Pre-Phylloxera Ungrafted Vines: Santorini, Colares, and Champagne
A handful of European vineyards escaped the 19th-century phylloxera catastrophe through geology alone, producing wines of unmediated terroir expression that cannot be replicated anywhere else on earth.
Pre-phylloxera ungrafted vines are Vitis vinifera plants that survived the devastating 19th-century phylloxera epidemic because their soils were inhospitable to the pest. Santorini's volcanic ash and pumice, Colares's deep Atlantic sand dunes, and the walled clos of Bollinger in Champagne represent the best-documented European survivors. These own-rooted vines maintain their original root architecture, expressing terroir without the mediation of a grafted American rootstock.
- Santorini's ungrafted Assyrtiko vines survive because the island's volcanic soil, composed of layers of ash and pumice up to 60 meters thick, lacks the clay that phylloxera requires to complete its life cycle
- Phylloxera was first recorded in France in 1863 in the Languedoc; by the late 19th century, an estimated two-thirds of European vineyards had been destroyed
- Santorini has approximately 1,200 hectares under vine, with Assyrtiko accounting for roughly 70-80% of plantings; all vines are own-rooted, as phylloxera has never established itself on the island
- Colares DOC (Portugal) requires vineyards to be planted exclusively on sandy soils and remain ungrafted; the appellation has shrunk from over 1,000 hectares in the 1930s to roughly 12-22 hectares today
- Bollinger's Vieilles Vignes Françaises is made from just 31 ares of ungrafted Pinot Noir across two walled Grand Cru parcels in Aÿ: Clos Saint-Jacques and Clos des Chaudes-Terres
- The Minoan eruption of Santorini, dated by radiocarbon to approximately 1627-1600 BC, created the pumice and ash subsoil in which the island's own-rooted vines thrive today
- Colares DOC regulations require red wines to contain at least 80% Ramisco and whites at least 80% Malvasia de Colares, both grown ungrafted in pure sand; vine roots penetrate up to three meters to reach nutrient-bearing clay subsoil
What It Is: The Geology of Survival
Pre-phylloxera ungrafted vines are original Vitis vinifera plantings that escaped the Daktulosphaira vitifoliae (phylloxera) epidemic through fortunate pedological circumstances. Unlike the vast majority of European vineyards, which were grafted onto American rootstocks after the epidemic, these vines maintain their original root systems, creating a direct and unmediated connection to their terroir. Three distinct soil types enabled survival: the volcanic ash and pumice of Santorini, the deep Atlantic sand dunes of Colares, and the walled enclosures of Bollinger's Aÿ clos in Champagne. Each represents a different mechanism of resistance, though all share the outcome of phylloxera being unable to establish a viable population in the soil.
- Santorini: Volcanic soil composed of ash and pumice up to 60 meters deep lacks the clay phylloxera needs to survive and reproduce
- Colares: Deep Atlantic sand dunes are inhospitable to phylloxera, which cannot live or move effectively in loose, granular soils
- Champagne: Bollinger's two walled Grand Cru clos in Aÿ (Clos Saint-Jacques and Clos des Chaudes-Terres) miraculously escaped infestation; the enclosing walls are thought to have restricted pest movement
- All three represent pedological and geographic accidents that preserved a style of viticulture that was effectively erased everywhere else in Europe
How It Happened: Geological and Historical Context
Phylloxera was first recorded in France in 1863 in the Languedoc, having been accidentally introduced from North America. Over the following decades it swept across the continent, and by the late 19th century an estimated two-thirds of European vineyards had been destroyed. Grafting onto American rootstocks became the universal solution. Santorini escaped entirely because its volcanic soil, the product of the catastrophic Minoan eruption dated to approximately 1627-1600 BC, contains virtually no clay and is composed primarily of pumice and ash, providing no suitable substrate for phylloxera larvae. Colares escaped because its Atlantic sand dunes are equally inhospitable. Champagne was heavily impacted by phylloxera, which arrived in the Aube in 1888 and spread rapidly through the Marne. Bollinger's two walled clos in Aÿ represent extraordinary rare exceptions. None of these survivals were planned; they resulted from pure geological and geographic fortune.
- Santorini: The Minoan eruption (c. 1627-1600 BC) created the volcanic ash and pumice subsoil in which ungrafted vines have thrived for centuries
- Colares: Phylloxera cannot survive in sand; over 80% of Portugal's vines were affected during the outbreak but Colares was protected
- Champagne: Phylloxera arrived in Champagne via the Aube in 1888 and devastated the region; Bollinger's enclosed clos in Aÿ are among the only documented surviving ungrafted parcels
- Post-epidemic replanting across Europe established grafting as the global standard; these three regions are among the few places where that standard never applied
Effect on Wine: Terroir Without Mediation
Ungrafted vines produce wines that reflect their soil's character without the mediation of a rootstock, which can influence vigor, nutrient uptake, and the timing of ripening. Santorini Assyrtiko from own-rooted vines is defined by concentrated saline minerality, razor-sharp acidity, and a capacity for extended aging that few Mediterranean white wines can match. The roots seek moisture deep in the pumice and ash, concentrating flavor in the small berry crops. Colares Ramisco produces firm, high-acid reds with pronounced tannins that need years in oak and bottle before becoming approachable; with age, complex tertiary notes of earth, cedar, smoke, and dried fruit emerge. Bollinger's Vieilles Vignes Françaises is a blanc de noirs Champagne of extraordinary concentration and depth, fermented in aged oak barrels, with a chalky, saline finish that reflects the Grand Cru terroir of Aÿ.
- Santorini Assyrtiko: Briny, mineral-driven, and intensely acidic, with documented aging potential of a decade or more in top vintages
- Colares Ramisco: High tannin and acidity at low alcohol; wines become approachable only after years in barrel and bottle, developing earth, cedar, and smoke with time
- Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises: 100% Pinot Noir, Grand Cru, fermented entirely in aged oak barrels; dosage is low (4-6 g/L depending on vintage) and production rarely exceeds a few thousand numbered bottles
- All three styles demonstrate the argument that rootstock-free viticulture transmits soil character with particular directness, though the debate among ampelographers remains open
Where to Find It: The Key Producers
Santorini maintains approximately 1,200 hectares of ungrafted vines, with all plantings own-rooted. Key producers include Estate Argyros, the largest private vineyard owner on the island with over 120 hectares including some of the oldest vines, as well as Domaine Sigalas, Gaia Wines, and the large cooperative Santo Wines. Colares, northwest of Lisbon, has shrunk dramatically from over 1,000 hectares in the 1930s to roughly 12-22 hectares today due to real estate pressure from Lisbon's expansion. The Adega Regional de Colares, founded in 1931, remains the largest producer, with Viúva Gomes and Ramilo among the notable independent producers. In Champagne, Bollinger's Vieilles Vignes Françaises, first produced in 1969 from grapes harvested that year, represents virtually the only commercially released Champagne from documented ungrafted vines, drawn from just 31 ares divided across two walled Grand Cru parcels in Aÿ.
- Santorini: Estate Argyros (120+ hectares, vines to 200+ years old), Domaine Sigalas, Gaia Wines, and Santo Wines are key producers of Assyrtiko from own-rooted vines
- Colares: Adega Regional de Colares (cooperative, est. 1931), Viúva Gomes, and Ramilo are the main producers working with ungrafted Ramisco and Malvasia de Colares
- Champagne: Bollinger Vieilles Vignes Françaises comes from Clos Saint-Jacques (21 ares) and Clos des Chaudes-Terres (15 ares) in Aÿ, both Grand Cru, with production of only a few thousand numbered bottles per vintage
- Beyond these three regions, own-rooted vines also survive in isolated pockets in Jumilla (Spain), parts of Mount Etna (Sicily), and the Canary Islands, where sandy or volcanic soils offer similar protection
Viticulture: Training, Planting, and Propagation
The practical viticulture of ungrafted vines in these three regions differs substantially and is shaped entirely by local conditions. In Santorini, vines are trained in the traditional kouloura basket system, pruned into low, circular, self-supporting structures close to the ground to protect grapes from intense sun, wind, and sandblasting; the vines are propagated by selecting new growth from the old rootstock when the above-ground trunk becomes unproductive. In Colares, planting requires digging down through several meters of sand to reach the clay subsoil, where cuttings are inserted directly; vine roots then grow up to three meters deep to access nutrients and water in the clay. At Bollinger, the ungrafted vines are propagated using provignage, the ancient en foule layering method in which shoots are buried to produce new plants, a technique that has disappeared from almost all of modern viticulture. All three methods are labor intensive and incompatible with mechanization.
- Santorini kouloura: Basket-shaped training system keeps vines 10-20 cm above ground, protecting clusters from the island's fierce meltemi winds and intense sun
- Colares planting: Trenches dug to reach clay subsoil beneath several meters of sand; vine roots penetrate up to three meters to reach water and nutrients
- Bollinger provignage: Traditional en foule layering method buries shoots to multiply vines while preserving genetic characteristics; the land is worked by hand with a draught horse
- Santorini yields average approximately 2,000 kg per hectare under these conditions, often less; Colares yields are similarly minimal at under two tons per hectare
Why It Matters: Authenticity, Rarity, and the Future
Ungrafted vines represent terroir in what many growers and thinkers consider its most uncompromised form, with no rootstock mediating between the soil and the scion. This argument is central to the natural wine movement's fascination with pre-phylloxera viticulture, though some viticulturalists counter that well-matched rootstocks can optimize rather than diminish terroir expression. What is undeniable is the fragility of these survivals. Colares has shrunk from over 1,000 hectares to a tiny fraction of that area, and real estate pressure continues. Bollinger has acknowledged that its own ungrafted clos may one day fall victim to phylloxera, a prospect that motivated the house to begin making a Champagne from the historic Côte aux Enfants vineyard as a contingency. The cultural and historical value of these vineyards goes beyond the wine itself: they are living records of pre-epidemic European viticulture, and each bottle carries the accumulated character of root systems that have never been reset.
- Colares has contracted from over 1,000 hectares in the 1930s to 12-22 hectares today; real estate development near Lisbon remains the primary threat
- Bollinger acknowledges that its Aÿ clos may eventually succumb to phylloxera; the house has developed alternative expressions of Aÿ Pinot Noir as part of a long-term preservation strategy
- Santorini's ungrafted vineyards face pressure from tourism and urbanization, with total vine area having already fallen sharply from historic highs
- The scientific question of whether own-rooted vines produce wines of measurably different mineral composition to grafted equivalents remains an active area of research
Santorini ungrafted Assyrtiko is defined by concentrated saline minerality, notes of citrus (lemon zest, grapefruit), and white stone fruit, with high natural acidity and the capacity to retain freshness even at full ripeness. Tasting notes of crushed oyster shell, volcanic stone, and sea spray are commonly cited; top examples have aging potential of a decade or more. Colares Ramisco presents sour cherry, fresh red berry, and herbal notes in youth, with firm, granular tannins and high acidity at relatively low alcohol (often 11-12.5%). With extended aging, tertiary notes of cedar, leather, earth, mushroom, smoke, and dried fruit develop; wines from the 1930s and 1940s are documented as still alive and complex. Bollinger Vieilles Françaises is a blanc de noirs Champagne of deep golden color, with roasted nuts, stone fruit, spice, and a characteristically chalky, saline finish; it is fermented entirely in aged oak barrels and requires several years of bottle age to show its full complexity.