A look back at our first harvest of forgotten grape varieties

Nicolas Jamin, from Vigne Vivante, who assists us with vinification, shares his thoughts on Castets: 2 to 3 bunches per vine at most, the bunches are small and compact, the berries are very small, and at harvest on these young vines the grapes were highly concentrated and overripe; this year’s results may therefore not reflect the grape variety's true potential. Nevertheless, the vinification results are very encouraging: aromatically, it leans towards ripe notes of chocolate and liquorice, while the palate develops a dense, elegant tannic structure alongside a lovely acidity that balances the warmth and high concentration. For this 2020 vintage, it is the grape variety that seems to hold the greatest potential for producing rich, dense wines (results to be qualified given the high concentration of the grapes this year). For now, we feel it might not be the most relevant grape variety for the style of wine we are striving to make at Cazebonne, but to me it is a variety with tremendous quality potential, one that Bordeaux winegrowers who enjoy crafting wines with substance and concentration should certainly look into.