In the glass
Aroma: cassis, graphite, garrigue, cedar
Palate: dark berry, iron, warm spice, fine grain tannin
Aime Guibert's pioneering Bordeaux-style red from the Gassac valley, ~80% Cabernet Sauvignon with twenty other rare varieties. The wine that built the IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert.
What it pairs with
-
Bordeaux-style beef ribeye
The Cabernet structure pairs with the marbled beef. -
Saddle of lamb with herbs
Graphite and garrigue echo herb-roasted lamb. -
Aged Comte cheese
Daumas Gassac's cedar and fine grain meet the cheese's nuttiness.
History
Aime Guibert and Veronique Guibert de la Vaissiere planted 17,000 non-cloned Cabernet Sauvignon vines in 1972 in the Gassac valley after geologist Henri Enjalbert identified the soils as comparable to first-growth Bordeaux. The first vintage was 1978, and the wine was declassified to vin de pays (now IGP) because Cabernet was excluded from the local AOC.
- 1972 — 17,000 non-cloned Cabernet vines planted on the abandoned farmhouse site
- 1978 — First vintage produced
- 1982 — Wine receives media recognition as a Languedoc benchmark
Facts
- Producer
- Mas de Daumas Gassac
- Grapes
- Cabernet Sauvignon (80%), Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah, Tannat
- Classification
- IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert
- Oak
- 12-18 months in French oak barriques, mix of new and used
- ABV
- 13.5%
- Price
- EUR 50-90 at retail
- Drinking window
- 5-30 from vintage
- First vintage
- 1978
- Vegan
- Yes (no animal-derived fining)
Frequently asked about Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge
What does Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge taste like?
Cassis, graphite, garrigue and cedar on the nose; dark berry, iron, warm spice and fine-grain tannin on the palate. Full-bodied with firm tannins, medium acidity and a long finish.
When should I drink Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge?
Drink between 5 and 30 years from vintage. Young vintages benefit from 2 hours of decanting; top vintages can hit their peak at 15-25 years.
What grapes are in Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge?
Approximately 80 percent non-cloned Cabernet Sauvignon with twenty other rare varieties including Merlot, Pinot Noir, Syrah and Tannat. The unusual blend is why the wine is bottled as IGP rather than AOC.
What classification does Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge have?
IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert. The Guibert family planted Cabernet Sauvignon outside the local AOC's permitted varieties, choosing IGP designation over compromise on the variety mix.