Chateau Coufran offers taste of Bordeaux

Chateau Coufran, founded in the mid-18th century, is hidden away in the vast vine landscape that forms the Medoc Peninsula in France, north of Bordeaux, the wine capital of the world.

While not in one of the "big four" appellations there, Chateau Coufran benefits from the talented winemaking team of Jean Miailhe, and found its way here through the wine supersleuths Pierre Lawton and Christophe de la Fontaine. It is now widely available in retail stores and restaurants in the United States.

This wine is from the dream vintage of 2003, and is one of the best buys that truly represents the power of not only the vintage, but the ancient vine-growing region of Bordeaux. It is perfect for those who think Bordeaux wines are overpriced. It also is better than any wine from California, even at double the price.

In the glass, Chateau Coufran is a deeply opaque blackish-red color with a dense core going out into a saturated pinkish-red rim definition with medium-high viscosity.

On the nose, this wine comes on strong with a plethora of crushed black fruits, attractive notes of black currant, meaty blueberries, crème de cassis, loganberries, incredible minty-freshness, oak references, phenols and sweet licorice. It's an incredibly attractive nose.

On the palate, there is more wonderful black fruit character coming through with layers of sexy, juicy black cherries, black currants, huckleberries, crushed elderberry fruit, and underlying oak references and lacy minerals, and just a touch of "heat" from phenols. The midpalate is fine and balanced with lots of structure, and the tannins are kept in check through the finish, which again is rich in black fruits and even a touch of spiciness. There is a superb lingering after-mouth with pure black currant juice for well more than 30 seconds.

This is a great wine that has serious breeding and the ability to age for at least 10 to 12 years.

Try it with a roast rack of Colorado lamb with its traditional accouterments.

Wine: Chateau Coufran

Grape: Merlot (85 percent), cabernet sauvignon (15 percent)

Region: Bordeaux, France

Vintage: 2003

Price: $19.99

Gil Lempert-Schwarz's wine column appears Wednesdays. Write him at P.O. Box 50749, Henderson, NV 89016-0749, or e-mail him at gil@winevegas.com.