The 45th harvest report
The 2022 HARVEST, the most spread out in time!
The 45th harvest at Mas de Daumas Gassac began on Wednesday, 24 August and ended on Monday, 26 September 2022, with the domaine’s star grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon. A team of 50 pickers from 13 different nationalities converged in the heart of the Gassac Valley for 18 days.
The 2022 vintage was marked by the enthusiasm and drive of everyone involved to produce a vintage combining finesse and freshness.
WEATHER CONDITIONS
2022 was characterized by a cold winter and then, a summer of drought with extreme heat. On Tuesday 16 August, a storm redesigned the profile of the vintage by bringing 80 mm of rain to the vineyard. A real blessing for the coming harvest: it pushed the phenolic ripeness and brought an exceptional freshness to the grapes.
The climate change led us to adopt a new strategy: we started harvesting by the Frizant grape varieties, then the White and finally the Red, instead of a mixed programme.
We therefore started harvesting on 24 August, compared to 6 September last year. The harvest was spread out over a month, an unusual length of time!
FROM 24/08 TO 28/08 | HARVEST OF MAS DE DAUMAS GASSAC ROSÉ FRIZANT
We harvested all the grapes for the Rosé Frizant blend in 5 days. It was 10 days earlier than last year. First tasting: lovely red fruits aromas and sour sweets stand out.
FROM 29/08 TO 02/09 | HARVEST OF MAS DE DAUMAS GASSAC WHITE
Then, all the white grapes were picked in 5 days. 3 & 4 September, the first 4 tanks of the White were pressed after 1 week of maceration : a record that is among the longest in the recent years! The result is a rich, powerful, marvellous white wine with ripe apricot and honey notes!
FROM 05/09 TO 26/09 | HARVEST OF MAS DE DAUMAS GASSAC RED
5 & 6 September, we harvested all the early red varieties. They were vinified together and then, pressed after 7 days of maceration. The harvest ended by our star grape variety, Cabernet Sauvignon, after a break of 12 days to have a perfect maturity.
ASSESSMENT OF THE VINTAGE
We carried out a comparison of the average temperatures and humidity levels in the Gassac Valley over the last four years. 2022 was marked by rising temperatures and falling humidity. The extreme heat and dryness of the summer were balanced by a temperate September with 74% humidity and an average of 20.7°C.
An exceptionally warm and dry spring!
