Vintage 2017(40th VINTAGE)

Technical sheet

Denomination:

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

TYPE OF SOIL:

Red Glacial deposits.

HARVEST DATES:

2 september – 13 september 2017 (7days)

GRAPE VARIETIES:

78% Cabernet Sauvignon,
5% Merlot,
5% Cabernet Franc,
4% Petit Verdot,
2% Malbec,
2% Pinot Noir,
4% rare grape varieties : Tannat, Abouriou (France), Nielluccio, Montepulciano (Italie), Saperavi (Géorgie), Carménère (Chili), Tempranillo (Espagne).

CLIMATE:

Thanks to plenty of rain during the first half of the year, and a magnificent dry, sunny summer, the vines hardly suffered any water stress. Conditions were optimal for perfectly ripe grapes.

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:

3.54

YIELD:

40hl/ha

ALCOHOL BY VOL.:

13.5%

TOTAL ACIDITY:

3.59

A few words on this vintage

This exceptional 40th vintage has produced the lowest yields since Mas de Daumas
Gassac was created in 1972.

A few words on this vintage

HARVEST NEWS

The 40th harvest began on Thursday 24 August and ended on 13 September 2017.
An average of 46 pickers worked for a total of 14 days!

2017 Harvest News

DRINK OR LAY DOWN

EVOLUTION OF THE VINTAGES & TASTING ADVICE

Drink or lay down

TASTING HINTS

TASTING HINTS

Mas Daumas Gassac Red
Always serve your Daumas Gassac between 18° and 19°C, preferably in a large balloon glass.
Make sure to open your bottle three to four hours beforehand.
Better still, decant the wine which will help bring out its complexity. But, do replace the stopper.
Drink young (within 3 years) to enjoy the full fruity aromas. Otherwise drink it after 5 years, or lay it
down for 15-20 long years to get the full benefit of a great ‘vin de garde’.

HINTS FOR LAYING DOWN
When to enjoy Daumas Gassac red vintages
If your cellar is cool (12-16° C) you can lay down your Daumas Gassac for several years.
Equally, if your cellar is not cool enough and you fear the wine may not age well, you’ll thoroughly
enjoy your Daumas Gassac while it’s young, say 2, 3 – up to 5 - years after bottling.
Be aware that there are no absolutes for great wines! There are only great bottles! Those drunk in
moments of peace and calm.
You should also know that, before cloning, the Medoc Cabernet Sauvignon produced incomparable,
living wines, wines that grew old beautifully.
It’s up to you to choose which of five lives you prefer.

The five lives of Daumas Gassac vintages

The period of wine in Fruit: it can be tasted in the first Autumn after bottling. The first glimpse of a
new wine, hints of the wine to come.
The period of Youth: crisp fruit and tannins to the fore. Lasts for three to seven years. It is delicious
and invigorating. You should taste it in its youth!
The period of Maturity: here the velvety tannins appear, and the fruit fades. This period stretches
from 7 to 14 years and is when the wine reveals its full complexity.
The period of Plenitude: when the wine is between 14 and 21 years old. The fruity flavours fade and
give way to the “tertiary” aromas, in which hints of dried roses, woodland moss, truffles and game
may appear!
The period of Dreams: over 21! Most Daumas Gassac vintages, when kept in a cool cellar with good
hygrometry, continue to evolve into magical, dreamlike savours. A treasure for grandsons to discover
in granddad’s cellar!