March 29, 2024 - First bottle from a (shared) half case purchased at auction recently. Pristine condition, perfect cork, excellent level. Much lighter than the magnum tasted in November 2023. It's vibrant and fresh and energetic, gravelly and cedary, but it has lost a lot of weight of fruit, it feels quite dry and without the stuffing to balance the finely textured but very firm tannins, dry and tea-like finish, good length. A bit of a disappointment. Retaste.
November 12, 2023 - A magnificent Mas de Daumas Gassac vertical from the private cellars of Allard Jakobs (Restaurant Sinck, Amsterdam, NL): Magnum. A very fine vintage for the estate in this period, oak is a bit sweet but attractive, deep and rich, spicy and open, finely grained tannins, liquorous fruit on the finish. Generous and structured.
January 29, 2022 - Decanted for about 2 hours, it probably needs even more. Cork was impressively (almost suspiciously ; ) pristine and so is the wine: so dark and vibrantly colored. Nose is funky, leathery, slightly tarry with red licorice and some faint ripe strawberry notes. Palate is still very much alive: strong Bordeaux -style tannins with Bordeaux-style acidity but a softer flavor: cherries, hints of violet, worn leather, more red licorice. It’s really compelling. Really hit the spot with pork and bean stew but it’s almost more impressive and delicious on its own. Has quite a youthful appearance and taste; I feel like this has lots of life left. No rush at all on these if you have them.
December 22, 2020 - It was hot, very thin and tough right out of the gate but after being open (not decanted) for about 3 hours it is coming around. The nose has some of the gravely, brambly, blackberry and grape leafy notes you might associate with the Bordeaux varieties in the blend, but the palate has a definite “wild” edge that I feel is the Syrah speaking. More blackberries, licorice and mint, and slight hints of umami are also present with very-much-still-present tannins. Overall the impression for me is still one of a very young wine; given the color and the taste I would never have been able to guess this is over 25 years old. Still it is definitely an intriguing wine, one that seems to reveal its many complexities slowly in the glass over the course of the night.
Update: after a night in the fridge it is more open and definitely more southern France; cola, garrigue, ripe plums, almost blue fruits, lots of licorice. Tannins have softened but are still definitely present in the long finish.
September 8, 2020 - A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (69,1%), Syrah (11,4%), Cabernet Franc (6%), Merlot (5,2%), Malbec (4,3%), Pinot Noir (2%), Tannat (1%) and the remaining 1% rounded out by a blend of Barbera, Dolcetto and Nebbiolo from Italy. Fermented and macerated for 20 days in stainless steel tanks, aged for 12-15 months in oak barrels ranging from new to 7 years old. 12,53% alcohol, 5,3 g/l acidity and pH 3,48. Total production 62,000 bottles and 1,500 magnums. Decanted for 3 hours, tasted in a Mas de Daumas Gassac 2017-1989 vertical.
Surprisingly dark, moderately opaque and slightly hazy blackish-red color with an evolved brick-orange hue. The nose feels soft, somewhat sweet-toned and slightly restrained with layered aromas of wizened dark fruits and jammy dark berries, some ripe fig, a little bit of sweet leathery funk, light raisiny tones, a hint of allspice and an oxidative touch of hoi sin. The wine is fleshy, quite full-bodied and somewhat extracted on the palate with concentrated flavors of ripe cranberries, leathery funk, some ferrous notes of blood, light tart notes of fresh red plums, a little bit of savory wood spice, a hint of wizened blackcurrant and a touch of pipe tobacco. The overall feel is somewhat tough and even slightly austere - partly thanks to the high acidity and quite assertive, grippy tannins - but the richness of the tertiary fruit characteristics round out the edges quite wonderfully. The finish is ripe, juicy and quite grippy with long, tertiary flavors of blood, crunchy cranberries, some dried raspberries, a little bit of leathery funk, light woody notes of pencil shavings, a hint of raisin and a touch of brambly blackberry.
A tasty and quite developed vintage of Mas de Daumas Gassac that is quite close to its peak. There is quite a bit of tertiary fruit here, but with this much concentration and structure the wine is not going to be declining anytime soon. Seeing how well these older vintages of MdDG can age, I imagine this wine will survive for a long time in a cellar - which is nice, if one wants to let the tough structure of the wine unwind a little. Otherwise the wine benefits greatly if paired with food. While not among the absolute best wines of the vertical, a terrific effort all the same. I trust the wine will still improve from here if given enough age.
September 8, 2020 - Subtle tones of ink and cassis, spices, cold dark fruit, higher tannins than in many other vintages, not big and bold but quite attractive in an elegant miniature fashion.
September 6, 2020 - Still very dark red color, blackish center.On the nose dusty tannins, leather, still a touch of Cab fruit.
On the palate, the wine is round and soft but then kick in the tannins and leave a drying impression.
While still enjoyable now, I am afraid the tannins will eat up the rest and the wine will completely dry out over time.
I would say: drink up now.
Reading my tasting not of last year and that of Xavier Auerbach, whose opinion i highly value, maybe this was an off bottle. Try another one in about 2 or 3 months.
February 9, 2020 - Mas de Daumas Gassac Tasting and Dinner (Restaurant De Lage Vuursche, Lage Vuursche, NL): A very complete, fresh and typical Mas de Daumas Gassac, still quite aromatic, medium body, well managed tannins, lovely balance and elegance, spices and red meat, complete and beautifully developed, still firm tannins, playful and long finish. One of the stars of the show today.
August 23, 2019 - Deep garnet red; belies its age; virtually no signs of bricking at the rim.
Cedar, tar, leather on the nose, then the tell-tale smell of mature brambles, betraying the Cab. content in the wine. Well balanced acidity with a whiff of acetone..
Very young on the palate, refined, svelte, a tad reserved; wine hs moved to tertiary aromas. could easily be from the left bank..
Holds up well and certainly in no immediate danger of falling apart. Needs food!
August 4, 2019 - This was very Bordelais without the bonus of southerly generosity which I recall from some earlier vintages. Blind, I might have taken it for a left-banker from a less ripe but decent vintage like 94 itself or 88. Its colour was quite deep with an amber rim and its nose was discreet. The palate was medium+ bodied, some fruit was still present in the vein of sourer plum and cherry, there were earthy and leathery touches, fresh acidity and residual tannic presence. Good wine and good pairing for succulent beef.