I’m not going to lie, my enthusiasm for this wine is not of the kind that would lead to any rebuys, especially as the missus could not fathom why one would drink such a wine. This is the kind of wine that I admire for what it is, a complex, well-crafted and pretty singular wine consisting of a blend of varieties hard to find elsewhere. That’s not to say it’s hard to enjoy, it is not, especially with food. It is a blend of Viognier, Petit Manseng, Chardonnay, Chenin Blanc and ”rare varieties” (28%) and tastes just like it. While I think the red counterpart could appeal to pretty mainstream tastes this undoubtedly requires a certain level of geekiness from the drinker.
2021 Mas de Daumas Gassac Blanc - France, Languedoc Roussillon, Languedoc, Pays d'Hérault (15.1.2025)
This is just a bomb aromatically with a distinct fruit character (peach, mirabelle) that is stylistically somewhere between tinned fruits and hard candy, floral notes, quite prominent herbal tones akin to white Bandol and beeswax. So different than my usual fare and quite complex - would be a hell of a task to nail this blind but I am enjoying it for sure. On the palate it is hefty but what warmth there is in the beginning seems to calm down rather quickly in the glass. There is volume and texture to the extent that it requires some adaptation from an acid-fiend like myself but it is not flabby or too weighty. It has this minerally sensation on the palate that sometimes surprises with these southern whites. The finish is quite powerful and lingering, but yet one seeks for another sip fast. Definitely a wine for the table and I could see it working really well with say lamb sausages with a generous amount of herbs in them.
I remember drinking MdDG blanc a number of years ago when visiting Mont Stern…probably at least 15 + years ago. At that time, had previously enjoyed the red, wasn’t aware they made a white. If memory serves, it was a well crafted, somewhat unique wine and quite enjoyable…This is the first tasting note on the Blanc that I have seen since then., …
I had this a few times. I couldn’t even find a way to intellectually like this . Mind you I never had old ones but never thought it would make a difference!
Yeah, it’s pretty difficult to assess how something as unique as this might develop in the cellar. In any case I think it’s a wine the requires approaching with a very open mind. In a blind tasting I would probably be ready to move on very quickly but now at home after getting the kids to sleep I was willing to sit back and give it some attention. I remember tasting the wine a really really long time ago at a consumer wine fair here in Finland and my recollection is of more Viognier-dominant wine that had a rich fruit-salad of a profile but not that much alcohol or power. Of course the vintages have only gotten warmer in the last 10+ years and the blend or winemaking otherwise might have changed here.
I had a 2023 a couple weeks ago, with a similar reaction. Just too much of everything… I used to enjoy those some years ago but something has changed. The world? The winemaking? The palate?
Thanks for the note Ilkka, as always very thoughtfully written. I haven’t had one in years but it doesn’t sound like it has changed much - apart from the price, that is. I just looked it up out of curiosity - it now seems to cost around 50 euros - blimey O’ Reilly! Likewise I think the red. Even at the former price of around 30 euros, they’re wines I’m curious and happy to taste if someone else is paying but I certainly wouldn’t buy any. I don’t begrudge their success at all, far from it, I admire the Guiberts’ achievements a great deal, but at that price, there are so many other wines which tempt me a lot more.
Cheers! Makes me happy to hear that from you as I really enjoy your Loire/Bdx write-ups here. 50€ is way way too rich for me. This bottle came directly from the winery where it remains 30€ a pop, as does the red.
To update on this bottle as there was more than enough left for day 2 given the missus’s lack of excitement, I got some moderately spicy sausages and the pairing was absolutely terrific. The wine had moved overnight too, as it felt aromatically way better integrated and on the palate the fruit was very expressive with the warmth seemingly gone. Altogether a more harmonious showing and at a point where we can already carefully use the word ’delicious’. As always, not sure if this is any indication of how the wine might develop in the cellar, but I’m happy to have followed it over two days.
. Mind you I never had old ones but never thought it would make a difference!