when she said it, because she shrugged and threw it back before he could respond. Then she took his shot, too.

And now, yellow. This is the beginning of an unpublished oneshot I will probably never finish, PaintNite 😂 Eh, maybe I will finish it, now that I've gotten some of my headcanons out... Maybe it lessened my impulse to shove lore into something that is supposed to be lighthearted...

“Selphie, I really appreciate this but…” Rinoa said as she pushed her finger under the seal of the envelope. “There’s no such thing as a 7-month dating anniversary. You really didn’t have to get me anything.” Selphie beamed. “You and Squall are two of my favorite people!” she exclaimed. “I just wanted to celebrate you! And look at the card! Isn’t it cute?” Rinoa pulled out the white piece of cardstock. In elegant cursive, shiny black debossed letters spelled out, “There’s been buzz about your love!” The text sat beneath two cartoonish and happy bumble bees, along with yellow loopy flight lines and tiny hearts. “Your bumble was meant to bee,” Rinoa read the inscription inside. “Okay, I have to admit, that is adorable.”

And rough. First off, looking for this word in my writing made me realize... I overuse "through" haha...

BUT! But, but, but!! This excerpt comes from my NEW yet unpublished multichapter project, where Laguna is working with a ghostwriter to write his autobiography. It's about Laguna's upbringing, his time in the army, his relationship with Raine, his work in Esthar... It's part headcanon with elements of the cut content of FFVIII. And it's scenes from Laguna's life interspersed with his first-person narrations - think The Princess Bride. The working title is The Luckiest Man in the World.

This excerpt, according to my (complete!) outline, is from Chapter 7, but I haven't written all the way to here yet. I was just really excited to think through Raine's life, so I wrote this chapter after writing the prologue haha

…And the next thing I remember is waking up in Winhill! “Wait… I thought you said you were stationed at the Centra Excavation Site. Isn’t Winhill on the Galbadian continent?” Oh, yeah, but it’s pretty much the closest place to Centra. Kiros and Ward kinda landed near the rocks, but I might have gotten caught in the surf or somethin’… Oh, is that a map? “Yes… President Loire, how long was your body out to sea?” Who knows! I know I was in pretty rough shape when I was found, I spent a couple of months barely conscious, a couple more recovering… What’s the face for? “I’m just surprised that… you survived.” Oh, yeah, it’s all Raine, really. She was amazing. She basically brought me back from the dead. “Well, okay… so you woke up in—” Wait, wait, wait, I gotta tell you about Raine, she’s really important! I think certain readers would prolly want to learn more about her, ya know? “But this is your autobiography…” Ahh, yeah, I know… Hey, I know we’re fallin’ a bit behind in the project and all, but like I said, she’s really important. I want her story somewhere, too. “Just… try to make it brief.”

#writing #angelos art #laguna loire #tag game #writing tag

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gxldcnboy · 13 days ago

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⸻ THE OFFICE OF THE MIISTER FOR MAGIC is often somewhere that LUCIUS ABRAXAS MALFOY can be found scheming and charming , the thirty year old that's often confused for bill skarsgard is known for being AMBITIOUS , but maybe that's why the sorting hat had them in SLYTHERIN while in school , but they can still be very CRUEL according to their friends . currently they are WORKING as JUNIOR MEMBER at THE WIZENGAMONT and if rumors are said to be true about the brewing war , they would surely side with VOLDEMORT . ⸻ ( cismale + he/him + chaotic bisexual. )

ORIGINS & FAMILY: Name: Lucius Abraxas Malfoy Nicknames: Luc ( at your own risk ) Birthday: August 3, 1950 Place of Birth: Malfoy Manor, Wiltshire, England Places Lived Since: Hogwarts, gallivanting about Europe Current Residence: Townhouse in London Notable Family Members: Abraxas Malfoy ( father ); Celine Malfoy ( mother, deceased )

PHYSICAL: Faceclaim: Bill Skarsgård Height: 6’4 Build: athletic Hair Color: dirty blonde Eye Color: green Jewelry? Tattoos? Piercings?: Malfoy signet ring, several hidden tattoos, no piercings Unique Mannerisms/Physical Habits: messing with his ring, smoking when he’s stressed, charm and manipulation

PERSONALITY: Occupation: Junior Member at the Wizengamot Affiliation: the Dark Lord Languages Spoken: English, French, Latin, Ancient Greek Positive Traits: charming, ambitious, meticulous, devoted, clever Negative Traits: manipulative, cruel, arrogant, selfish, harsh Likes: the hours just before sunrise, black coffee, challenges, a well-aged scotch Dislikes: being lied to, places that lack history, feeling out of control, nicknames Aesthetic: the inherent hubris of being young, wealthy, and powerful; this house is not haunted – you are; physical intimacy like a drug—only this touch makes you feel real, feel something; ancient archives full of dusty, heavy magic and lore; a face crafted for tragedy; oh golden boy, don’t act like you were kind, you were awful every time.

HISTORY :

ONE:

Your father is not a kind man, not by any sense of the word. He is not a good man, nor a good father, he has never been affectionate or encouraging, never saw you as anything more than a pawn for his own political gain. That golden boy, that perfect child – how could you be anything but a disappointment the very first time you expressed an opinion that was completely your own? You have your mother’s eyes, and he hates you for this – that woman he loved and killed with his relentless pursuit of power.

Being a Malfoy wasn’t enough for him, and maybe that was something driven into him by his own father – you never knew your grandfather and once might have been soft enough to feel something. It was enough for you, once. You loved these haunted halls, the sloping lawns, and misty twisty hedges – back when you still idolized your father, regardless of his faults.

Oh golden boy – don’t act like you were ever innocent. But then, you have always been a sucker, a masochist. And he has crafted you into his own image, nurtured that latent cruelty you once feared, gave you an outlet, and a purpose. Your father thinks you are a weapon to be aimed at his will, but you alone know what this cost; and what you are willing to risk for a taste of power and influence. Besides, he’s old now, his memory is failing….

TWO:

“What was the first bit of magic you ever performed?” She laughs, moonlight floating through the open window, illuminating curves and curls. “I’m serious,” you press, that slow smirk tugging at your lips. “What is the very first magic you did -- not in school, not under controlled circumstances, but the very first time?”

“Hm,” she sits up, reaching for the glass of cognac you abandoned earlier in the evening and takes a sip. She’s gorgeous, the wife of a much older French Ministry official whom your father has send you here to learn from. “My grandfather has a vineyard in the Loire valley, do you know of it?” You nod but say nothing. “They say – I was too young to really remember it you see – that I made an entire field of vines burst into bloom in the middle winter!” She laughs, it's a beautiful melodic sound. “Why? Why does it matter?”

“And have you ever been able to replicate it? Something that powerful and spontaneous?”

She seems to wilt under the intensity of your gaze, a decorative ornament pressed beyond their purpose. You’re already pulling away, reaching for a cigarette which you light in a bit of wandless magic that’s more for show than actually impressive.

“Lucius, why would I ever need to worry about agricultural magic?”

“Obviously that’s not what I meant,” she hears the slightest edge in your voice and does not continue. You should tell her to leave, you’ve both gotten all you can from the other person, why linger over philosophical musings? But you’re still young, still foolish enough to mistake clever smiles and quick remarks for actual substances – or maybe you’re just too stubborn to not make your point, so you press on.

“It's not about the specifics of what you did, it's about the power and sheer will behind this first rush of magic. How can children so easily achieve something that for grown wizards requires years of study and practice?”

She laughs again, and you realize you would quickly come to find the sound annoying. Your gaze turns icy.

“The infamous Lucius Malfoy, a secret scholar and philosopher? Who would have ever thought?”

She’s trying to draw you back in, hands drifting across your chest and reaching for the cigarette. But you’re already gone, plotting your escape and spinning a web of lies and possible blackmail – insurance, should she decide to get angry and make a scene. You’ve always had a talent for self-preservation, even as the Malfoy name seems naturally imbued with a shield charm – all allegations and rumors easily deflected. Manipulation you learn at your father’s knee, and so you extract yourself from her embrace and walk into the ensuite.

“You should go, I have an early portkey back to London tomorrow.”

#diagons:intro #running through the halls of your haunted home | about #this is poorly formatted and kinda a mess but #love us plz

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goldenworldsabound · 5 years ago

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Eyes and magic and Emperor Locke

#cannon busters #my gifs #continuing to be fascinated by magic in this show GIVE ME THE DEEP LOIRE #...deep lore #flashing #tw flashing

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harelan · 6 years ago

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i love that like. ok in oblivion you’re actually IN PRISON so it makes sense you’d be in rags. but in skyrim all the soldiers are still in uniform and ulfric is still dressed, did the imperials just strip down you and lokir? “these traitor soldiers can die in uniform but you, dumbshit we’re wrongfully executing, you gotta be in a burlap sack.”

#me adding armor for loire w the console: this is lore friendly #carly tells tales

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zakifairer · 1 year ago

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Logging into ffxiv and I see this art and I'm like "Where am I??? Where IS THIS???" I accidently logged out and left Loire at Zenos' grave for SEVERAL DAYS.

I came back and he's like this

Like are you okay, buddy???

#FFXIV #Loire Ejinn #Loire Lore #FF14 #zenos yae galvus #zenos viator galvus #I forgot I was making a joke #you know #“it's a coffin there's a name engraved on it WH0RE--AND YOU'RE GOING IN IT”#but now this just looks like a dramatic gpose set like people do with Haurchie #I guess it's endwalker relevant #He does feel like this #So canon I guess #Never meant to make him so dramatic tho #He's got the black umbrella #the rain #I know this man was crying til I came back to move him around a bit I guess

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loireejinn · 1 year ago

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this isn't enough for you the words creep into your head in the dead of night one night and you cannot get rid of them. 'this isn't enough for me anymore'. you thought this was enough for you at some point, or maybe you hoped that it would be, but it isn't, and it hurts. you need to change something, or die trying. this - life like this - does not make life worth living. there is a lump in your throat that demands attention every waking moment of the day. there is pain in your body like a cavernous maw you cannot keep balance over. this is not what you wanted. you need to change. you can't stay here. it is not a character flaw you want more.

tagged by @shroudkeeper tagging: @yloiseconeillants | @wingedasarath | @goth-catte | @tokki-yue | & anyone else who wants to give it a go!

Link to the character quiz "why do you hurt" here!!

#mun thoughts #quiz #Loire ejinn #loire lore #thanks for tagging me!#Loire's voracious desire for adventure is probably what makes himself and Zenos mirror and reflection

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mariaslozak · 5 years ago

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If you’re familiar with French fairy tale lore or feminist literary history, the name of author Henriette-Julie de Castelnau, Comtesse de Murat (1668-1716), may ring a bell. In 1702 she was arrested and banished to the Château de Loches, where she was placed under the stringent supervision of the king’s lieutenant for reasons that have been debated among scholars since the eighteenth century.

Until shortly before, she had been a celebrated presence in the highest eschelons of Paris and Versailles, with her writing earning international renown. Traditionally her exile has been attributed to Louis XIV and his entourage finding something libellous in her writings, but recent scholarship has shown that these theories don’t fit the timeline of events. Instead, documents from the late 1690s reveal allegations of disruptive conduct linked to refusing to conform with societal expectations placed on women. Above all, her bisexuality became the subject of public scandal-mongering and official reports. In her stories she was critical of arranged marriages—her own was unhappy and she attempted to separate from her husband—and she dedicated her memoir to the defense of women.

For a short but more precise and up-to-date biography than most, see The Teller's Tale: Lives of the Classic Fairy Tale Writers edited by Sophie Raynard. For a longer discussion of the Comtesse de Murat’s literary output see, for example, Allison Stedman’s introduction in A Trip to the Country, a translation of one of the Comtesse’s major works, Le Voyage de Campagne, a novel that experiments with the genre of ghost stories. It was first published in 1699.

Image: vintage railway travel poster (1928) advertising the medieval Château de Loches and other castles reachable by automobile from the company’s stations in the Loire Valley. Artwork by Constant Duval (1877-1956).

#châteaux castles mansions #france #fairy tales #lgbtq #17th century #books #french authors #women at work and play #miscellaneous art #louis XIV

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perfectirishgifts · 4 years ago

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Giving Cinderella Her Due: A Look At Cabernet Franc

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/giving-cinderella-her-due-a-look-at-cabernet-franc-2/

Giving Cinderella Her Due: A Look At Cabernet Franc

Tenute Argentiera’s iconic Ventaglio Cabernet Franc vineyard in Bolgheri

“Cab Franc is the ultimate Cinderella grape,” exclaims Leah Jørgensen, owner and winemaker of Jørgensen Cellars in Willamette Valley. “Historically, in Bordeaux, Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot got all the attention, while Cab Franc was the one who did all the work. The truth is she’s the belle of the ball.”

While its hard to imagine the parent of Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, and Carménère being underappreciated, Cabernet Franc is often overlooked by wine lovers. Yet, it remains a secret weapon of wine makers. It’s time to start pay attention to Cabernet Franc.

As a blending grape, Cabernet Franc plays well with others. It delivers high acidity, smooth tannins, and notes of spice and herbs, making it more than capable of taking the lead in blends from Napa Valley and Bordeaux’s Right Bank, most notably in Château Cheval Blanc. Recently, it is making a name for itself as a single variety wine.

Cabernet Franc grape close up. Saumur, France

Uco Valley is home to Argentina’s top Malbec. However, Gualtallary, within the Tupungato GI, has an ace up its sleeve—Cabernet Franc. “The potential power of Cabernet Franc illustrated through our terroir is best expressed here,” shares Gonzalo Fernandez Gregorat, winemaker of Rutini Wines, who has been producing Cabernet Franc in the region for 20 years. Rodrigo Serrano, winemaker of Domaine Bousquet, attributes the wine’s soft expressions in the mouth to the region’s elevation and alluvial soil. In the hands of the region’s top producers, the grape transforms into the sexy elegance of the Argentine Tango.

Under the Tuscan Sun, Tenuta Argentiera’s Ventaglio Vineyard, on their Bolgheri estate, signals a new awakening for the property. Ventaglio, meaning fan, represents the winery’s cru, or best, vineyard. And, it’s all planted with one grape: Cabernet Franc. “Ventaglio is my heart and blood—the place I find a new beginning,” shares owner Stanislaus Turnauer. Produced in small amounts in the best vintages, Ventaglio represents the flagship of Argentiera’s portfolio, taking expectations and understanding of the grape to new heights—a Cru Super Tuscan comprised mainly of Cabernet Franc.

Napa Valley wineries such as Gamble Family Vineyards, Ehler’s Estate, and Cliff Lede Vineyards produce rich, robust expressions of Cabernet Franc. Chris Tynan, winemaker of Cliff Lede Vineyards, believes Napa hosts the ideal conditions for the grape to ripen “to perfection.”

Inspired by Right Bank Bordeaux, the Cliff Lede High Fidelity “spotlights the playful symbiosis of Cabernet Franc and Merlot, accentuating their individual layers of complexity.” Jason Lede, hospitality manager of Cliff Lede Vineyards “loves it for its plush, fruit-forward qualities.” Adding, “It’s approachable yet still has incredible concentration.”

Both Leah Jørgensen as well as Alison and Eric Smith Story, owners of Smith Story Wine Cellars in Anderson Valley, find their Cabernet Franc inspiration in France’s Loire Valley. And, both believe the trick to an exceptional glass starts in the vineyard.

To limit the grape’s natural “greenness,” Smith Story carefully monitors the grape, harvesting once a perfectly ripe mid-core is achieved. “Resulting in a vibrancy and a nice lift of acidity at the end is a truly magical sip found in our Smith Story Cabernet Franc,” shares Alison Smith Story.

Adding to this, Jørgensen maintains the timing of leaf removal and irrigation of the vine is key in limiting the wine’s greenness while it ripens. This allows the fruit to shine as the green notes become tertiary, creating a pleasant herbal expression. She also contends, in order to coax out the grape’s fruitiness, new oak should never be used in aging.

Jørgensen Cellars offers a variety of expressions of Southern Oregon Cabernet Franc.

Jørgensen sources her Cabernet Franc from Applegate and Rouge Valleys, areas of Southern Oregon containing limestone soil with ancient marine sediments similar to the Loire Valley. Crater View Ranch Vineyards, the source for some of her fruit and a vineyard she believes grows some of the best Cabernet Franc in the world, contains a high concentration of this soil. Because Loire Valley is revered for its expressions of the grape, these soil similarities offer Oregon growers guidance in cultivating the fruit.

Cabernet Franc’s acidity and tannin structure allows Jørgensen to craft a unique expression—a blanc wine, inspired by former Anne Amie winemaker Thomas Houseman’s L’Iris white Pinot Noir as well as Crémant de Loire sparkling wines. However, she is not making an arbitrary white wine from red grapes. Rather, building on the grape’s structure for intentional symmetry between the white and red wines.

Lori and Mike Budd, owners of Draceana Wines in Paso Robles, feel in love with Cabernet Franc at first taste many years ago. In 2013, the couple launched their own label with one wine. “After hunting California, we realized there was not a lot of Cab Franc out there. So, we decided to form our own niche with the foundation of the wine we really, really love,” explains Lori Budd.

Today they craft two styles. A classic multi-site clonal cuvee, and single site and clone reserve expression. “The reserve is mother nature in a glass,” shares Budd. “There are so many different expressions of the grape—there’s a Cab Franc for everyone,” believes Lori Budd.

Surprised a grape with Cabernet Franc’s pedigree did not have its own celebration day, Budd says the “Jersey girl in her” took up the charge to correct this oversight. In 2015, she single-handedly established December 4 as #CabFrancDay.

The date honors Cardinal Richelieu, who is credited with bringing cuttings of the grape to the Loire Valley in the 17th century. Lore holds he planted the vines at St Nicolas de Bourgueil where it grows to this day. From its humble beginnings, #CabFrancDay is now an international celebration.

While its increasingly easier to find wineries focusing on this grape, it remains underappreciated. “Cabernet Franc is an underdog—it needs to be fought for,” explains Budd. “It delivers so many different expressions. There is a Cab Franc out there for everybody.”

a selection of high-quality Cabernet Franc wines

2017 Cliff Lede Vineyards ‘High Fidelity’ Napa Valley ($95) is crafted of 48% Cabernet Franc, 43% Merlot and 9% Cabernet Sauvignon in a nod to both Right Bank Bordeaux and classic rock n’ roll, in a “Smoke On The Water” sort of way. Notes of black currant, fig jam, black pepper, smoked charcuterie, and fresh tobacco dazzle the senses. Concentrated yet approachable, with a crushed velvet mouth-feel and a long, mouth-watering finish.

2018 Domaine Bousquet GAIA Cabernet Franc Gualtallary Estate Vineyard Uco Valley ($30) represents the first time the wine is produced as 100% varietal. It offers soft aromas of bright fruit, mint, pepper, warm baking spice, and floral notes. Firm, gripping tannins contrast its fruit-forward juiciness and mid-palate minerality. Its broad on the palate with a lingering freshness.

2018 Jørgensen Cellars Mae’s Vineyard Blanc de Cabernet Franc Applegate Valley Oregon ($30) is a stunning wine. Layers of lemon, apricot, and apple are joined by fresh picked savory herbs, fresh white flowers and blossom, white tea, and trailing toasted hazelnuts leap from the glass. Complexity follows through on the palate with rich texture balanced by firm acidity, offering an elegance and mid-palate lift. This wine is a must.

2018 Jørgensen Cellars Cabernet Franc Southern Oregon ($25) follows in the footsteps of the Blanc in that it is layered and complex. Aromas of a dried bouquet leap from the glass of this flagship red wine, followed by delicate berries, warm spice, savory dried herbs, and trailing smoke. Vibrant best describes the palate, its fresh with lots of energy and lift. A steal for the price.

2016 Jørgensen Cellars ‘Clos Rouge Valley’ Reserve Cabernet Franc Southern Oregon ($50) falls to the opposite end of the spectrum, word descriptors do no justice in this distinction. Elegant layers of red floral notes (fresh and dried) mingle with tea, savory herbs, cocoa bitters, and black pepper, but more than the sum of its part, the flavors weave together like a tapestry. With a crushed velvet mouth-feel and linear focus, this medium-bodied wine begs for food.

2018 Ravine Cellars Cabernet Franc Finger Lakes New York ($21.95) is a bold single variety wine. Dark fruit, olive tapenade, dried herbs, fresh tobacco, and trailing pepper elicits the senses. Fine-grained tannins from large cask aging offer a smooth mouth-feel. A fruit-driven plate is juicy yet balanced with earthiness in a full-bodied wine with a long finish.

2016 Smith Story Cabernet Franc Sonoma Valley ($48) is a single variety wine intentionally crafted in an elegant, refined style. It offers bright notes of red and black fruit mingling with fresh herbs, violets, subtle spice, and black tea. The palate is fresh with nice lift and mouthwatering acidity. A food wine in a classic old-world style.

2015 Tenuta Argentiera Ventaglio Bolgheri IGT ($300) is the inaugural release. It is crafted of 85% Cabernet Franc and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. This wine stands out for its cru quality: Lush, sultry, layered, complex, and structured. It’s robe of dark fruit, crushed flowers, dried herbs, warm spice, and a cedar, tobacco, mineral earthiness goes on for days on the palate. Long age-ability but hard to resist now.

2018 Zuccardi ‘Poligonos’ San Pablo Cabernet Franc ($30) is located in the center of Uco Valley, in the heart of Tunuyán, a region defined by its close proximity to the Andes Mountains. Winemaker Sebastián Zuccardi vinifies this wine in concrete vats with indigenous yeast. The resulting 100% Cabernet Franc is fresh and lively, with layers of blue and red fruit, dried herbs, and graphite. The palate exhibits tension between its smooth tannins and bold mountain nature, walking a tight-rope between new and old-world styles.