Mas de Daumas Gassac: enhancing a terroir to produce exceptional wines

A few years ago, Véronique and Aimé Guibert discovered an exceptional terroir in the Languedoc region and decided to plant vines there, creating Mas de Daumas Gassac . Today, their children have taken up the mantle and are dedicated to preserving this magnificent terroir to produce Cabernet Sauvignon wines worthy of the finest French wines. To coincide with the en primeur sales of the promising 2017 vintage, Roman tells us about the history, projects, and ambitions of the estate.

The terroir of the Gassac Valley is an exceptional terroir.

“The estate was created from scratch in the early 1970s by our parents, based on the discovery of a rather exceptional terroir ,” Roman explains. “ It turned out that the terroir of the Gassac valley was similar to what could be found in Burgundy , particularly in the Côte d'Or. From this came the idea of ​​planting vines in this area. ”

The Gassac valley has truly exceptional climatic conditions: " We have incredibly cool nights that can reach around 10 degrees in the summer, then up to 40 degrees during the day. This gives the grapes a beautiful acidity, concentrates the aromas and accompanies a slow ripening without the vines being damaged by the heat. It's a truly unique place ," exclaims the winemaker.

The expression of the Gassac terroir, enhanced by Cabernet Sauvignon

“ At the time, we chose Cabernet Sauvignon to express this terroir .” At Domaine Daumas Gassac, excellence also comes from the choice of vines. “ All our vines come from massal selection from Bordeaux châteaux and other estates from great French vineyards ,” explains Roman.

Unfortunately, when the Languedoc AOC was established a few years later, Cabernet Sauvignon was not included in the appellation's specifications. " So we remained an IGP," explains Roman. It was a deliberate choice the winemakers made knowingly : "Cabernet Sauvignon is the grape variety that best expresses our terroir. We have very poor, very well-drained soil, and the roots go deep. Few terroirs have yielded the same results with Cabernet Sauvignon. "

The new generation takes over the reins of the estate and continues the adventure

“ We are the second generation on the estate .” In recent years, the four brothers, Samuel, Roman, Gaël, and Basile, have gradually taken over the estate founded by their parents. “ Each of us has our own experience and background. We complement each other very well. We don’t have the same personalities or the same skills . But all four of us are attached to this place and we share the same desire for elegance in our wines. Working together is a daily surprise.”

The wines are elegant, refined, and have exceptional aging potential.

The four brothers are the proud owners of Mas Daumas-Gassac, where they produce a red, a rosé, and a white wine . " These are wines meant for aging, with truly exceptional potential ," explains the winemaker. " They have a great capacity for maturation. Our wines begin to express themselves after seven years. They have a garrigue character with a backbone of freshness. They are very easy to drink. There are always hints of fava bean, slightly resinous, with a powerful but never harsh tannic structure ."

In addition, the family wanted to expand their wine range with Le Moulin de Gassac. This brand represents around twenty different wines, produced in small batches, from selected vineyard plots. " We work on these wines in collaboration with about forty winegrowers. The idea was to develop a range of much more accessible wines. Gems that remain affordable ," explains Roman.

Protecting the land to express its full potential

A terroir of this quality must be protected, cherished, and enhanced. The Guibert brothers know this and are dedicated to preserving this jewel, as the winemaker explains: “ We work in such a way as not to damage our terroir. We are vigilant. Our most important approach today is reducing the amount of copper in the soil. We try to limit it as much as possible because we are convinced that copper is very harmful.” Their approach to protecting the terroir is comprehensive; the winemakers also want to limit soil compaction as much as possible. “ We work with animals and we also practice agroforestry . Our plots are no larger than one hectare and are surrounded by garrigue. ” A signature that wine lovers recognize in the estate's wines, and that is precisely the goal, Roman confirms: “ We are committed to doing everything we can to express the signature of our terroir with even greater precision.” Our goal is that tomorrow, no tractors will enter the vineyards. We want to promote soil life, making it even more vibrant and self-sufficient.

The four brothers of Mas de Daumas Gassac are driven by a vision of work towards excellence, the desire to go further, towards the best and without a doubt, they will succeed.

Discover the wines of the estate on Les Grappes, here .

Manon Mouly (for Les Grappes)