TN: Mas de Daumas Gassac vertical 2017-1989

Yet another stunning vertical in a short period of time!

This was arranged by a friend of mine who loves Mas de Daumas Gassac, has visited the place and collects the whites. Along the way he had bought one red here and another one there and now he decided he had collected enough bottles to throw a vertical. A few extra bottles were provided by some attendees who had some vintages that weren’t in the original lineup and we managed to pick up the newest vintage from our local monopoly shop as well.

And, as always, a little introduction to those who don’t know.

Mas de Daumas Gassac is one of the most acclaimed - if not the most acclaimed - producer in Languedoc-Roussillon, France. The winery took its first steps when Aimé and Véronique Guibert bought a little farm located in the Gassac valley from the Daumas family in 1974. Soon they planted some Cabernet Sauvignon (with cuttings from some 1er Cru Bordeaux estates) that they started farming organically - MdDG is often claimed to be the first modern organic winery in Languedoc, since they’ve never used any synthetic pesticides or fertilizers. With the help of Emile Peynaud, they started to produce wines from their plantings, starting with the 1978 vintage; originally their wines were Cabernet Sauvignon-driven blends with a handful of other French varieties in the mix, but over the years Aimé Guibert brought cuttings from wine-growing countries he visited, planted them in his vineyards and started introducing these varieties in the MdDG blend. Although the blend still relies quite heavily on Cabernet Sauvignon, it can change noticeably year after another, depending on how the different varieties have performed during the year. In the 1990’s the wines had bigger proportions of Syrah, but now it seems to be eliminated from the blend. Thanks to the very informative MdDG website, I was able to source all the correct blends for each vintage (the back labels normally state just 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% other red varieties) and I’ve mentioned them for each wine. Typically the wines are fermented and macerated for 20 days in stainless steel tanks, aged for 12-15 months in oak barrels ranging from new to 7 years old.

As I have quite a bit of experience with the reds of Languedoc-Roussillon but had only tasted the Mas de Daumas Gassac blancs before, the style here came as a surprise: the wines are often described as the Grand Crus of Languedoc and on par with the greatest Growths of Bordeaux, and having now gone through a nice cross-section of MdDG vintages, I really don’t disagree. The wines might not be similar to the contemporary 1er Crus Classés, because the wines of Mas de Daumas Gassac still retain a nice, unpolished and positively rustic edge to them - the wines aren’t glossy and full of luxurious oak, but instead textural and many vintages seem to show a healthy dose of brett. Nothing to make the wines feel natty or heavily funky, but more in the way how Loire Cab Francs and old-school Bordeaux wines can taste. Most vintages do show a bit of that solar character typical of Languedoc wines, but the overall style is so far removed from the generally ripe, soft and fruity style of the region that I’d have a hard time pinpointing these wines to Languedoc were I to taste them blind.

Unfortunately Aimé Guibert passed away in 2016 (at the age of 91 years) but the winery still remains in the hands of the Guibert family and is run by the nine children of Aimé and Veronique.

As for the tasting, we had a small bunch of random wines after the main event was over. I’ll include the tasting notes here as well just in case somebody was interested in some of these wines.
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  • 2017 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (78%), Cabernet Franc (5%), Merlot (5%), Petit Verdot (4%), Dolcetto (2%), Malbec (2%), Nebbiolo (2%) and Pinot Noir (2%). 13,5% alcohol, 5,4 g/l acidity and pH 3,54. Total production 81,000 bottles and 3,000 magnums. Decanted for 4 hours.

Youthful and moderately opaque blackish-red color. Youthful, floral and very slightly funky nose with complex aromas of fresh forest fruits, some woody notes of pencil shavings, light bretty notes of farmhouse funk, a little bit of dank herbal greenness, a hint of ripe blackberry and a touch of graphite. The wine is juicy, ripe and silky on the palate with a moderately full body and complex flavors of fresh blackcurrants, juicy dark plums, some stony mineral notes, a little bit of sanguine iron, light bretty notes of stable floor, a hint of woody bitterness and a touch of sappy greenness. The moderately high acidity makes the wine feel enjoyably fresh and crunchy while keeping the structure nicely in check. The silky medium tannins are quite gentle and well-behaved. The finish is long, juicy and quite crunchy with complex flavors of juicy blackcurrants, graphite, some barnyard funk, a little bit of savory wood spice, light black cherry tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of succulent plummy fruit.

A very enjoyable, vibrant and youthful vintage of Mas de Daumas Gassac. Compared to the vintage 2015, this feels a bit more youthful and less substantial. While both vintages show ripe fruit and good sense of balance, the 2015 comes across as slightly more muscular and structure-driven, while this is a bit softer and more accessible in its youth. I can imagine this will benefit from further aging, but the overall style is very drinkable already and doesn’t scream for any additional cellaring. I imagine this won’t be among the longer-lived vintages of MdDG, but instead best enjoyed more on the younger side. Good and very enjoyable stuff all the same. (91 pts.)

  • 2015 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (79%), Merlot (7%), Cabernet Franc (6%), Malbec (2%), Pinot Noir (2%) and the remaining 4% rounded out by a blend of Abouriou, Areni (from Armenia), Amigne (Switzerland), Barbera (Italy), Bastardo aka. Trousseau, Brancellao (Portugal/Spain), Carmenère, Chkhaveri (Georgia), Dolcetto (Italy), Montepulciano (Italy), Nebbiolo (Italy), Plavac Mali (Croatia), Saperavi (Georgia), Souzão (Portugal) and “Tchekavesi” (?). 13,5% alcohol, 5,1 g/l acidity and pH 3,58. Total production 100,000 bottles and 4,000 magnums. Decanted for 4 hours.

Youthful and moderately opaque dark red color. Looks pretty similar to the 2017 vintage, only more ruby-red than blackish-red. The nose is also very similar to the 2017 vintage, perhaps slightly sweeter-toned in style. Attractive aromas of sweet black cherries, some barnyard funk, a little bit of dusty old leather, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a hint of brambly blackberry and a touch of graphite. The wine is juicy, textural and moderately full-bodied with ripe flavors of blackcurrants and dark plums, some bretty notes of new leather, stable floor and phenolic spice, light bitter notes of sour cherries, a sanguine hint of iron and a touch of graphite. The overall feel is somewhat concentrated with a good sense of structure, thanks to the high acidity and moderately grippy medium tannins. The long, textural finish is ripe yet dry with moderately grippy tannins and somewhat rustic yet juicy flavors of blackcurrants, some tobacco, a little bit of bretty barnyard funk, light leathery tones, a sweet hint of black cherry and a woody touch of pencil shavings.

A wonderfully harmonious, complex and enjoyably funky vintage of MdDG. Stylistically pretty similar to the 2017 vintage that was tasted alongside, but while the 2017 felt fruitier and more accessible now, this 2015 felt more concentrated, muscular and slightly more forbidding at the moment. It feels that the 2017 is more for early consumption, while this 2015 feels like it is built for the long haul. Great sense of depth, complexity and structure. Beautiful stuff, I can imagine this will only improve with age. Highly recommended. (93 pts.)

  • 2002 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (69,2%), Merlot (9%), Cabernet Franc (8,2%), Pinot Noir (4,3%), Syrah (3,2%), Malbec (2,2%), Tannat (1,1%) and the remaining 2,8% rounded out by a blend of Areni (from Armenia), Amigne (Switzerland), Barbera (Italy), Bastardo aka. Trousseau, Brancellao (Portugal/Spain), Chkhaveri (Georgia), Dolcetto (Italy), Montepulciano (Italy), Nebbiolo (Italy), Petit Verdot, Saperavi (Georgia), Souzão (Portugal) and “Tchekavesi” (?). 12,84% alcohol, 5,0 g/l acidity and pH 3,47. Total production 110,000 bottles and 1,500 magnums. Decanted for 4,5 hours.

Deep, moderately translucent pomegranate color with a developed rusty hue. Fragrant and attractively rustic nose with lovely aromas of leathery funk and horse sweat, some wizened blackcurrant and red cherry tones, a little bit of ripe black cherry, light fruit cake tones, a sweet hint of VA and a touch of dried flowers. The wine is medium-bodied, textural and wonderfully silky on the palate with flavors of wizened black raspberries, leathery funk, some tertiary and slightly oxidative notes of savory spice and beef jerky, a little bit of gamey meat, light rusty notes, a sweet hint of ripe blackcurrant and a rustic note of stable floor. Although silky smooth, the wine is not wanting for firmness or structure, thanks to its moderately high acidity and still rather grippy medium tannins. The finish is long, savory and quite evolved with moderate tannic grip and somewhat tertiary flavors of sweet-toned plummy fruit, some wizened raspberry tones, a little bit of bretty leather and farmhouse funk, light sanguine notes of gamey meat, hints of garrigue and dried Mediterranean herbs and a touch of bouillon.

A beautifully harmonious, silky and evolved vintage of MdDG. Starting to show quite a bit of tertiary character without getting into that anonymous old wine territory - this still retains the classic faux-Bordeaux notes of blackcurrants and black raspberries along with a healthy dose of bretty funk, both hallmarks of Mas de Daumas Gassac. Feels like peaking now and while holding quite well at almost 20 years of age, the wine has most likely been already some while on its plateau of maturity. Drink now or soon - I really don’t see much upside to cellaring this further. While 2002 has never been a particularly memorable vintage anywhere around or below (i.e. southern than) Bordeaux, this wine was one of the better vintages in our vertical tasting. Highly recommended. (94 pts.)

  • 2001 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (65,8%), Merlot (10,4%), Syrah (8,8%), Cabernet Franc (6,5%), Malbec (3,6%), Pinot Noir (2,1%), Tannat (0,3%) and the remaining 2,5% rounded out by a blend of Areni (from Armenia), Amigne (Switzerland), Barbera (Italy), Bastardo aka. Trousseau, Brancellao (Portugal/Spain), Chkhaveri (Georgia), Dolcetto (Italy), Montepulciano (Italy), Nebbiolo (Italy), Petit Verdot, Saperavi (Georgia), Souzão (Portugal) and “Tchekavesi” (?). 13,1% alcohol, 5,1 g/l acidity and pH 3,37. Total production 105,000 bottles and 1,600 magnums. Decanted for 4,5 hours.

Deep and moderately translucent garnet color with a slightly evolved pomegranate hue. Developed, savory and slightly dusty nose with somewhat oxidative aromas of raisins, old dry leather, a little bit of earthy garrigue, light strawberry tones and a hint of dried figs. The overall impression is a bit reticent and quite tertiary. The wine is dry, dense and medium-bodied on the palate with quite intense flavors of crunchy redcurrants, some blood, a little bit of gamey meat, light notes of leather, a hint of dusty earth and a touch of garrigue. The taste is not as tertiary as the nose, but it is nevertheless lacking depth and vibrancy. The overall feel is quite balanced and structured, thanks to the high acidity and still moderately firm and grippy tannins. The finish is savory, quite acid-driven and moderately tannic with rather short and quite underwhelming aftertaste of blood, redcurrants, some leather, a little bit of tart red plums and a hint of earth.

A still pleasant, balanced and enjoyable vintage of Mas de Daumas Gassac, but one that is evidently on its decline. The wine really doesn’t feel faulty, just getting tertiary and losing its fruit and intensity - the contrast to the other surrounding vintages was quite noticeable here. The structure is still holding up really well and most likely the firm tannins will outlive the fruit by a long shot. The overall feel is already slightly faded and it really doesn’t feel like the wine is going to benefit from any further aging, so better to drink up sooner rather than later. (87 pts.)

  • 2000 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (69,5%), Merlot (12,4%), Syrah (7,4%), Malbec (4%), Cabernet Franc (3%), Pinot Noir (1,4%), Tannat (1,3%) and the remaining 1% rounded out by a blend of Areni (from Armenia), Amigne (Switzerland), Baga (Portugal), Barbera (Italy), Bastardo aka. Trousseau, Chkhaveri (Georgia), Dolcetto (Italy), Montepulciano (Italy), Nebbiolo (Italy), Saperavi (Georgia) and “Tchekavesi” (?). 13% alcohol, 5,2 g/l acidity and pH 3,52. Decanted for 4,5 hours.

Deep, somewhat opaque and slightly hazy garnet color with a hint of evolved brick red hue. Big, brooding and dark-toned nose with complex, somewhat tertiary and pretty seductive aromas of juicy plummy fruit, cocoa chips, some meaty notes of game, light raisiny tones, a little bit of leathery funk, an aromatic herbal hint of oregano, a touch of wizened dark fruits and a whiff of ethery VA. The wine is dense, medium-bodied and quite sinewy on the palate with concentrated flavors of wizened dark fruits and raisins, some umami notes of bouillon, a little bit of dried figs and cherries, light gamey tones, a hint of stewed red fruits and a touch of charred game. The wine doesn’t feel particularly big or weighty, but it certainly packs quite a bit of muscle with its moderately high acidity and still quite grippy tannins. The textural finish is ripe, quite evolved and rather tannic with long, juicy flavors of wizened black cherries, some gamey meat, a little bit of dried dark fruits, light tertiary notes of bouillon and beef jerky, a hint of raisin and a touch of cooked red fruits.

A powerful and muscular vintage of Mas de Daumas Gassac that doesn’t feel that big or weighty, just surprisingly concentrated and tightly-knit in nature. However, the fruit here has a surprisingly raisiny and even slightly cooked quality to it, which makes me wonder if this bottle was performing optimally? Although the wine doesn’t feel like it is going to be falling apart anytime soon, the somewhat cooked fruit character in this particular vintage was something that we didn’t come across in any other MdDG vintage in our tasting and none of the TNs I see in CT don’t seem to mention any of such characteristics either. Thus, I’m going to rate this wine how it performed in our tasting with the caveat that this might have not been the best possible bottle out there. Nevertheless, this was a pretty enjoyable bottle, so even if this is how this vintage is performing now, I wouldn’t complain. (89 pts.)

  • 1998 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (64,5%), Merlot (8,8%), Syrah (8%), Cabernet Franc (6,6%), Malbec (5,6%), Pinot Noir (2,5%), Tannat (1,4%) and the remaining 2,6% rounded out by a blend of Areni (from Armenia), Amigne (Switzerland), Barbera (Italy), Bastardo aka. Trousseau, Chkhaveri (Georgia), Dolcetto (Italy), Nebbiolo (Italy) and Saperavi (Georgia). 13% alcohol, 5,1 g/l acidity and pH 3,71. Total production 109,000 bottles and 1,850 magnums. Decanted for 2,5 hours, tasted from a magnum bottle.

Rather translucent appearance for a Mas de Daumas Gassac with a somewhat evolved dark garnet color. Attractive, savory nose with aromas that aren’t young anymore, but not particularly tertiary either: roasted meat, some wizened dark forest fruits, a little bit of smoke, light bretty notes of barnyard, a rusty hint of blood and a perfumed touch of dried flowers. The wine is dry and light-to-medium-bodied on the palate with juicy and surprisingly youthful flavors of stony minerality, meaty umami, some wizened red cherries, a little bit of ripe, cassis-driven dark fruit, light bretty notes of leather and farmhouse funk, a ferrous hint of blood and an earthy touch of garrigue. The moderately high acidity lends great focus to the wine and the mouthfeel is wonderfully suave and silky despite the still quite grippy medium-plus tannins. The finish is dry, juicy and moderately tannic with a healthy grip and quite intense flavors of brambly blackberries and ripe blackcurrants, some leathery funk, a little bit of earthy garrigue, light umami notes of gamey meat and a hint of dried flowers.

A very harmonious and attractive vintage of MdDG that was both surprisingly youthful and surprisingly light and delicate for the house style. I guess the fact that this was from a magnum bottle explains why this was so youthful compared to the surrounding vintages, while the very cool temperatures during the harvest explains the relative lightness and delicate nature of this vintage. Although many of the greatest vintages in our vertical tasting were those that were the biggest and most concentrated, this was nevertheless one of the great favorites of the evening despite its light, delicate body, all thanks to its beautiful vibrancy, poise and sense of focus. I have no idea if a standard-size bottle is still performing as well as this wine, but there is not going to be any hurry with any magnums out there. They will keep - if not still improve - for a long time. Very highly recommended. (95 pts.)

  • 1995 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (68%), Syrah (8%), Cabernet Franc (7%), Merlot (6,5%), Malbec (6%), Pinot Noir (2%), Tannat (1,5%) and the remaining 1% rounded out by a blend of Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo from Italy. 12,9% alcohol, 5,1 g/l acidity and pH 3,53. Total production 70,000 bottles and 3,000 magnums. Decanted for 2,5 hours.

Developed and quite dark rusty red color with a pale maroon rim. Developed and slightly sweet-toned nose with aromas of wizened blackcurrants, some beef jerky, light notes of dried figs, a little bit of pungent smoky character and a perfumed hint of dried flowers. The wine is dry, medium-to-moderately full-bodied and quite crunchy on the palate with intense flavors of tart cranberries, lingonberries and red plums, some ferrous notes of blood, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light redcurrant tones, a hint of campfire smoke and a touch of old, dry leather. The overall feel is quite lean for a Mas de Daumas Gassac, but there’s enough stuffing here to keep the wine quite fleshy. Impressive structure with the high acidity and still rather assertive tannins. The long finish is dry, crunchy and quite tannic with intense and rather tertiary flavors of cranberries, sour cherry bitterness, some redcurrants, a little bit of leathery funk, light stony mineral tones, a sanguine hint of iron and a slightly oxidative touch of beef jerky.

A wonderfully firm and complex vintage of MdDG at its peak. The structure here is still surprisingly tightly-knit, but I doubt it will resolve before the fruit fades away. All in all this is a wonderfully tertiary and harmonious effort that still retains quite a bit of fruit and a good deal of fresh, crunchy fruit to keep the wine wonderfully focused and alive. Drinks beautifully now, but will continue to perform well for many more years. Terrific value at 28€ (22 years ago, though). Highly recommended. (94 pts.)

  • 1994 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (69,1%), Syrah (11,4%), Cabernet Franc (6%), Merlot (5,2%), Malbec (4,3%), Pinot Noir (2%), Tannat (1%) and the remaining 1% rounded out by a blend of Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo from Italy. 12,53% alcohol, 5,3 g/l acidity and pH 3,48. Total production 62,000 bottles and 1,500 magnums. Decanted for 3 hours.

Surprisingly dark, moderately opaque and slightly hazy blackish-red color with an evolved brick-orange hue. The nose feels soft, somewhat sweet-toned and slightly restrained with layered aromas of wizened dark fruits and jammy dark berries, some ripe fig, a little bit of sweet leathery funk, light raisiny tones, a hint of allspice and an oxidative touch of hoi sin. The wine is fleshy, quite full-bodied and somewhat extracted on the palate with concentrated flavors of ripe cranberries, leathery funk, some ferrous notes of blood, light tart notes of fresh red plums, a little bit of savory wood spice, a hint of wizened blackcurrant and a touch of pipe tobacco. The overall feel is somewhat tough and even slightly austere - partly thanks to the high acidity and quite assertive, grippy tannins - but the richness of the tertiary fruit characteristics round out the edges quite wonderfully. The finish is ripe, juicy and quite grippy with long, tertiary flavors of blood, crunchy cranberries, some dried raspberries, a little bit of leathery funk, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a hint of raisin and a touch of brambly blackberry.

A tasty and quite developed vintage of Mas de Daumas Gassac that is quite close to its peak. There is quite a bit of tertiary fruit here, but with this much concentration and structure the wine is not going to be declining anytime soon. Seeing how well these older vintages of MdDG can age, I imagine this wine will survive for a long time in a cellar - which is nice, if one wants to let the tough structure of the wine unwind a little. Otherwise the wine benefits greatly if paired with food. While not among the absolute best wines of the vertical, a terrific effort all the same. I trust the wine will still improve from here if given enough age. (93 pts.)

  • 1993 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (58,7%), Syrah (21%), Malbec (7%), Merlot (6%), Cabernet Franc (3%), Pinot Noir (2,3%), Tannat (1%) and the remaining 1% rounded out by a blend of Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo from Italy. 12,6% alcohol, 5,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,61. Total production 68,000 bottles and 1,500 magnums. Decanted for 3 hours.

Aged and slightly translucent blackish red with a tertiary mahogany hue. The nose feels ripe, intense and quite evolved with complex aromas of juicy blackcurrant, some meaty notes of charred game, light oxidative soy sauce tones, a floral hint of violets, a touch of exotic spices and a whiff of sappy greenness. The wine is dry, tough and somewhat lean on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of tart red plums and cranberries, woody notes of pencil shavings, some gamey tones, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light nuances of garrigue, a hint of pipe tobacco and a touch of wizened blackcurrant. Compared to the quite tertiary nose, the wine is surprisingly youthful on the palate. However, it also feels somewhat tough and lacking the ripeness the other vintages of Mas de Daumas Gassac have shown. This isn’t unripe or green in any way, but its lack of obvious ripeness is quite noticeable when tasting this many Gassac wines in a row. The wine is noticeably high in acidity with still quite grippy and assertive tannins. The finish is dry, lean and quite tannic with lean and crunchy flavors of cranberries, bitter sour cherries, some bloody notes of gamey meat, a little bit of earthy garrigue, light redcurrant tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of wizened blackcurrant.

A very nice, fresh and somewhat lean vintage of MdDG that is both surprisingly youthful for its age (despite the somewhat tertiary nose) and lacking the ripeness typical of Gassac wines. Not that it’s a bad thing, since the wine doesn’t feel green or forbiddingly tough in any way. Basically this is a characteristic you might only notice when tasting consecutive vintages at one go. All in all, this is a very nice effort that feels like it is still going up, although the wine is drinking quite well right now. Drink or keep. (92 pts.)

  • 1992 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (70,2%), Syrah (7,8%), Merlot (7,2%), Malbec (5,8%), Cabernet Franc (4,5%), Pinot Noir (2,1%), Tannat (1,4%) and the remaining 1% rounded out by a blend of Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo from Italy. 12,55% alcohol, 5,5 g/l acidity and pH 3,76. Total production 92,000 bottles and 2,000 magnums. Decanted for 3,5 hours.

Evolved, quite deep and slightly translucent blackish red with a tertiary brick-orange hue. Brooding, velvety and somewhat restrained nose with slightly sweet-toned aromas of wizened plums, some woody notes of pencil shavings, a little bit of lifted VA, light autumnal notes of damp leaves and sous-bois, a hint of smoke and a touch of ripe blackcurrant. The wine is ripe, textural and silky on the palate with a rather full body and intense flavors of fresh blackcurrants, some autumnal leaves, light sweet notes of wizened figs, a little bit of ferrous blood, a hint of gamey meat and a touch of juicy dark plum. The acidity feels moderately high, and while the tannins feel quite ample, the come across as fully resolved, contributing more to the texture than to the lightly grippy structure. The finish is rich, juicy and textural with a gentle tannic grip and lengthy flavors of ripe redcurrants, some meaty umami, a little bit of blood, light figgy tones, an oxidative hint of beef jerky and a rich touch of dried tertiary fruit.

A rich, textural and very harmonious vintage of Mas de Daumas Gassac that feels like it is on its plateau of maturity or very near to it. There’s some obvious sense of ripeness that contributes to the sweeter-toned fruit flavors and silky texture to the wine, yet it never loses its sense of focus and freshness due to its quite high acidity. The tannins feel noticeably less grippy here than in any other 1990’s vintage we had, but they still lend good sense of firmness to the mouthfeel. All in all, a wonderful and balanced vintage right in the middle of its drinking window. Compared to the other vintages, this doesn’t seem to be that distinctive or characterful, just a perfect middle-of-the-road MdDG with some age. Drink now or in the near future. Highly recommended. (94 pts.)

  • 1989 Mas de Daumas Gassac - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (67%), Syrah (14%), Malbec (7%), Merlot (6%), Cabernet Franc (1,8%), Tannat (1,7%), Pinot Noir (1,5%) and the remaining 1% rounded out by a blend of Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo from Italy. 13% alcohol, 5,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,6. Total production 68,000 bottles, 1,000 magnums and 56 larger-format bottles. Decanted for 3,5 hours

Evolved, quite deep and moderately translucent dark red color with a tertiary rusted iron hue. Big, ripe and dark-toned nose with very complex aromas of licorice, wizened plums, ripe blackcurrants, dried dark berries and raisiny tones, some herbaceous leafy tones, light gamey notes, a little bit of sweet smoke, a hint of dried flowers and a lifted touch of ethery VA. Lots of everything here. The wine is rich, savory and textural on the palate with a full body and dry flavors of crunchy cranberries, meaty umami, some blood, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light brambly notes of black raspberries, a juicy hint of fresh dark plums and a touch of roasted game. The structure relies as much on the high acidity as it does on the firm and still moderately grippy medium tannins. The finish is long, tertiary and somewhat grippy with long, layered flavors of sour cherry bitterness, crunchy cranberries, some gamey meat, a little bit of tart red plums, a little bit of graphite, oxidative hints of soy sauce and beef jerky and a touch of sweet, pruney fruit.

A beautiful and remarkably powerful vintage of Mas de Daumas Gassac that - despite its age - feels bigger and more concentrated than any of the vintages from the 1990’s. I wonder if this vintage is an outlier, or if the MdDG wines were made in a bolder style back in the 1980’s? One person in the tasting said that when they had a MdDG vertical in the 1990’s, the wines from the 80’s came across as more powerful and concentrated whereas the 90’s wines seemed more delicate and refined in style, but it was too early to assess due to the young age of the wines. However, this 1989 vintage would corroborate to his theory. All in all, this was a very impressive, textural and muscular effort that is now at its peak. Drink or keep; I imagine the wine will keep good for many more years, but I doubt it will evolve much or at all from here, so further cellaring is not necessary. Very highly recommended. (96 pts.)

And then the random blinds:

  • 2014 WILIXL Minervois-La Livinière - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Minervois-La Livinière (8.9.2020)
    “Cuvée No. 6”: a 100% Syrah from Minervois-La Livinière. Aged for 12 months in oak barrels. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Luminous, youthful and only very slightly translucent blackish-red cherry color. Bold, ripe and sweet-toned nose with intense aromas of blackcurrants, extracted toasty oak spice, some boysenberries, a little bit of vanilla, light inky notes and a hint of blackberry jam. The wine is rich, full-bodied and juicy on the palate with intense, sweet-toned flavors of ripe blackcurrants, boysenberries, some blackberry marmalade, a little bit of extracted woody bitterness, light toasty notes of sweet oak spice and a hint of vanilla. The acidity feels moderately high and the silky tannins are quite gentle, contributing more to the texture than to the structure. The finish is rich, juicy and moderately long with intense flavors of boysenberries, some sweet mocha oak, a little bit of extracted woody bitterness, light plummy notes of ripe dark fruits, a hint of vanilla and a touch of blackberry jam. The high alcohol makes the wine end on a rather warm note.

A big and tasty but also somewhat heavily oaked Syrah that is perhaps a bit too ripe for its own good. The fruit shows good intensity, but comes across as a bit too sweet with very little in the way of tannic structure - and a big wine like this could really use some firm, tannic grip. Although not too youthful anymore, the wine is perhaps still a bit too young for its own good and could benefit from some more cellaring - in the hopes that further aging might integrate the oaky tones a bit more and bring out some savory, tertiary complexity to complement the sweeter-toned fruit notes. (87 pts.)

Pale, translucent rusty color with a wide, colorless rim. The nose feels very old, smoky and somewhat oxidative with an initial attack of salami and pickle, followed by tertiary notes of wizened dark berries, some beef jerky, a little bit of raisiny fruit, light perfumed notes of dried flowers, a hint of vegetal greenness and a touch of rose hips. The salami and pickle notes disappear with air, but the nose remains quite old and very tertiary. The wine is old and tertiary on the palate with a medium body and evolved flavors of gamey meat and blood, some metallic notes of rusted iron, light tart notes of cranberries and lingonberries, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, an oxidative hint of soy sauce and a touch of old furniture. The fully resolved tannins have disappeared with age and the structure relies only on the high acidity. The finish is old, tertiary and somewhat oxidative with flavors of raisins, some oxidative notes of beef jerky and hoi sin, a little bit of smoke, light tangy notes of salinity and a hint of wizened red fruits.

The first sniff here was pretty staggering, but fortunately the wine opened up a bit, turning into something more drinkable. However, the wine is quite far past its peak and offers more value for academic curiosity than any drinking pleasure. Not entirely oxidized, but not that far from it. I prefer to leave the wine unrated.

  • 2010 Château Mont-Redon Châteauneuf-du-Pape - France, Rhône, Southern Rhône, Châteauneuf-du-Pape (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Grenache, Syrah, Mourvèdre, Cinsault, Counoise, Muscardin and Vaccarèse. Macerated with the skins for 15-20 days. Aged for 18 months in 228-liter pièces and larger foudres. 14,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Luminous, somewhat translucent and quite youthful dark cherry red color with a pale red rim. Juicy, quite sweet-toned and slightly evolved nose with aromas of wizened plummy fruit, some boysenberries, a little bit of sun-baked earth, light lifted notes of sweet VA, a hint of inky character and a touch of boozy alcohol. The wine is full-bodied, quite youthful and somewhat warm on the palate with intense and wonderfully vibrant flavors of sweet black cherries and ripe strawberries, some plummy tones, a little bit of inky character, light savory notes of woody oak spice, a hint of pruney dark fruit and a touch of earth. The acidity feels surprisingly high for a CdP and the medium tannins bring nice firmness to the mouthfeel. The long, brooding finish is rich and quite powerful with dark-toned flavors of black cherries, some plummy tones, a little bit of lifted ethery VA, light savory notes of extracted woody bitterness, a hint of garrigue and a touch of meaty umami. The high alcohol lends a little bit of warmth to the aftertaste.

A surprisingly balanced and enjoyably harmonious Châteauneuf-du-Pape where the alcohol or sweet, jammy fruit flavors do not dominate. The wine is ripe - as befits the regional style - but showing as much savory notes as those ripe, sweet-fruited tones, and the structure keeps the wine from coming across as soft or flabby. Furthermore, the wine is still surprisingly youthful at 10 years of age and I can imagine this could continue to improve - or at least keep - for another decade easily. Very nice! (92 pts.)

  • 2017 Terra Costantino Etna deAetna Rosso - Italy, Sicily, Etna DOC (8.9.2020)
    A blend of Nerello Mascalese (90%) and Nerello Cappuccio (10%) from a 39 yo vineyard located at 450 to 550 m above sea level. Aged in stainless steel and French tonneaux. 13,5% alcohol. Tasted blind.

Pale, luminous and fully translucent rose hip color with a thin, pinkish rim. Very youthful, fragrant and moderately sweet-toned nose with aromas of marmaladey red fruits, black cherries and dark plums, some brambly black raspberries, light smoky notes of gunpowder reduction, a little bit of stony minerality, a hint of licorice and a touch of raw meat. The wine is youthful, dry and rich yet rather tightly-knit on the palate with intense flavors of raspberries, pronounced stony minerality, some sweet strawberries, a little it of marmaladey cherry-driven fruit, light licorice tones, a hint of smoky volcanic character and a touch of arctic bramble. Although the overall feel is very ripe and sunny, the wine doesn’t come across as heavy or particularly sweet-toned on the palate. The structure relies on both high acidity and powdery yet quite grippy tannins. The finish is rich, juicy and moderately grippy with lengthy flavors of black cherries, some ripe strawberries and plums, a little bit of marmaladey strawberry, light smoky tones, a hint of stony minerality and a touch of licorice.

A very harmonious, juicy and delicious Etna Rosso. Although very ripe and sunny in style, this wine doesn’t suffer from the elevated levels of alcohol that can go up to 15% in many modern Etna reds. Instead this is very well-proportioned, balanced and more dry than sweet despite all the marmaladey undertones. The overall feel is maybe a bit too youthful, primary and tightly-knit for my taste and I guess I should hold on to my single remaining bottle as long as I can. Very good value at 17€. (93 pts.)

Youthful, luminous pale yellow color with a lime-green hue. Dry, savory and somewhat toasty nose with attractive aromas of chopped nuts and slivered almonds, some bready autolysis, a little bit of cooked cream, light golden apple tones and a creamy hint of panna cotta. The wine is rich, silky and quite ripe on the palate with creamy flavors of golden apples, marzipan, some zesty citrus fruits, light chalky mineral tones, a little bit of crème à la vanille, hints of hay and biscuity notes of autolysis and a juicy touch of tropical fruits and white peach. Bright and quite high acidity with silky, moderately persistent mousse. The finish is juicy, vibrant and quite long with bright flavors of ripe white fruits, some yeasty autolysis, light creamy tones, a little bit of sweet Golden Delicious apple, a mineral hint of chalky bitterness and a touch of vanilla custard.

A tasty, rich and very tasty Blanc de Blancs. With its richness, nutty overtones and quite fruit-driven character I guessed that this would be a young Blanc de Noirs or a Pinot-driven blend. Oh well. This was a pretty lovely drop all the same, not coming across as lean and high-strung as some young Blanc de Blancs wines, but showing lovely autolytic complexity and creamy richness. Still pretty youthful, I can imagine this wine will continue to improve in a cellar for many more years. Ridiculous value at 17€ directly from the winery. (92 pts.)

Posted from CellarTracker

Interesting notes, thanks.

I used to buy DG rouge but gave up after a the 2005 vintage. Think I’ve got some 05s and 00s left. My main issue was that I found the wines rustic. My case of 1998 was borderline unacceptably bretty although it was inconsistent from bottle to bottle. It wasn’t just the light touch of leather but full on 4-EP that stank of ass and stripped out most of the fruit from the worst bottles.

I wonder if this is just a matter of preference? I, too, found the wines rustic, but only in the most enjoyable sense. Most of the wines were certainly bretty, but none near enough to be unacceptable. But then again, I usually have no problems with wines smelling of horse’s behind!

Of course there can be some bottle variation, but I doubt that it would be possible that every single of the wines would’ve been from the lighter end of the brett spectrum - I think most of the wines were quite representative of the house style.

Had no idea the red had pinot noir in it. Weird. I’ve always like the story of the estate and wine better than the actual wine itself, and really only had vintages from the 80’s. The white I was never that impressed with, but, I guess this is what makes a market!

Otto, thanks for the great notes as always. I’m a huge Gassac fan, especially the older wines, although I haven’t had most of the vintages after 2010. I usually like the wines with 25+ years of age, and find that I also appreciate that somewhat rustic, old world wine quality. They never taste overripe, overoaked, or manipulated, and they can have a lot of complexity. I’ve had them back to the first '78 (and most vintages between '78-2005), and have never had a sound bottle that was too old. I still have single bottles of '84, '87, '88, ‘89’, '90, and '95 and was hoping to do a tasting in Portland at some point in the near future, but that might have to wait a while due to COVID. Oh well, the wines seem to last as long as you can hold them.

Great report again Otto - I used to buy lots of this, but like Matthew, I gave up after the rather disappointing 2005 vintage. I still have very fond memories of earlier vintages, like the splendid 98 which I’m pleased to see is still going strong. I still occasionally buy the white which is also very good.
Anyway, your report has made me curious to try some reds again - cheers!

Thanks! And yeah, I can imagine these wines are not for everybody if that rustic old world character isn’t what one is looking for in wine. But for people who don’t mind some roughness around the edges and a bit of brett, these are just perfect. Exactly as you said, they never feel overripe, overoaked or manipulated. And they obviously seem to be capable of aging like crazy.

Since we didn’t have the 2005 in the tasting, I have no idea how it was. So, what was the big problem with that one? Apparently it was pretty bad, since multiple users here have now reported stopping buying the wines after one single lousy vintage! [pwn.gif]

Like you, I have little experience with this wine, yet have had lots of wine over the years from Languedoc. Such a great region for value, though is challenging in the warmer climates. Sounds like a style that I would really like. Thanks for sharing this experience, and as usual, the notes are fantastic.

Thanks, fellow funk fan! I’m 100% positive these wines are right up your alley, at least when it comes to the general style of MdDG. There might be some vintages that perform better and some that do not - for example the 2017 was a very enjoyable wine, but ultimately maybe not that representative of the house style, since it was a bit softer, fruitier and less structure-driven than those older ones.

If you happen to come across some older bottles, grab 'em. Like so many others have said, these wines have much more in common with classic Bdx wines than those of Languedoc!

The problem with the 2005, for me at least, was that it was rather simple and lacking in complexity, like a good Bordeaux Supérieur rather than the Latour of the Languedoc as it’s often called. I bought a case EP, for some reason, and although the wine had good fruit, it never got any better than fair to middling. Good for a barbecue. One bad vintage would not have been enough to put me off, of course, but it came after the quite underwhelming 2001 and a few others I’ve forgotten about, so I called it a day. I suppose the issue was also price - at around 35 to 40€, I expect a bit more. But as I wrote, your report has made me want to try some again, so I will.

I’ve only had it a couple of times, but there’s nothing wrong with it, it was just a bit lighter than normal. I didn’t stop buying them because of the vintage, they just haven’t been as available here in Portland (and at higher prices). I also used to often find the wines at good prices at auction because no one knew what they were, but that doesn’t seem to happen any more.