THE 41st HARVEST REPORT!
The domaine’s 41st harvest began on Monday 3 September and ended on Friday 28 September 2018.
19 days of picking for 50 ha of vines spread over 30 plots. We always wait until each grape variety reached perfect ripeness, offering a unique expression of their flavours: this is what makes each vintage at Mas de Daumas Gassac so exceptional.
This year, 50 pickers, aged from 16 to 75 years-old, worked over a period of nearly four weeks. Coming from China, Japan, the Comoros, England, Austria, Argentina, Romania, Belgium, Poland, the Czech Republic, the United States and France- we welcomed students and retirees, but there are also people who take a holiday specifically to participate to this special occasion!
2018 OVERVIEW OF THE WEATHER
After a particularly rainy first-half of the year, the well replenished groundwater reserves enabled the vines to cope with a very hot, dry summer and early autumn. The summer was hot and sunny.
There was just enough rain in July and August to enable the grapes to gradually reach maturity. The Gassac Valley also experienced substantial differences in temperatures – from 8°C to 12°C at night up to 35°C during the day. This resulted in a concentration of aromas.
This 2017 and 2018 vintages produced the lowest yields since the domaine was created in 1972. Working with nature requires acceptance of the vagaries of the climate.
HARVEST OF THE MAS DE DAUMAS GASSAC WHITE
MONDAY 3RD TO SATURDAY 8TH SEPTEMBER
The vats of Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc have several strings to their bow. Each offers its rendition, where among more than 16 rare varieties, a quartet reigns supreme, consisting of Petit Manseng, which gives structure and a chalky minerality to the finish, Chenin, ensuring an overall smoothness, Chardonnay bringing full-bodied curves, and Viognier, adding a hazelnutty creaminess.
The white grand vin has an incredible finesse, ranging from citrus flavours to a tropical symphony, and with an innate richness that comes from the white flesh that has been perfectly ripened and turned golden in the sun.
HARVEST OF THE MAS DE DAUMAS GASSAC ROSE FRIZANT
LUNDI 10TH TO THURSDAY 13TH SEPTEMBER
After a day of rest for the pickers, the harvest resumed with the Rosé Frizant. This took three and a half days.
This saignée from the Cabernet Sauvignon was created in 1984, a rarity in France and in the world.
HARVEST OF THE MAS DE DAUMAS GASSAC RED
WEDNESDAY 14TH TO FRIDAY 28TH SEPTEMBER
Finally, the time came for the red grand vin and its ochre-coloured plots. This year the harvest lasted nine and a half days. We stopped on two occasions in order to wait for the plots, planted in 1972, to reach perfect ripeness!
We are now devoting our full attention to the 24 red grape varieties, that are currently undergoing maceration. The Mas de Daumas Gassac Red will have plenty of freshness! The winery is filled with aromas of red fruit, black olives and blackcurrants!
The Cabernet Sauvignon will also ensure a good balance between structure, aromas and acidity. Which already suggests an excellent potential to age.
With a bewildering diversity of expression, Mas de Daumas Gassac’s terroir gives body to a beautifully structured wine, that has come to be among the most famous in the world.
The structure, acidity and complexity are matched only by the exceptionally refined aromatic expression of the Mas de Daumas Gassac White and the Mas de Daumas Gassac Red.
With yields very similar to 2017 – between 25 and 30 hl/ha – the wines are very elegant, with plenty of length on the palate and superb density.
Be prepared! A rich, complex vintage is on its way!
Photos Crédit Jarosław Praszkiewicz
