Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge - 2022 (750ml)

93 points Vinous Media

"Ripe redcurrant, black cherry, dried herb, cedar wood and leafy nuances introduce the 2022 Rouge. Freshly cut violets add a floral layer. Refined and savory, the 2022 hits the palate with good concentration and vivid inner energy. Structured and complex, this is a serious red from the Guibert family.

Nestled in Southern Frances Languedoc, Mas de Daumas Gassac is renowned for its Cabernet Sauvignon-based reds, which are uniquely blended with a diverse range of varieties, including Merlot, Malbec and Cabernet Franc, as well as less common grapes such as Pinot Noir, Syrah, Montepulciano and Carmenere. When tasted young, these blends result in alluringly complex wines through hauntingly floral lift and herbal elements alongside spicy undertones. Moreover, a vertical tasting held at the domaine in June 2024 featuring vintages dating back to the inaugural 1978 highlighted the wines' age-worthiness. The reds are crafted from handpicked, generally destemmed grapes and fermented with indigenous yeasts. While all Cabernet Sauvignon is fermented together, the other varieties undergo a large co-fermentation before their juice is blended with the macerating Cabernet Sauvignon post-fermentation. The non-Cabernet Sauvignon varieties typically see 10 to 12 days of skin contact, whereas Cabernet Sauvignon spends a little longer on the skins, usually between 14 and 28 days, depending on the vintage. Maturation takes 12 to 15 months in 225-liter French barriques, with new oak making up just over 10%. The oak is generally well-integrated, and the tannins are ripe and polished. Following barrel maturation, the wines are racked into large stainless-steel tanks, where they settle for up to two months before bottling. Due to the high natural acidity of the Cabernet Sauvignon, acidification is usually unnecessary. Since 1978, alcohol levels have remained between 12 and 13.5%, with only occasional increases to 14% in the past decade."~Nicolas Greinacher