Château de Francs (Francs) – Wikipedia

The Francs Castle is a castle located in Francs (Gironde).

Dominating the landscape, the Château de Francs dates in part from the Middle Ages. It is surrounded by a vineyard today completely restored. This area with 40 hectares of vineyards seated on a clay-limestone terroir close to what is found on the Saint-Émilion set lead two childhood friends to buy the castle.

The Château de Francs was an Anglo-Aquitaine military strong place until 1453, the date of the Battle of Castillon. Only part of the castle served as a stately housing, the rest being reserved for the 300 troops with their horses and crews. The family of Ségur who had made his castle available to Anglo-Aquitaine power, was forced to sell it when Aquitaine became French again.

“Humble pearl of Bordeaux, the Bordeaux-Côtes-de-Francs is nonetheless one of its most precious stones. For the moment it is only shining for her and a few informed amateurs, but her delicate and discreet brilliance risks well in the future to overshadow better established glories. – Jean Paul Kauffmann – ”

During the Battle of Vouillé, Clovis I ^is , King of the Franks Bat Alaric II, king of the Visigoths and seizes Aquitaine. A detachment from the Frankish army established its camp in this place which was called “AD Francos” and later became “Francs”, name of one of the three municipalities located in the appellation area. If the rule which constituted the name of the ratings of francs dates only from 1967, this region steeped in history attests to an ancient culture of the vine which reports the statements of the Belleyme of 1762. The birth of this appellation revealed The identity of a vineyard that continues to assert its singularity and personality.

Beyond the satellites of Saint-Émilion, the coasts of francs are at the eastern end of the Gironde department, far from Bordeaux and its major roads. The landscapes are soft and undulating. Coteaux covered with vines often surmounted by ruins of ancient mills dominate the meadows and the people who occupy the bottom of the valleys. This is one of the smallest names in Bordeaux. It represents 500 hectares of vine with many small farms (40 winegrowers work less than one hectare).

Officially born in 1967, the appellation Cotes de Francs has long remained in an almost anonymity. It was not until the mid -1980s that winegrowers were interested in this terroir and embarked on the adventure. The ratings of francs will in a way become the predilection lands of the heirs of the large families decided to enhance this appellation. Dominique Hebrard, at the time one of the owners of Château Cheval Blanc and Hubert de Bouard one of the co-owners of the Château Angélus took the first steps by buying the Château de Francs, now in Côtes-de-Bordeaux appellation.

• White Francs Castle
• Red Francs Castle
• Chateau de Francs Cuvée “Les Cerisiers”

There are two castles of francs in the Gironde department: the first oldest as a historic remains in the town of Bègles, the second in the town of Francs.