Winemaker Notes
Critical Acclaim
All Vintages
Chateau de Francs was originally a strong military place under English domination from 115 to 1453 during the battle of Castillon. Only a small part of the castle served as a manor house, the rest was home to 300 troops with their horses and crews. The family of Segur, who had placed the castle at the disposal of the English, was compelled to sell it when the Aquitaine became French again under Henri IV.
In 1986, the estate is taken over by Hubert de Bouard de la Forest, co-owner of the Chateau Angelus and Dominique Hebrard, former co-owner of Chateau Cheval Blanc. Today, the estate has 37 hectares of vines on clay-limestone soil, close to what is found on the plateau of Saint Emilion.
In most of France, wines are named by their place of origin and not by the type of grape (with the exception of Alsace). Just like a red Burgundy is by law, always made of Pinot noir, a red Bordeaux is a blended wine composed mainly of Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot. Depending on the laws of the village from which the grapes come, the conditions of the vintage and decisions of the winemaker, the blend can be further supported by Cabernet Franc, Malbec, Petit Verdot and in rare cases, Carmenere. So popular and repeated has this mix of grape varieties become worldwide, that the term, Bordeaux Blend, refers to a wine blended in this style, regardless of origin.