‘The Languedoc needs 10 more Daumas Gassacs’

The Languedoc needs 10 more wineries working at the level of Mas de Daumas Gassac in order to achieve its full potential, according to Daumas Gassac’s Samuel Guibert.

Mas de Daumas Gassac is widely credited for transforming the reputation of the Languedoc and for producing the region’s first ‘elite’ wine (Photo: Daumas Gassac)

The Daumas Gassac owner and head winemaker told the drinks business that while there are many examples of high-quality winemaking in the region, only a very few combine high quality with appropriate premium pricing and an international outlook.

“Languedoc still doesn’t have enough train pullers,” Guibert explained. “We need 10 more Daumas Gassacs.”

“I’m not saying in terms of quality – we have some that are there or getting close. A train-puller in the wine sense is someone who has quality, maintained over at least 10 years, hopefully more like 20 years; someone that starts at [an appropriate] minimum price – for the Languedoc, let’s say €20 a bottle; and, last but not least, enough quantity to exist not just locally.

Guibert explained that the Languedoc wine region as a whole would not be able to fulfil its potential until more wineries were successfully operating at the higher end of the market.

“Right now we have a lot of great everyday wine,” he said. “Bordeaux has a lot of very good wine but Bordeaux is being pulled by 55 or 65 top grand crus, and mostly the five first growths followed by the a few super seconds. We are still quite large, so we need 20 wineries that make people dream.”

Famously referred to as the “Lafite Rothschild of the Languedoc” by the French gastronomic guide Gault Millau, the family-owned, organic Mas de Daumas Gassac estate made its first vintage in 1978 with the assistance of the celebrated oenologist Émile Peynaud.

The estate, which unusually for the Languedoc makes a red dominated by Cabernet Sauvignon rather than indigenous grapes, has come to be seen as the first to demonstrate that a French non-appellation wine could command a price equivalent to that of a classed growth Bordeaux.

Samuel Guibert has overseen winemaking at Mas de Daumas Gassac since 2005, taking over from his father, Aimé.

First special cuvée release for seven years

Daumas Gassac’s 2015 Cuvée Emile Peynaud will be the first release of this special cuvée in seven years (Photo: Daumas Gassac)

In an interview with the drinks business, Guibert also revealed that Daumas Gassac would be making its prestige Cuvée Émile Peynaud in 2015 – the first time it has done so in seven years.

Cuvée Émile Peynaud is an 100% Cabernet Sauvignon cuvée of which only four vintages have been made.

“The Cuvée Émile Peynaud this year, at this stage, is probably the most exciting wine I’ve ever tasted,” Guibert said.

“People like to say they know the Cuvée Émile Peynaud is made in the ‘best vintage’. I wouldn’t say the ‘best vintage’. I would say we make Cuvée Émile Peynaud when the Cabernet Sauvignon stands out, awesomely, by itself.

“We made Cuvée Émile Peynaud in ’01, which was a superb vintage in Languedoc, but then in ’02, which was not a superb vintage in southern France. Then we made it in ’07 and ’08, which were good. And in ’15… I have not been excited like this for reds, at this stage, for a very long time.”

The thirst for non-Champagne sparkling

Guibert also said that Daumas Gassac had increased production of its Cabernet Sauvignon Rosé Frizant in response to increasing demand for non-Champagne sparkling wines.

The Mas de Daumas Gassac Rosé Frizant recently achieved a surprise Silver Award in the db Cabernet Sauvignon Masters. Guibert said production has steadily increased since 2006 and this years stands at 50,000 bottles, with an expectation for further growth int he coming years.

“Right now, it has become trendy,” he said. “It used to be that it was either champagne or cheap bubbles. Now in between Cava, Prosecco, some of the cremants – all of that is suddenly becoming trendy.

“I have friends who, before, they would never get married with anything but Champagne but now they it’s trendier not to get married with Champagne. So we are benefiting from that trend in a way.”