"Famous for its Grands Vins, the Mas de Daumas Gassac has been a family owned vineyard for more than 40 years and belongs to the Guibert family. It is set in a wild and enchanting valley, close the magnificent romanesque abbey of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. 50 hectares of a deep, well drained soil, free from any chemical fertilisers.
It is this fabulous terroir, similar to the best parts of Burgundy, that Henri Enjalbert, the great Professor of Geology at Bordeaux university, rediscovered in the 1970’s.
A delicate piece of music! A gentle, nurturing climate has given it richness and balance.
The winter was cold but not freezing, without any snow. It was followed by a spring with just the right amount of rain, resulting in a vigorous start to the growth cycle. 2020 was characterized by mild conditions, from pruning to bud break, and then from flowering to the harvest. There were no heatwaves or excessive spikes in temperature over the summer, with an average of 28°C during the day and magical, cool nights (10°-12°C) in the Gassac Valley.
Finally, a perfectly-timed storm on 15 August, a stroke of luck they have not had since 2012, turned the vintage into something genuinely exceptional. By the 1st October, vinification of the red and white grand vins was complete, and as they tasted them during this process, a “classicism” emerged, reminiscent of the property’s early vintages.
"28% Viognier, 23% Petit Manseng, 20% Chardonnay, 12% Chenin Blanc, 17% 'rare varieties'. From a cool microclimate in Larzac. Pale gold. Awkward, at first – needed lots of air. (To be honest, this wine needs lots more time…) So young and unformed, but very intense. This is fisted into a white-knuckled ball of concentration, still angular, but even so, it's a kaleidoscope of layers, flavours, components. The ripeness of golden Cape gooseberries and apricots pushes through clouds of May blossom and angelica flower. Grapefruit and passion fruit, bitter-salty quinine, linden and mimosa florals, honey, wax and lime. On the finish, cardamom and white pepper and chalk linger, dry and insistent. A wine that, even in its cocoon, has weight and presence. When I taste this wine, it feels like a heavy pewter spoon, tarnished into worn beauty, cold, pressed into warm wax, laid on bronze silk. Buy this wine, tuck it into a far corner of the cellar, come back to it in three, four, five years' time. (TC)" 17+ pts, Jancis Robinson"
Mas de Daumas Gassac was established in the 1970s when Aimé Guibert,a Parisian glove manufacturer purchased the property, and since then has come to be described by some as the Grand Cru of Languedoc. After the renowned oenologist Professor Henri Enjalbert pointed out that the unique combination of the red glacial soils beneath the local garrigue with the altitude and currents of cool air that passed over the slopes made this an ideal spot for viticulture, Aimés passion for wine was ignited. He Planted un-cloned Cabernet Sauvignon vines. The Guibert mantra is that uniformity is the enemy of quality. The first vintage of white wine from Viognier, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng and Chenin was produced in 1986 Today three of Aimés sons, Samuel, Roman and Gaël work in the business.
