Château Coujan Les Terrasses 2023

Château Coujan is a family-owned winery located near Saint-Chinian in the Languedoc-Roussillon region of southern France. The Guy family has owned the estate since 1868. Florence Guy manages the property, representing the fifth generation.

The vineyard covers 55 hectares on clay-limestone slopes at 140 meters elevation. The subsoil contains fossilized coral rock that provides drainage. Château Coujan converted to certified organic farming in the early 2000s, removing the use of herbicides, pesticides, and synthetic fertilizers from vineyard management. The 140-hectare property includes vineyards, olive groves, and other agricultural areas. Peacocks inhabit the estate, and a sheep flock grazes the vineyards during winter months.

The winery grows traditional Languedoc grape varieties including Syrah, Grenache, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault, as well as Pinot Noir. Winemaking methods include hand-harvesting, spontaneous fermentation with native yeasts in concrete tanks, light filtration, and minimal sulfur additions at bottling.

Château Coujan produces wines under both the AOP Saint-Chinian designation and IGP Pays d'Hérault classification. The estate also cultivates olive trees for oil production and maintains beehives for honey, alongside growing essential oil plants.

View Château Coujan La Pinot Noir, an organic Pinot Noir from the 2023 vintage, or browse French natural wines from Languedoc-Roussillon and other regions.

Languedoc-Roussillon is the largest wine-producing region in France, located along the Mediterranean coast in the south of the country. The region extends from the Spanish border in the west to the Rhône River delta in the east, covering approximately 240,000 hectares of vineyards. The region is now officially designated as Occitanie, though the wine areas retain their historical names of Languedoc and Roussillon.

The climate is predominantly Mediterranean with hot, dry summers and mild winters. The region receives approximately 300 days of sunshine annually. The Tramontane wind from the northwest and the Marin wind from the Mediterranean influence vineyard conditions. Rainfall averages 500-600mm per year, concentrated primarily in spring and autumn.

The geography varies considerably across the region. Coastal plains near the Mediterranean transition to hillside vineyards and mountainous terrain inland. The Corbières, Minervois, and Pic Saint-Loup areas feature elevated vineyard sites. Soil types include limestone, schist, clay, galets roulés (rounded pebbles), and sandstone depending on location.

Red grape varieties dominate plantings in Languedoc-Roussillon. Carignan historically covered large areas and remains significant, particularly from old vines. Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, and Cinsault are widely planted. Cabernet Sauvignon and Merlot are grown in certain areas. White varieties include Grenache Blanc, Roussanne, Marsanne, Vermentino (locally called Rolle), Clairette, Bourboulenc, and Viognier. Macabeu is important in Roussillon.

The region contains numerous appellations. Major AOCs include Corbières, Minervois, Fitou, Saint-Chinian, Faugères, Pic Saint-Loup, Terrasses du Larzac, and Côtes du Roussillon. Limoux produces sparkling Blanquette de Limoux and Crémant de Limoux. Banyuls and Maury are known for vin doux naturel, fortified sweet wines made primarily from Grenache. The regional Languedoc AOC allows blending across sub-regions.

Historically, Languedoc-Roussillon focused on bulk wine production for the French market. Phylloxera devastated vineyards in the late 19th century, followed by replanting with high-yielding varieties. The region supplied large quantities of table wine throughout the 20th century. Beginning in the 1980s, focus shifted toward quality production with lower yields and better grape varieties.

The region has become significant for natural wine production over the past two decades. Many producers farm organically or biodynamically and practice minimal intervention winemaking. Estates like Les Petites Mises represent this approach with old-vine Carignan and traditional varieties vinified without additives or sulfites.

Wine styles range from light, fruity reds to structured, age-worthy wines from hillside sites. White wines include fresh, aromatic styles and fuller-bodied expressions. Rosé production is substantial, particularly near the coast. The diversity of terroirs, grape varieties, and winemaking approaches produces a wide range of wines from Languedoc-Roussillon.

The region's combination of favorable climate, diverse soils, old vines, and innovative winemakers has established Languedoc-Roussillon as an important source of both traditional and natural wines from southern France.