An American Marriage
Tayari Jones
After Roy’s wrongful conviction separates him from Celestial, their marriage continues largely on paper while she builds an independent artistic life and draws closer to Andre.
The varietal
Cabernet Franc · Uco Valley, Argentina
High-altitude Uco Valley Cabernet Franc is less plush than Malbec and less authoritative than Cabernet Sauvignon; its bright fruit, graphite spine, and exposed herbal edge better suit a marriage whose vulnerability cannot be concealed by outward success.
Ask for Linear, savory Cabernet Franc with floral lift—think high-altitude Uco Valley or Stellenbosch Cabernet Franc.
Cabernet Franc places violets and red fruit over graphite, herbs, and firm structure: tenderness remains perceptible inside a framework that feels restrictive rather than protective.
Accessible
~$17
Andeluna 1300 Cabernet Franc
Uco Valley, Mendoza · Cabernet Franc · 2022–2023
Fresh blackberry and violet lead into graphite, green peppercorn, and a cool, brisk finish.
Terroir mirror
Grown around 1,300 meters under intense sunlight and cold Andean nights, it embodies the sharp divide between Roy and Celestial’s outwardly promising life and the chill imposed on it from outside.
Refined
~$29
Raats Family Wines Dolomite Cabernet Franc
Stellenbosch · Cabernet Franc · 2021–2022
Red currant, dried violet, pencil shavings, and tobacco move along fine tannins with no excess sweetness.
Recurring image
Its unmistakable pencil-and-graphite character recalls the prison correspondence through which the marriage becomes handwriting, crossed-out hopes, and contested testimony.
Prestige
~$115
Chappellet Cabernet Franc
Napa Valley · Cabernet Franc · 2019–2021
Black cherry, violet, cedar, iron, and mountain herbs are held by dense tannins that relax with air without disappearing.
Metaphor
Cabernet Franc is usually assigned a supporting role in a blend, but here it speaks alone—as Roy, Celestial, and Andre each resist being reduced to the part that marriage or family has written for them.
P.S. If your wine shop doesn't have these specific wines, just ask them for a Linear, savory Cabernet Franc with floral lift—think high-altitude Uco Valley or Stellenbosch Cabernet Franc..
- Temperature
- 60–62°F
- Glass
- Medium-to-large Bordeaux glass
- Decant
- Decant the Andeluna for 20 minutes, the Raats for 30–45 minutes, and the Chappellet for about an hour.
- Alongside
- Smoked pork shoulder with collard greens, whose savor and slight bitterness meet Cabernet Franc’s herbs and tannin.