Vintage 2014 (37th VINTAGE)

Technical sheet

Denomination:

IGP St Guilhem-le-Désert – Cité d’Aniane.

TYPE OF SOIL:

Red Glacial deposits.

GRAPE VARIETIES:

– 77% Cabernet Sauvignon.
– 7% Merlot.
– 5% Cabernet Franc.
– 3% Petit Verdot.
– 2% Malbec.
– 2% Pinot noir.
– 1% Tannat.
– 3% rare grape varieties : Abouriou (France), Nielluccio, Montepulciano (Italie), Saperavi (Géorgie), Carménère (Chili), Tempranillo (Espagne).

CLIMATE:

The year’s weather was marked by a gentle winter, then a dry spring was followed by a moderate summer – hence picking starting earlier than 2013. But the actual quantity of grapes harvested was down by 40%.

HARVEST DATES

11 September – 14 September 2014 (4 days).

Vinification:

Slow extraction, delicate pump-over and soft infusion vinification – long fermentation and maceration (20 days at least) in stainless steel tank – no filtration

MATURING:

12 to 15 months in oak barrel
(1 to 7 years old barrels)

HARVEST:

100% Manual

Folin:

PH:

3.57

YIELD:

35 to 45 hl/ha.

ALCOHOL BY VOL.:

13.6% Vol.

TOTAL ACIDITY:

3.45

A few words on this vintage

2014 was an incredible year in our wild Gassac valley, giving birth to a truly harmonious vintage.

Great finesse, freshness, open from its early days, the 2014 vintage’s seductive elegance will be enchanting right away !

A deep peony colour, bright with glints of ruby.

The nose develops slowly to become very aromatic, with elegant hints of blackcurrants and ripe wild berries.

As the mouth opens, the wine’s great finesse comes through with splendid balance and lively flavours.

A few words on the 2014 vintage

HARVEST NEWS

This year twelve different nationalities (Irish, Moroccan, French, Rumanian, English, Polish, American, German, Spanish, Portuguese …) made up the 38 strong picking team who joined our home based cellar team; all coming together to mark the birth of the 2014 vintage.
The 2014 harvest took place between Monday 1 and Sunday 14 September (13 days of picking). Quite a change from 2013 when harvesting started on 16 September, finishing on 4 October (18 days picking).
The year’s weather was marked by a gentle winter, then a dry spring was followed by a moderate summer - hence picking starting earlier than 2013. But the actual quantity of grapes harvested was down by 35%...

2014 Harvest news

DRINK OR LAY DOWN

EVOLUTION OF THE VINTAGES & TASTING ADVICE:

Drink or Lay Down

TASTING HINTS

TASTING HINTS

To be served around 18-19°C (64°F).
Make sure to open your bottle a few hours beforehand, but always replace the cork.
Better still, decant the wine which will help bring out its complexity. But, do replace the stopper.

THE FIVE LIVES OF MAS DE DAUMAS GASSAC RED WINES

From the first autumn after bottling. A true basket of fruit, hints of what’s to come.

Period of fruit
Crisp fruit and tannins to the fore. Lasts from three to seven years. A delicious and invigorating wine to drink. An absolute must.
Period of youth
Velvety tannins appear, the fruit fades. This period lasts for seven to fourteen years. The wine reveals its true complexity.
Period of maturity
Between fourteen and twenty-one years. The fruity flavours fade giving way to tertiary aromas with hints of dried roses, woodland moss, truffles, game!
Period of plenitude
Over twenty-one years, most Mas de Daumas Gassac vintages will continue to evolve into magical flavours if laid down in a cool cellar with the right humidity. A reasure for grandchildren to discover in grandad’s cellar!