28 Aug Cabernet Franc Finds Its Champion in Livermore Valley With Steven Kent Winery

In June 2025, the Livermore Valley wine region officially declared Cabernet Franc as its signature grape variety and formed the Cab Franc Guild, an organization already boasting 16 members and counting. Leading the charge in promoting Cabernet Franc in Livermore Valley is winemaker Steven Kent Mirassou, who does not make just one Cabernet Franc, but six different bottlings and three different colors.

Cabernet Franc, a parent grape of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Carménère, has long been blended with its progeny. In Bordeaux, it often plays a supporting role, particularly on the Right Bank, and is blended with other grapes. In the Loire Valley, it stars in lighter, elegant reds. The grape has also found homes in Italy, Chile, and across the United States, where it covers just over 5,000 acres. And Steven Mirassou is focused on becoming the preeminent Cabernet Franc producer in the country.

“I believe wholeheartedly in Cab Franc,” Steven says. “It fills all the niches – food compatibility, complexity, freshness, moderate alcohol, even affordability. It’s everything today’s wine drinkers are looking for.”

A Legacy in Wine

Steven Mirassou grew up in San Jose as the sixth generation of one of California’s oldest winemaking families. His family’s roots date back to 1854, when the original Mirassou Winery was founded in the foothills of San Jose. Like many children of the trade, Steven worked summers at the winery, but his own path first led elsewhere. After studying in Washington, D.C., he pursued graduate work in literature. Ten years on the East Coast eventually brought him back to California, where he began working alongside his father, who had left the family winery in 1984 to start a new label in Livermore Valley.

Steven eventually founded his own brand, Steven Kent, with the ambitious goal of making a Cabernet Sauvignon that could stand alongside the best of Napa. But a single tasting at Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant in Berkeley changed everything. There, he discovered Cabernet Franc from the Loire Valley. These were wines of purity, precision, and savory elegance. It was a revelation. “It was purely a function of my own aesthetic,” he recalls. “I fell in love with what Cabernet Franc could be.”

Why Livermore Valley?

Livermore is one of California’s oldest wine regions, and its geography is uniquely suited to Cabernet Franc. Unlike most valleys in California, Livermore runs east–west, funneling cool air from the San Francisco Bay through the Altamont Pass. Vineyards sit at elevations from 400 to over 1,000 feet, providing dramatic diurnal shifts that allow grapes to ripen fully while retaining freshness. The result is Cabernet Franc that achieves depth of flavor and aromatic complexity at alcohol levels between 13–14%.

“All Bordeaux varieties carry pyrazines,” Steven explains, referring to the compounds that produce Cabernet Franc’s signature herbal qualities. “Here in Livermore, with our sunshine and our soils, the fruit achieves a balance of ripeness yet freshness, with those savory notes in harmony rather than dominating.”

The Wines of Steven Kent

Steven has been making Cabernet Franc for 20 years, and for the past decade, he has focused his energy on championing the grape. His current releases showcase the versatility and range of styles possible from Cabernet Franc in Livermore Valley.

2024 Livermore Valley Cab Franc Blanc ($35)
A rare treat, this white Cabernet Franc, made by pressing the juice off the skins immediately, offers inviting notes of white peach, nectarine, and apricot, and textured acidity. Steven first encountered the style in Oregon in 2018 and started making Cab Franc Blanc from the Cresta Blanca Vineyard in 2022. A food-friendly wine, pair it with slow-cooked white bean soup, butter-poached fish, risotto, or creamy pasta dishes. Just under 400 cases were produced.

2024 Livermore Valley Cab Franc Rosé ($35)
Crafted from the second pressing of the Cab Franc Blanc fruit, the rosé shows a delicate salmon hue with subtle savory undertones. A splash of Merlot (3%) from a high-elevation Santa Cruz Mountains vineyard adds a little depth of color and texture. The wine is Provençal in spirit with beautiful texture and freshness. Pair it with seafood salads, cured meats, a stone fruit salad with ricotta salata, sushi, or even a lobster roll.

2022 Livermore Valley Cab Franc ($48)
The flagship expression of Cabernet Franc from Steven Kent is sourced from the Ghielmetti Vineyard in the Altamont District. Planted in 1999, this vineyard sits at over 1,000 feet and provides fruit of remarkable depth and structure. Aged for two years in neutral oak puncheons, the wine is dark-fruited and complex, with notes of bay leaf, cinnamon, sage, and paprika. Medium-bodied yet fresh, it is balanced by soft tannins and bright acidity, making it a versatile partner for ribs, barbecue, or braised meats.

2023 “Elements” Livermore Valley Cab Franc ($55)
An experimental bottling sourced from a 3.5-acre block of Clone 332 at Ghielmetti Vineyard. The wine was divided into three lots and aged in stainless steel, neutral oak, and concrete before being blended to achieve a wine with bold dark fruit notes and a lean and austere profile. Only 98 cases were produced.

Looking Ahead

For Steven Kent Mirassou, Cabernet Franc is more than a grape; it represents purity, balance, and authenticity, the very qualities he believes wine should embody. Through the Cab Franc Guild and his own work, he hopes to give the variety the recognition it deserves while putting Livermore Valley firmly on the wine map.

“Cabernet Franc is my aesthetic,” he says. “It is what I love. And I want Livermore to be known for it.” With his passion, persistence, and pedigree, there’s little doubt that Cabernet Franc has found its greatest champion.