1998 Mas de Daumas Gassac rouge
Mas de Daumas Gassac was the first (self-) proclaimed Grand Cru of the Languedoc, but is now rivaled by other quality driven producers. The most notable is its actual neighbor: Domaine de la Grange des Peres.
1998 Mas de Daumas Gassac rouge
Blend of 80% Cabernet Sauvignon and 20% eight other grape varieties. 13% alcohol.
Deep ruby – red garnet color, very youthful. The nose is fully developed and maturing, not to say fully mature, because the fruit subdued almost completely, leaving room for secondary and incipient tertiary aromas. Very smoky on the nose, completed by aromas of ink, stinky brett, green vegetables, iron, tobacco and light red currant. Full bodied, but supple on the palate, the wine is well structured, lively and has surprising freshness. Medium to long finish, fresh, with pleasant flavors of mint, tobacco, coffee bean and firm, grippy tannins. A masculine wine with lovely freshness. (90-91/100)
Old School wine to the bone. This improved a lot with aeration – I did not decant it prior on the first day, just left it in the glass for 30 min before sipping – and it was much better the next day.
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From Grapes to Wine 
Reblogged this on MOTEK.
actually, the term “Only Grands Cru of the Midi” is not a self appointment but a quote from Hugh Johnson…
Glad you enjoyed the wine, thank you for your comments
Samuel Guibert
Thank you for your comment. Obviously I have to educate myself more on the history of the wine producers. It is valuable information what you posted.
I really enjoied the wine and it was a great surprise to me to see how fresh and easy to drink it is. The 13% alc was really welcoming. Will look forward for other vintages soon.
Our philosophy has always been to make wine with “balance, finesse and complexity” – these 3 words defines the winemaking art my parents learned from Professor Emile Peynaud in the 70’s.
What the wines have acquired since that is elegance with the vineyard getting older (about 40years of age now (not something one can purchased).
And yes the wines are more old school in the sense that they take time to open up and deliver their complexity over time.
Enjoy
SG
I like the kind of wine you make and it is unbelievable that you are still able to maintain the alcohol at very decent levels in an area where 14.5-15% alc is usually the norm. The wine aged gracefully and will no doubt continue to hold on this plateau for a very long time. What are vintages could you recommend me to be on the same line as the 1998 ?
thanks in advance,
Cosmin
We have a legend at Daumas Gassac – that is that every vintage ending in 8 is an exceptional one!
So far we have had 4: 1978, 88, 98 and 08 so you cannot go wrong with these.
If you are looking for vintages that will age very well or have aged very well, I would recommand the followings: 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2009.
Regards
SG
Thanks a lot for posting this info. I will start looking for the older ones first(78,88) and build my way up to 95,96 and 00. I am very curious how the ’78 kept and evolved. I imagine that 2009 was a great vintage for you also.
I can confirm that the 2001 is aging gracefully. Still a lot of structure and a long future ahead