Tasting with Sam Guibert of Daumas Gassac

At work the other day I had the pleasure of tasting with Sam Guibert from Daumas Gassac. If you have seen the movie Mondovino, you may remember Gassac and the Guibert family. He brought with him five wines, 2 great values from their Moulin de Gassac Guilhem line and three more pricey wines from the Mas de Daumas Gassac line. Daumas Gassac is located in the town of Aniane in the Languedoc AOC of Southern France.

#1 –2006 Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Blanc ( 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 30% Grenahce Blanc, 20% Clairette)

Nose – pear, stone, lime, slightly grassy

Taste – spice, pear, apple and mineral

Mouthfeel – light to medium body and crisp

Finish – decent, good and clean

#2 – 2007 Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc (20% Viognier, 20% Chardonnay, 20% Petit Manseng, 20% Chenin Blanc, 20% other grape varities)

Nose – Sweet pear, peach, stone fruit

Taste – peach, apple, apricot, mineral

Mouthfeel – nice acidity, fairly full body, good viscosity from the Viognier

Finish – good and long, lots of fruit

#3 – 2006 Moulin de Gassac Guilhem Rouge (30% Syrah, 30% Grenache, 25% Cargnan, 15% Cinsault)

Nose – raspberry, strawberry, red currant

Taste – meaty, raspberry, leather and cherry

Mouthfeel – smooth with good acidity

Finish – fairly long with light velvety tannins

#4 – 2006 Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge (80% Cabernet, 20% rare grape varieties)

Nose – concentrated red fruit, green pepper

Taste – roast beef, raspberry reduction and leather

Mouthfeel – big tannins, full body

Finish – long, with a hint of spice and cinnamon

#5 – 2004 Mas de Daumas Gassac Rouge

Nose – bell pepper, earthy, tea, cherry and rhubarb

Taste – raspberry, pencil lead, red clay, and “rustic”

Mouthfeel – full and round, big dusty tannins

Finish – long with concentrated red fruit flavors

It was a treat to taste with Sam, 5^th generation wine maker for Gassac. His passion for his families wine was fully evident as he explained in great detail each of his wines. I highly recommend the wines, if you see them in your local shop, give them a try, especially the Moulin de Gassac wine, a super value at $10 – $12.

Cheers!

Visiting a new region with the Lorgeril L’Enclos des Bories Minervois Rouge

This is my first wine from the Minervois region I’m sorry to say as they offer great early drinking values from the Southern part of France.

 

A little background…

 

Located in the Western part of Languedoc, Minervois was granted AOC status in 1985. The appellation gets its name for the city of Minerve with viticulture activities dating back to the Roman Empire.  Wines coming from Minervois must be comprised of at least 20% of Mourvedre or Syrah, with other grapes adding to the blends such as Grenache, Carignane and Cinsault.  The Minervois which has the shape of a large amphitheater, lies 30km from the ocean giving it a nice Mediterranean climate of hot dry summer and cool winters.

 

Wine stats for the 2007 Lorgeril L’Enclos des Bories Minervois Rouge

Grapes – 80% Syrah, 20% Grenache

Ageing – Temperature controlled concrete vats

Soil – Schist and Limestone

 

My Tasting Notes

Color – Deep garnet

Nose – chalky, blueberry and blackberry

Taste – blueberry, red currant, vanilla and black pepper

Mouthfeel – light to medium body, bright acidity and smooth with a good dose of tannins

Finish – short and fruity

 

This was very fruity and easy drinking although surprisingly tannic compared to the other components of the wine. This is not to say that the tannins were overpowering, just surprising.  The black pepper on the back end of the palate was very nice and provided for a good spicy finish, a nice contrast to the overall fruitiness of the wine. Ranging between $10 and $15 the Minervois wines from Lorgeril look to offer some great values from the region.

 

Cheers!