In our relentless quest for forgotten or exotic grape varieties, we turn our attention today to a gem from the Greek islands: Assyrtiko. Native to Santorini, this white grape is a true marvel, capable of defying the most arid climates to produce wines of astonishing freshness and minerality. While not traditionally associated with the Bordeaux terroir, its adaptability and unique aromatic profile make it a profound source of inspiration for the future of viticulture.

Assyrtiko is renowned for its ability to retain high acidity even under intense heat, a precious asset in the context of climate change. Its bunches, bearing golden, thick-skinned berries, yield wines of great structure, often marked by notes of citrus, white-fleshed fruit, and a distinctive saline finish that mirrors its volcanic birthplace.

Ampelographic profile

Characteristic	Description
Budburst	Early
Flowering	Mid-season
Véraison	Early to mid-season
Ripening	Mid-season
Vigour	High
Growth habit	Erect
Downy mildew susceptibility	Moderately susceptible
Powdery mildew susceptibility	Moderately susceptible
Botrytis susceptibility	Low (thick skin)
Black rot susceptibility	Moderately susceptible
Aromatic profile	Citrus notes (lemon, grapefruit), white-fleshed fruit (peach), pronounced minerality (flint, saline), white flowers.
Winemaking potential	Dry white wines with high acidity, pronounced minerality, and significant ageing potential. Well-suited to oak ageing or maturation on the lees.

At Château Cazebonne, we are passionate about the stories told by grape varieties—those once thought lost, and those hailing from distant horizons. As Jean-Baptiste Duquesne highlights in his book "Bordeaux, une histoire de cépages", the Bordeaux vineyard experienced eras of great diversity before narrowing down to a handful of varieties. It is in this spirit that we explore grapes like Assyrtiko: not to distort our terroir, but to enrich it and open up new perspectives, particularly in the face of 21st-century climate challenges. This initiative is a natural extension of our trials with varieties from afar and our rediscovery of Bordeaux's lost heritage grapes.

Studying and reintroducing varieties like Assyrtiko perfectly illustrates our commitment to exploring innovative solutions for tomorrow's viticulture. This work complements our research into disease-resistant grape varieties and our in-depth study of Bordeaux ampelography. In this spirit, feel free to explore our reflections on Albariño, a grape variety for the future.

Our approach at Château Cazebonne is to revive this historical wealth by replanting forgotten varieties in Bordeaux, or by exploring grapes that, like Assyrtiko, could find their rightful place in the vineyard of tomorrow. This meticulous and bold endeavour is made possible by the unwavering trust and support of the wine lovers who enjoy our wines and share our vision. Every bottle you taste is an invitation on this journey to the heart of wine heritage, and a contribution to its revival. We invite you to download the digital edition of the book "Bordeaux, une histoire de cépages" to explore the history of Bordeaux grape varieties further, to test your wine knowledge with our quizzes, and of course, to discover the expression of our terroir through our various cuvées available in our online boutique.