Château Ad Francos Rouge (red)
A full-bodied, Merlot-led red Bordeaux from the 2016 vintage. Ripe blackberries and dark cherries meet notes of cocoa, liquorice and delicate spice. Velvety tannins and a long finish complete its structured, elegant profile.
| Category: | Red |
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Château Ad Francos Rouge 2016 is a full-bodied, structured red wine from the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. It combines ripe black fruit, velvety tannins and a long finish.
VARIETY
70% Merlot, 20% Cabernet Franc, 10% Cabernet Sauvignon
HARVEST
Manual harvest between 10th and 25th September
VINIFICATION AND AGEING
Aged for 12 to 18 months: 1/3 new oak barrels, 1/3 one-year-old oak barrels, 1/3 stainless steel tanks.
BOTTLING
Between 15,000 and 30,000 bottles depending on the vintage.
TASTE AND PROFILE
Deep ruby red in colour. The nose reveals ripe blackberries and dark cherries, complemented by cocoa, liquorice, delicate spice and toasted oak. The palate is full-bodied, juicy and balanced, with velvety tannins and a long, warming finish. It has potential for further ageing in bottle.
SOMMELIER’S RECOMMENDATION
Open or decant the wine approximately 45 to 60 minutes before serving to allow its aromas to develop. Serve at 16–18 °C. Pair with red meat, beef steaks, rack of lamb, game or aged hard cheeses.
Discussion
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Château Ad Francos is a historic wine estate in the Francs Côtes de Bordeaux appellation. According to local tradition, the site's history is linked to a Frankish garrison that settled here after Clovis I's victory over the Visigoths at Vouillé in 507. The old name Ad Francos gave rise to the name of the village of Francs, which in turn gave its name to the local wine appellation.
The estate's modern restoration was led by Viviane and André Vossen, who also restored its original name. The current owners, Guillaume Brochard and Qiong Er Jiang-Brochard, have continued their work. Expert soil analyses by Claude and Lydie Bourguignon played an important role in restoring the vineyards, helping to make better use of the potential of the local clay-limestone soils.
Renowned oenologist Michel Rolland also helped shape the wines. The estate's consulting oenologist is Julien Viaud of Rolland & Associés. Cellar practices are tailored to each wine: part of the white Château Ad Francos is fermented in egg-shaped concrete vessels, while the red Réserve Ad Aeternam is fermented and aged in new French oak barrels. Its 2022 vintage received 93 points from Decanter magazine in its en primeur assessment./p>