Home > Producer Profiles > Languedoc Profiles > Mas de Daumas Gassac

Mas de Daumas Gassac

Mas de Daumas Gassac was established in the 1970s, and since then has come to be described by some as the Grand Cru of Languedoc. Such hyperbole may in some way be warranted, as the estate has indeed turned out some wines of excellent quality over the last few decades. What is more, they are made very much in the Bordeaux mould, based on Cabernet Sauvignon, with the necessary structure and substance for a prolonged period of ageing in the cellar. And I have, more than once, seen them mistaken for a St Estèphe in a blind tasting.

The story of how Mas de Daumas came to be has been well described; it begins with the purchase of the property by Aimé Guibert, a Parisian glove manufacturer; he and his wife Véronique were looking for a family home away from city life, and had no intention of making wine. They stumbled across Mas de Daumas Gassac, an abandoned farmhouse owned by the Daumas family in a valley shaped by the flow of the Gassac. The pair purchased the property and set about its renovation, but they also surveyed their land and naturally considered what they should plant there. It may have been olive trees, or a fruit orchard, had it not been for a friend of theirs who visited them in 1971.

The friend in question was none other than Professor Henri Enjalbert, the renowned oenologist, and it was he that provided the spark to light the tinder of Mas de Daumas Gassac. Whilst walking around the estate he recognised that the combination of the red glacial soils beneath the local garrigue, together with the altitude and the nocturnal currents of cool air that passed over the slopes made this an ideal spot for viticulture. His enthusiasm seemed to ignite a passion within Aimé Guibert and his wife; it was barely a year before the first vines were planted, the beginnings of perhaps the most significant Languedoc vineyard of all. These were un-cloned Cabernet Sauvignon vines, propagated from cuttings taken from Bordeaux vineyards three or four decades before. With the first vines in place in 1972, work began on constructing a cuverie on the site of an ancient Gallo-Roman water mill, which was not completed until 1978, just in time for the first vintage. This was undertaken with advice from another great name associated with Bordeaux, the oenologist Professor Emile Peynaud. Under his aegis the 1978 Mas de Daumas Gassac went from fermentation vessel to barrel and then, in 1980, to bottle. There were in fact nearly 18000 bottles, which the Guiberts had some considerable difficulty selling, relying heavily on friends, family and other acquaintances to buy and market the wine. This situation was not to last long, not once Gault et Millau labelled the estate as the Languedoc Chateau Lafite; sales of the red wine exploded. Meanwhile, Guibert was busy planting up a mix of white varieties, namely Viognier, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng and Chenin Blanc for the Mas de Daumas white. The first vintage for this wine was the 1986, bottled and sold in 1987.

Today there are now over 50 hectares planted up, predominantly with Cabernet Sauvignon, and also with a range of other varieties, some of which may cause a few eyebrows to rise. These include Merlot, Cabernet Franc, Tannat and Pinot Noir, as well as a collection of Italians - Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto - and other uncommon varieties. The white varieties are mainly Chardonnay, Viognier, Chenin Blanc and Petit Manseng, but also Marsanne, Roussanne, Sercial, Muscat and more. The fruit is harvested with yields in the order of 35-40 hl/ha, and the harvest is entirely by hand into 20 kg open weave baskets. Once these have been carried to the cellars, the fruit is sorted by hand on tables, destemmed and then fed by gravity into the inox (stainless steel) fermentation vats. After these the red wine is run into barrel, a mix of Merrain Bordeaux and Burgundy barrels, which are replaced every seven years, so the new oak influence is minimised. The red will rest here for 12-15 months before bottling, after a light egg-white fining and no filtration. As for the white, this has some skin contact for up to seven days, then fermented in inox and filtered by passage through fossilised seashells.

The grand vin at Mas de Daumas Gassac is the standard red bottling, a Vin de Pays de l'Herault. This wine is destined for the cellar, the advice from Aimé Guibert being that it frequently needs decades of bottle age - tastings of the 1985, 1983 and 1982 below would seem to confirm this. The Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc, also a Vin de Pays de l'Herault, is approachable young but from experience I know it will age well also. It is a blend of 30% each of Chardonnay, Viognier and Petit Manseng, with other varieties mentioned above making up the remainder. In addition to these two wines, there is a new super-cuvée Emile Peynaud, of which the first vintage is the 2001. This wine represents just a small plot of the Daumas Gassac vineyards, using fruit from just the first hectare of Cabernet Sauvignon ever to be planted at the domaine. Finally there is Vin de Laurence, a fascinating blend of late harvest Muscat (50%) and Sercial (50%) which, when I first tasted it, reminded me more of Madeira than anything else.

In addition to the estate wines Aimé Guibert also produces a range of wines under the Moulin de Gassac label. These wines are the result of Guibert's realisation that subsidies were causing many of the old vines around his estate to be uprooted. With his support a number of vineyards rich in old vines that would otherwise have been uprooted have been saved. The range is broad, including varietal vin de pays bottlings and Guilheim, Les Grands Terroirs and Figaro labels. I remember, prior to any real knowledge of Mas de Daumas Gassac per se, discovering the red from the latter of these three labels in the 1993 vintage; it was hugely flavoursome and excellent value for money. Nevertheless, although these wines clearly have some merit, without doubt the highest level of quality and interest comes with the Mas de Daumas wines. Now with many years of tasting and experiencing these wines, and with some vintages in the cellar, both old and young, these are wines that I am happy to recommend to anybody, especially those interested in Bordeaux and similarly styled wines. (3/2/04, updated 10/9/08)

Contact details:
Address: 34150 Aniane
Telephone: +33 (0) 4 67 57 71 28
Fax: +33 (0) 4 67 57 41 03
Internet: www.daumas-gassac.com

Mas de Daumas Gassac - Tasting Notes

Click to locate stockists.

Réserve de Gassac Blanc (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2007: This is mostly Viognier and Marsanne sourced from an estate distinct from Mas de Daumas. It is made from 25 year-old vines and fermented in stainless steel. A very pale wine, it has a feminine, rather herby, softly aromatic nose. Soft and ripe on the palate, with a reserved, chalky, slightly fleshy character, with a good minerally acid backbone. It doesn't display much concentration or flavour at the moment though. From a France Under One Roof tasting. 14.5+/20 (March 2008)

Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2007: This has only been in the bottle for one month at the time of tasting, and it is giving away absolutely nothing on the nose at present. It has a good structure on the palate though, certainly superior to the Reserve de Daumas. It has a more rounded, composed composition and defined acidity. Full, weighty, impressive in terms of substance, but completely closed down today. Difficult to judge with that in mind. From a France Under One Roof tasting. 16.5-17.5+?/20 (March 2008)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2006: A very youthful hue, a red-purple colour, with lots of dense fruit on the nose. Midweight on the palate, nicely balanced, with quite firm acidity. Not a lot of flesh at present, but I suspect this will fatten up with some time in barrel. There is certainly good raw material here in the shape of rich, primary fruit. Potentially very good. From a France Under One Roof tasting. 16.5-17+?/20 (March 2008)

Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2002: A lifting, fresh exuberant nose, packed with lime citrus and tropical fruits. Similarly fresh on the palate, with fine acidity. Rich in fruit, and some flesh to the texture. Lovely. Drink now, or cellar and enjoy over the next five to eight years. A good impression on what is a repeat sampling of this wine. 17/20 (November 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2002: Chardonnay, Viognier and Petit Manseng in equal proportions. Very pale hue. Delightfully fresh, vibrant fruit on the nose, with a tropical edge. Lovely palate. Elegant, with clean sherbet-edged fruit. Tasted alongside wines of the previous vintages in a Southern Rhône 2001 tasting. 17/20 (March 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2002: A barrel sample, due to be bottled Spring 2004. Bright red fruits on the nose, with a sweet, smoky, slightly yeasty edge. The palate is full, fruit-dominated, with a good amount of tannin and firm acidity. Simple and light at present - but I suspect this will fatten up and gain interest with further time in barrel. A little difficult to call in this state, but I suspect this will also need eight to ten years in the cellar. 17+/20 (November 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2001: Rich and exotic on the nose, with some roasted nuts and black fruit aromas. Good weight on the palate, and nice black fruit flavour profile. Rich, plenty of tannin, but not fat or opulent. Balanced. Requires a decade in the cellar. 17+/20 (November 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2001: Moderately deep but vibrant red. This has class on the nose, with layers of fruit. Structured and balanced on the palate, with sweet, dark, deep-pile fruit. Correct acidity. From a Southern Rhône 2001 tasting. 17+/20 (March 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac Cuvée Emile Peynaud (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2001: The inaugural vintage of this wine. Powerful, intense, exotic black fruits on the nose. The palate is sweet and ripe, with fine tannins and beautifully balanced acidity. Powerful, obvious Cabernet Sauvignon, in a sweet youthful phase. Needs eight to ten years in the cellar. Impressive stuff indeed, but what a price tag! Expect to pay in the region of £90. 17.5+/20 (November 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 2000: I was uncertain whether to include this wine, as it is so different in style, this being largely Cabernet Sauvignon in contrast to the Grenache, Mourvèdre and Syrah of the Rhône and Languedoc. In the end it was something of a disaster, but not for the feared reason. The first bottle was rank, farmyardy and mousey, seemingly heavily tainted by Brett, curiously later showing toffee and burnt sugar character. A second was opened, which turned out to be corked. Thankfully a third was just fine; in the glass it shows a bright ruby red with little maturity, and on the nose classic youthful Mas de Daumas, firm and gravelly with tightly bound fruit, and a burgeoning perfume over the top. I have often said that tasted blind Mas de Daumas resembles a St Estèphe more than any other commune, and on the basis of this tasting I wouldn't change this opinion. A firm palate, with good substance and texture, and lots of ripe structured tannins coming right through the core and coating the whole mouth on the finish. This third bottle is lovely, but still very primary, tannic and full. Lots of development time here before this one is at peak, which if you know Mas de Daumas will come as no surprise I am sure. From a 2000 Southern Rhône tasting. 17.5+/20 (September 2009)

Mas de Daumas Gassac Vin de Laurence 1998: It has been a few years since I first tasted the 1997 vintage, so it is a delight to be able to sample the 1998. This is 50% Sercial and 50% Muscat à Petits Grains. On inspection the wine has a vibrant orange hue, with hints of pink, with a dense core which fades considerably out towards the rim. A characterful nose, redolent of baked earth, nuts and dried fruits. It is rather reminiscent of Madeira although I think they aim more for a Tokay style. A fine and creamy texture on the palate, a lovely weight, rather svelte in character, with a good body and sweetness. Very good indeed. From a France Under One Roof tasting. 17+/20 (March 2008)

Mas de Daumas Gassac Vin de Laurence 1997: A special showing of this wine, of which the first vintage was 1996. A captivating nose, redolent of apples, figs and crème caramel. It has a lovely weight and presence on the palate - it is smooth, rich and mouthfilling. Rich apple and fig flavours. Touch of sweetness, but structured and grippy. Quite amazing. I daren't predict a drinking window - I think this style of wine may go on for decades. 17.5+/20 (November 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1996: Lovely mature colour here, plenty of depth, but with a mahogany tinge at the rim. Mature, meaty, spiced nose, with little notes of orange peel and beef. Fine texture on entry, gently coating the palate, revealing some real substance and extract towards the middle. Opens out to show some really fine secondary flavours, with great balance, Still showing a masculine backbone of tannin, but this sits beautifully with the texture and acidity. This is just fine for drinking now, although will last superbly in the cellar for another five years at the very least. From a 1996 vintage ten years on tasting. 18+/20 (December 2006)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1996: A less intense but similar red-purple hue. A somewhat medicinal nose, with cloves and nuances of bacon. Very approachable wine, with prominent but not problematic tannins. The medicinal notes follow through onto the palate. Lots of fruit, with smoky, meaty, grilled bacon notes developing on the finish. From a 1996 Southern Rhône & Languedoc blind tasting. 17.5+/20 (July 2001)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1995: A mature hue here, warm and ripe and spicy aromas on the nose, and a slightly high toned character. Quite winey and serious, and certainly appealing. A gentle character on the palate, soft and integrated structure, just a touch of hot hardness towards the end. Good finish overall though. Not much length. Still some potential here I think. From a France Under One Roof tasting. 15.5/20 (March 2008)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1992: A lovely colour in the decanter, a nice depth but also showing some maturity. The nose is just gorgeous; there are aromas of hot iron, violets and blood. It is beautifully clean and has none of the more savage elements found last time which may well have been related to Brettanomyces, a characteristic which is notoriously variable from bottle to bottle. This has a much more pure, perfumed character. Soft and restrained on entry, but then showing iron-bound extract in the midpalate, and unveiling a core of tannin here also. Fresh, well focused, vibrantly alive wine with perhaps a little more spicy structure still evident than my last note suggested. This bottle is eminently more impressive and there is room here for improvement. Very good indeed. A 2007 Christmas wine. 17.5+/20 (January 2008)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1992: This is 90% Cabernet, the balance Syrah, Cabernet Franc and Malbec. Unsurprisingly it has a mature colour when poured, but it is only a thin rim of watery-orange-pink that surrounds a wide core of colour which still holds a lot of ruby-claret pigment and certainly has plenty of depth. The nose is delightfully mature also, with lots of iron and blood character alongside some more savage notes of animal fur, rather mousey and horsey notes which suggest a trace of Brett perhaps. Rather lean on entry although there develops a little more texture through the midpalate, but only a little. There is still some evident structure here, although not overtly present it lends the wine an austere feel which means it works much better with food than without. Pleasing, mature, claretty flavour with just a little trace of rounded sweetness in the finish to caress the palate and counterbalance that midpalate austerity. It certainly has style, and the little twist of tannin in the finish suggests that there is no hurry to drink up my remaining bottles. Great length too. I drank the remainder the next day with a roasted chicken; it was perfect here, singing beautifully, showing all its mature aromas but with its fine structure working in perfect harmony on the palate with the food. Superb. For label images and more see my Wine of the Week write-up. 17+/20 (October 2006)

Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1992: A lovely mature nose, with aromas of waxy, honeyed furniture oil. The wine maintains a fresh backdrop to the array of flavours, led by honey, apple and honeysuckle. This wine is showing well today. Lovely. 17/20 (November 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1991: An impressive golden colour, but in a dry wine of this age one wonders about the possibility of oxidation with such a hue. Indeed, the nose has aromas of apple pie and toffee, with notes of madeirisation/oxidation. Fairly flat and inexpressive on entry, with cinder toffee oxidative notes, with a slightly bitter finish. Drinkable, interesting, but falling apart. From a 1991 Vintage ten year on blind tasting. 16/20 (December 2001)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1991: This wine has a deep red purple colour. A touch austere on the nose, with plenty of black fruits with a youthful edge. The palate follows a similar line, although it seems somewhat austere and withdrawn. There is some stylish fruit hidden in the wings. This is a serious, styled wine, which needs a good few years to come round yet. From a 1991 Vintage ten year on blind tasting. 17/20 (December 2001)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1990: Quite a tawny, mahogany wine. Raspberry fruit, with some mineral notes on the nose. Rich and peppery fruit on the palate, with obvious tannins but good acidity. Quite spicy. From a 1990 Vintage ten year on blind tasting. 17+/20 (August 2000)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1985: Obviously mature. Slight apply madeirisation on the nose - some oxidation is present. A lovely, elegant texture on the palate, and there is still a backbone of tannin. Rich and rounded, but marred by a little oxidation unfortunately. Still merits a score though. Having tasted this before in September 2002 I'm certain this is just a one-off oxidised bottle. A disappointment considering this came direct from the domaine though. Not scored. (November 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1985: This has a fantastic, youthful colour, red with a purple hue. Quite remarkable. Sweet pastille fruit on the nose. Some hard, tarry notes. Big and muscular on the palate, with sweet fruit, good acidity, and tannins close to full integration. This wine will still benefit from a few more years in bottle. A ringer in a Bordeaux 1985 blind tasting. 17/20 (September 2002)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1983: A dark, red-mahogany coloured wine. A quite intense nose, rich with sweet, burnt, smoky fruit. Delightfully balanced and appropriate on the palate, which still has plenty of fruit and brilliantly fresh acidity. Meaty, chewy edge to the texture. This has great fluidity and considerable elegance on the palate. From a 1983 Vintage twenty year on tasting. 18/20 (April 2003)

Mas de Daumas Gassac (Vin de Pays de l'Herault) 1982: This wine has a wonderful deep red colour, with little sign of age. A youthful appearance. There is an amazing depth of cassis fruit on the nose, and this is reflected on the palate, which is big, structured and almost seamless. Lovely mineral edge to the fruit, which takes on a powerful, prune-like character. Finishes well and has a warming length. Aimé Guibert says this vintage needs decades more of bottle age, and on the basis of this tasting I'm not one to disagree. From a 1982 Vintage twenty year on blind tasting. 18/20 (April 2002)