Mas de Daumas Gassac, Blanc, 2019
Mas de Daumas Gassac, Blanc, 2019
- 75cl
- 14%
- White Still
- Viognier, Petit Manseng, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc, Rare Varieties
- Organic
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Optimal drinking window: Now - 2030
Mas de Daumas Gassac is one of the great names of the Languedoc, and its white is a rather different beast from the region’s usual sunny, easy-drinking fare. Expect Mediterranean character with a cooler, more restrained edge: layers of citrus, white peach and orchard fruit, with herbal notes, a touch of spice and a fresh, mineral finish. There’s texture here, too, giving the wine a little more to say than simply fruit and acidity.
The blend is what makes it interesting: 32% Viognier, 19% Petit Manseng, 18% Chardonnay and 14% Chenin Blanc, with the remaining 17% made up of lesser-known varieties. The grapes are hand-picked, given five to seven days of skin contact, then fermented in stainless steel, with no oak ageing. The 2019 was a hot, dry vintage, but cool nights in the Gassac valley helped preserve freshness. At 14% alcohol, it has real weight, yet the acidity keeps it lively.
It’s a terrific match for roast chicken, lobster, scallops or richer fish dishes, and well worth trying alongside mature cheeses.
What the critics say:
"Heavy bottle. These guys are a bit insane. Look at those grape varieties. Tangy nose, like yogurt stirred through with raw dark honey. Very, very floral on the palate – so much so that you almost don’t notice the weight and complexity, the focus and drive. A coiled spring of acidity through fruit that shimmers through the spectrum from English orchard to tropical and back again. Morello cherries, grapefruit, mango, green apples, greengage, white peach. And then, just as you get distracted by all the mouth-watering fruit, the spice starts to filter through, from back to front: white pepper, black pepper, clove, fennel seed. It builds and builds. Like a Mozart symphony, an edge of anger under the beauty. Clenched, taut, hard bones under the riffs and ripples of pretty fruit. This needs way more time to really be what it is. (TC)"
" A full-bodied white with aromas of apricot, honeysuckle, stewed pear, cooked lemon and herbs. Some salted-almond notes. Rich and waxy with bright acidity and concentrated, exotic layers. Long and opulent. Blend of 36% viognier, 24% petit manseng, 22% chardonnay and 18% chenin. Drink now."
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