Community Tasting Note

forceberry wrote:

Tuesday, September 8, 2020 - A blend of Cabernet Sauvignon (58,7%), Syrah (21%), Malbec (7%), Merlot (6%), Cabernet Franc (3%), Pinot Noir (2,3%), 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. 12,6% alcohol, 5,7 g/l acidity and pH 3,61. Total production 68,000 bottles and 1,500 magnums. Decanted for 3 hours, tasted in a Mas de Daumas Gassac 2017-1989 vertical.

Aged and slightly translucent blackish red with a tertiary mahogany hue. The nose feels ripe, intense and quite evolved with complex aromas of juicy blackcurrant, some meaty notes of charred game, light oxidative soy sauce tones, a floral hint of violets, a touch of exotic spices and a whiff of sappy greenness. The wine is dry, tough and somewhat lean on the palate with a medium body and savory flavors of tart red plums and cranberries, woody notes of pencil shavings, some gamey tones, a little bit of sour cherry bitterness, light nuances of garrigue, a hint of pipe tobacco and a touch of wizened blackcurrant. Compared to the quite tertiary nose, the wine is surprisingly youthful on the palate. However, it also feels somewhat tough and lacking the ripeness the other vintages of Mas de Daumas Gassac have shown. This isn't unripe or green in any way, but its lack of obvious ripeness is quite noticeable when tasting this many Gassac wines in a row. The wine is noticeably high in acidity with still quite grippy and assertive tannins. The finish is dry, lean and quite tannic with lean and crunchy flavors of cranberries, bitter sour cherries, some bloody notes of gamey meat, a little bit of earthy garrigue, light redcurrant tones, a hint of tobacco and a touch of wizened blackcurrant.

A very nice, fresh and somewhat lean vintage of MdDG that is both surprisingly youthful for its age (despite the somewhat tertiary nose) and lacking the ripeness typical of Gassac wines. Not that it's a bad thing, since the wine doesn't feel green or forbiddingly tough in any way. Basically this is a characteristic you might only notice when tasting consecutive vintages at one go. All in all, this is a very nice effort that feels like it is still going up, although the wine is drinking quite well right now. Drink or keep.

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