Chateau Coufran Haut Medoc Bordeaux, Complete Guide

Learn everything about Chateau Coufran Haut Medoc with tasting notes and wine with food pairing tips. Learn about the best vintages, the history of the property, information on the vineyards, and winemaking. If you want to read about other important, Bordeaux Chateaux: Links to all Bordeaux Wine Producer Profiles

Chateau Coufran History, Overview

Chateau Coufran dates back at least to the mid-1700s. The vineyard first garnered notice close to the end of the 18th century when it was owned by Baron Hector de Brane, who is best known for creating Chateau Brane Mouton, which we know of today as Chateau Mouton Rothschild.

However, the true modern era for Chateau Coufran starts much more recently, when the property was purchased by the Miailhe family in 1924. Prior to that sale, Chateau Coufran had remained in the hands of the same owners, the Celerier family, who had owned the vineyard since 1868.

The Miailhe family were already well established in the Bordeaux wine trade at the time as they were both negociants and they also owned several other Cru Bourgeois chateaux located in the Medoc.

The Miailhe family has been active in Bordeaux since 1793. In fact, at one time, they were owners of Chateau Pichon Lalande in Pauillac, and in the Margaux appellation, they own Chateau Palmer and Chateau Siran.

It’s interesting to note that it was the Miailhe family who was responsible for planting the preponderance of Merlot in all three of their previously named vineyards. As you will see, they really committed to the Merlot grape variety at Coufran.

Chateau Coufran Vineyards, Terroir, Grapes, Winemaking

The 76-hectare, Left Bank vineyard of Chateau Coufran is planted to 85% Merlot and 15% Cabernet Sauvignon. The vineyard is situated in the northern portion of the Medoc, not far from the St. Estephe appellation. In fact, they are perhaps the most northerly vineyard in the Haut Medoc, giving them a cooler terroir. They also have sloping hillsides which rise to 21 meters at their peak.

What makes Chateau Coufran noteworthy is, the vineyard maintains one of the highest percentages of Merlot planted in the Medoc. However, Chateau Coufran did not always have that much Merlot in their vineyards. The vineyard has a terroir of gravel, rock, and clay soil.

In fact, until the 1930’s the plantings at Coufran were similar to most other Medoc estates. The owner of Chateau Coufran at the time, the Miailhe family was tired of having so many problems getting the Cabernet Sauvignon to ripen year after year.

Plus Merlot is more vigorous and ripens earlier. So he ripped out the Cabernet Sauvignon and planted Merlot, hoping that this would help them obtain riper fruit and higher yields. On average the vines are 40 years of age. However, their vineyard also has older vines, some of which are more than 50 years old. The vineyard is planted to an average vine density of 8,000 vines per hectare.

For the vinification of Chateau Coufran, the wine is fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel vats. Malolactic fermentation takes place in tanks. The wine is aged in an average of 25% new, French oak barrels for about 12 months. There is a second wine, La Rose Marechale.

The best vintages of Chateau Coufran are: 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2010 and 2009 and 2005. It should be noted that starting with the 2018 vintage, the quality of wine produced here has made a nice jump in quality.

They have a fairly large production here. On average the estate produces close to 35,000 cases of Chateau Coufran per vintage.

In 1999 Chateau Coufran brought in Olivier Seze of Chateau Charmail to consult on the winemaking and vineyard management, which turned out to be a good idea, as the wines have shown some improvement over the years. In fact, they have never been better.

When to Drink Chateau Coufran, Anticipated Maturity, Decanting Time

Chateau Coufran needs some time before it can be enjoyed. Young vintages can be decanted for an average of 1 hour or so. This allows the wine to soften and open its perfume. Older vintages might need very little decanting, just enough to remove the sediment.

Chateau Coufran is usually better with at least 6-9 years of bottle age. Of course, that can vary slightly, depending on the vintage character. Chateau Coufran offers its best drinking and should reach peak maturity between 6-14 years of age after the vintage.

Serving and Decanting Chateau Coufran with Wine, Food, Pairing Tips

Chateau Coufran is best served at 15.5 degrees Celsius, 60 degrees Fahrenheit. The cool, almost cellar temperature gives the wine more freshness and lift.

The wine of Chateau Coufran is best served with all types of classic meat dishes, veal, pork, beef, lamb, duck, game, roast chicken, roasted, braised, and grilled dishes. Chateau Coufran is a perfect match with Asian dishes, hearty fish courses like tuna, mushrooms, and pasta as well as cheese.

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