The white wines of Bordeaux, both dry and sweet, rest largely on a small number of grape varieties: Sémillon, Sauvignon Blanc, Sauvignon Gris and Muscadelle. Each brings a different character, and it is most often the blend that makes the wine. This section presents these varieties, the old varieties we are replanting at Château Cazebonne, and the place they hold in our white Graves.

The four classic white varieties

Sémillon

Sémillon originates from the Bordeaux region, where it has historically been the main white variety. Its thin skin makes it susceptible to botrytis: depending on conditions, this rot is either grey and unwanted, or “noble” when it concentrates sugars and aromas in shrivelled grapes. That is why it dominates the blends of the sweet wines of Sauternes and Barsac. In dry wines, it gives broad wines with moderate acidity and an almost unctuous texture, which can age well. The same thin skin also makes it prone to sunburn in hot summers.

Sauvignon Blanc

Sauvignon Blanc probably originates from the Loire Valley, but it has long been grown in Bordeaux. DNA analysis has shown that, together with Cabernet Franc, it is one of the two parents of Cabernet Sauvignon. It is valued for its liveliness and aromatic expression: methoxypyrazines give it green notes (cut grass, green pepper) that are more marked in cool climates, while sulphur compounds called thiols are associated with citrus and tropical fruit aromas. Blended with Sémillon, it brings freshness and tension.

Sauvignon Gris

Sauvignon Gris is a mutation of Sauvignon Blanc: the same plant, but with pink skin. It is found mainly in the Bordeaux region, most often in blends. Its wines are generally less aromatic than those of Sauvignon Blanc.

Muscadelle

Despite its name and floral aromas reminiscent of Muscat, Muscadelle does not belong to the Muscat family. DNA analysis identifies it as an offspring of Gouais Blanc. In Bordeaux it remains a minor variety, used in small proportions in both dry and sweet whites, where it adds an aromatic touch.

The old white varieties we are replanting

Before phylloxera and the simplification of the range of grape varieties in the 20th century, the Bordeaux vineyard had many other white varieties. At Château Cazebonne, we are replanting some of them, to learn more about how they behave and to diversify our vineyard in the face of climate change. The estate now has more than 45 varieties planted, soon to be 70, presented on our page Heritage grape varieties. Alongside the four classic varieties described above, here are the old or rare white varieties planted on the estate, each with its own page in the journal:

• Sémillon Rose;
• Sauvignonasse, known in Italy as Friulano, with no known genetic link to Sauvignon Blanc despite a strong resemblance;
• Blanc Auba;
• Blanc Vert, which we replanted without being certain of its relationship to Blanc Verdet;
• Prueras;
• Clairette;
• Baroque;
• Len de l'El;
• Mauzac;
• Mauzac Rose;
• Béquignol Blanc;
• Béquignol Gris;
• Montils;
• Monbadon;
• Ondenc;
• Merlot Blanc;
• Crouchen;
• Colombard;
• Chenin.

The place of these varieties in our wines

Our white wines come from vines farmed organically and biodynamically at Saint-Pierre-de-Mons, in the Graves. Here is how the varieties are distributed across them:

• Argile ocre 2022, white Graves: an interplanted plot, Bouché, of 50-year-old vines, with around 60% Sémillon, 25% Sauvignon and 15% Sauvignon Gris, fermented in barrels and amphorae.
• Le Grand Vin 2022, white Graves: 75% Sauvignon Blanc and 25% old-vine Sémillon. The Sauvignons come from the sands of Peyron, the Sémillons from the gravels and clays of Bouché; they are co-fermented in 500-litre barrels.
• Feldspath de Peyron 2022: 100% Sauvignon from the Peyron plot, aged for twelve months in stoneware amphorae, without sulphur.
• Comme un goût de Sémillon 2022: 100% old-vine Sémillon, with a little Muscadelle present in the plot, fermented with indigenous yeasts.
• Entre Amis blanc 2024, Graves: 70% Sémillon and 30% Sauvignon; 20% of the harvest undergoes five days of skin maceration, then the wine is aged in stainless steel tanks.
• Comme en 1900 blanc 2025 (en primeur, IGP Atlantique): a blend of old varieties in which Sauvignon Gris plays a large part.
• Le Grand Vin 2025, white Graves (en primeur): a Sémillon-led blend.

Sémillon thus remains the backbone of most of our whites, Sauvignon brings freshness, and Sauvignon Gris and the old varieties broaden the palette. To go further, read our page on white winemaking or the one on the grape varieties of Bordeaux.