Mas de Daumas Gassac : Mas de Daumas Gassac 2022

Characteristics and Tasting Tips for Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc 2022

Tasting

Shaped by a vintage marked by a thunderstorm in the heart of summer, this white wine reveals a pronounced freshness on the palate, a direct result of phenolic ripening revived after several weeks of drought. This welcome rainfall restored balance and brought a lively sensation on the palate.

A Languedoc White Wine Shaped by the Glacial Grèzes Terroir of Mas de Daumas Gassac

The Estate

Founded in 1971 by Véronique and Aimé Guibert in the Haute Vallée du Gassac, in Languedoc, Mas de Daumas Gassac was built on a vineyard of 40 to 50 hectares, now classified as a Protected Geographical Indication. Since the passing of Aimé Guibert in 2016, the estate has remained in family hands, with Samuel Guibert now overseeing its management and winemaking. Recognised as an exceptional terroir from the 1980s onwards, the estate retains an identity rooted in respect for nature and great freedom in blending, outside the traditional appellations of Languedoc.

The Vineyard

This wine from Languedoc comes from plots in the Haute Vallée du Gassac, in the commune of Aniane, classified as IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert – Cité d'Aniane. The vineyard extends over deep, well-drained glacial grèzes soils, nestled in the heart of a vast protected forest massif. Divided into more than fifty small plots surrounded by hedgerows and garrigue, it benefits from a cool microclimate shaped by altitude and exposure, and is farmed without any chemical products, with the birds of the hedgerows naturally helping to regulate insect populations.

The Vintage

The year 2022 began with a cold winter, followed by a particularly dry and hot summer in the Haute Vallée du Gassac. In mid-August, a storm brought around 80 mm of rain, reviving the phenolic ripening of the grapes and giving them unexpected freshness after several weeks of drought. In light of these conditions, the estate adapted its harvest calendar, picking first the grape varieties intended for the rosé, then the whites, before the reds, in order to preserve the balance of each cuvée.

Winemaking and Ageing

Like all the estate's cuvées, Mas de Daumas Gassac 2022 comes from hand-harvested grapes, grown without chemical products, in keeping with a philosophy of respect for the terroir applied since the estate's creation. Climate change has led the estate to rethink the order of its harvests, with white grapes now picked after those intended for the rosé but before the reds, in order to capture the optimal moment of ripeness for each grape variety. This white wine has an alcohol content of 13.5% and belongs to the category of dry white wines.

Grape Varieties

This white wine is a blend of Viognier, Chardonnay, Petit Manseng and Chenin Blanc, complemented by other white grape varieties, reflecting the ampelographic diversity that has historically characterised the wines of Mas de Daumas Gassac.