Château Coujan grows on something almost no other vineyard can claim: an ancient fossilized coral reef. From this rare seabed soil in the Languedoc hills, Florence Guy makes organic Saint-Chinian wines with a clear sense of place.
Backstory
The Guy family settled at Coujan in 1868 and has farmed it for five generations. They played a pioneering role in the Languedoc, among the first to introduce the Mourvedre and Rolle grape varieties to the region. Florence Guy now runs the estate, having taken over from her parents and converted the vineyards to organic farming from 2008.
The Region & Vineyards
The estate lies a few kilometers from Murviel-les-Beziers, in the AOP Saint-Chinian, with some wines under the IGP Coteaux de Murviel. The property covers about 140 hectares, of which 50 are vineyard, set at around 140 meters elevation. The standout terroir is sandstone pebbles over draining rock of fossilized coral, alongside clay-limestone slopes. Vines are ringed by wild thyme, and the estate is an oasis of biodiversity that also yields olive oil, essential oils and honey.
Winemaking
Grapes are vinified by terroir with temperature control. Some wines are aged in 600-liter demi-muids of Allier oak, and at least one cuvee is made with no added sulfites. Plantings span Rolle, Grenache, Roussanne, Mourvedre, Syrah, Pinot Noir and Petit Manseng.
The Wines
The range covers white, red and rose under Saint-Chinian, with cuvees such as Roc & Rolle, Bois Joli, Rose Tradition, Gabrielle de Spinola and Ile de Corail, a name that nods to the coral beneath the vines.
