When tanner Aime and ethnologist Veronique Guibert had found a rundown mas (a farmhouse) in Aniane, within the Gassac Valley in the Herault area of southern France's Laguedoc, that was up for sale, they had immediately fell in love with the untouched, serene and pristine natural environment - it made the perfect home for the couple to settle down and grow their family of five sons.

Yet, they would quickly find out that they had chanced upon land that featured some very unique and rare soils - the sort found in prestigious winegrowing regions of the Cote d'Or in Burgundy. Their close family friend, the highly lauded Henri Enjalbert, who had been a geography professor at the University of Bordeaux, had suggested that grape growing might be a good use of the land, and Aime, on the encouragement of his wife, Veronique, would do just that. Just over a decade later, the Guibert's would create the cult wine of the Languedoc. 

Languedoc in the south of France.

To fully appreciate their fateful achievement, it's worth talking about the Languedoc. Located in the south of France, the coastal region cusps the Mediterranean Sea, and finds itself west of southern Rhone. And yet even in their proximity, the two neighbouring regions could not possess a more differing reputation. The Rhone is considered an ancestral winegrowing region, home to legendary areas like Hermitage, the birthplace of French Syrah, and Chateauneuf du Pape, where Popes had once found shelter and elevated winemaking practices - it's a region known for producing intense and bold wines that are fuller bodied and of great heritage and deeply storied. The Languedoc, however, has long been associated with cheap, bulk wines that tend to be lighter in style, and with a climate that is incredibly hot in the summer, and typically of very little rainfall.

And so when reports began emerging in the early 1980's of a "Chateau Lafite du Languedoc" (a play on Chateau Lafite Rothschild of Bordeaux First Growth fame), only to be corrected and instead characterised as "actually, more like Latour" (a fellow Bordeaux First Growth or perhaps even more sacred heritage), eyebrows began lifting with curiosity about this one Mas de Daumas Gassac, the "miracle in the Languedoc". 

Suddenly interest in this little hamlet in the south of France burst with excitement from major European markets of France, UK and the Netherlands.

Aime and Veronique Guibert.

But let's go back to the start.

We left off with one Aime and Veronique who had been looking for a good place to grow their family. Aime was a 12th-generation leather-maker, and Veronique had been completing her PhD in Ethnology. They had grew up in the south of France and wanted to find a spot that would sit between their two home cities. As it so happened, after 2 years of searching, a bar owner in the Aniane commune in Gassac had pointed them in the direction of the Daumas family who had been looking to sell their farm. Jean Daumas and his two sisters were in their 70's had for years taken care of the land, farming naturally, with a focus of self-sufficiency in the form of raising sheep, cows and horses, and planting olive trees, fruit trees, vegetables and herbs - and just one hectare of vines that were used for wines that the family themselves enjoyed. Everything here was done by hand, with no chemicals used, and even the water had to come from a nearby well, with electricity only recently installed just years before the Guibert's arrived. Theirs was a family that had owned the land for 400 years, and serendipitously, they were now ready to let it go as they found that they were no longer able to work the farm, and had wanted to return to their family home elsewhere in Aniane. And so this began a new chapter for the land, with the Guibert's now taking care of all its wilderness.

Mas de Daumas Gassac's vineyards blend in to the wilderness and takes the form of a patchwork of tree-enclosed small vineyards.

It was 1972 and the Guibert's would finally move in to the mas. As they began to give serious thought to how best to make use of the 60 hectares of land, they would thus invite their friend Professor Henri Enjalbert to provide some suggestions. The Guibert's had figured that the land could perhaps cultivate grains, asparagus, olives or even potatoes and carrots - to their surprise, after several days of studying the land, Professor Enjalbert had instead suggested winegrowing! And it wasn't just any land that the Guibert's were sitting on - no, no, this was by Enjalbert's admission some of the greatest terroir for vines. The powdery red fine glacial soils, similar to that of the Cote d'Or in Burgundy, was rich in minerals yet really poor in organic nutrients, with lots of free drainage which meant the vines would be incredibly stressed and have to dig deep with their roots, thereby expressing the terroir remarkably well. Coupled with the Gassac river and the du Larzac mountains flanking the land, which added to the climate a cooling and humid factor similar to that of the Haut-Medoc in Bordeaux.

That special powdery red glacial soil.

Aime would thus figure that with the warm climate of the region, that he would focus on farming Cabernet Sauvignon. Yet as the years went on, even as Cabernet Sauvignon remains the primary grape, the mas would become something of a living museum of over 40* varieties that Aime and Veronique would collect and amass from the various growers and winemakers that they met along the way. A big fan of history, the Guibert's had wanted to preserve these rare vines (from everywhere around the world, Portugal to Armenia, Switzerland to Israel) and thus had created a patchwork of cepages, giving each varietal its own vineyard surrounding and protected by its own little forestry (called la garrigue). One particularly intriguing variety that the Guibert's cultivate is the Neherleschol, which is said to be the grape described in the Bible, where Moses had sent scouts in search of the Promised Land, to which the scouts had returned with a bunch of Neherleschol grapes as proof. 

The fabled Neherleschol grape.

*Red Varieties farmed at Mas de Daumas Gassac: Bastardo de Galice, Souzon de Galice, brancaillo de Galice, Baga du Portugal, Monepluciano d’Italie, Plavac Malic de Croatie, Dolcetto, Barbera & Nebiolo du Piémont ; Voskeat d’Arménie, Saperavie de Géorgie, Vranca de Croatie, St Laurent de Moravie, Arenie Noir d’Arménie, Petit Verdot du Bordelais, Carmenere du Bordelais, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Malbec, Syrah, Tannat, Pinot & Mourvèdre.

White Varieties farmed at Mas de Daumas Gassac: Roussanne & Marsanne (Rhone), Petite Arvine du Haut Valais, Petit Courbu du Béarn, Sercial de madère, Smillon de Bordeaux, Armigne du Valais, Arenie Tcherni (Armenie), Khondorni (Armenie) & Tchilar (Armenie), Albarinon de Galice, Zylaska de Georgie, Neherleschol du Haut Plateau du Golan (Israel), Tchakaveri de Georgie, Niolucio du Piemont, Odjaleschi de Georgie, Petit Manseng du Béarn, Viognier du Rhone, Chardonnay de Bourgogne, Chenin de Loire, Muscat d’Alexandrie, Muscat Italien & Semillon.

The Guibert's would thus spend the first 6 years preparing the vines, what was once farmland had now become a vineyard proper - instead of using clonal vines, nursery cuttings from specially selected Bordeaux vineyards were selected and brought over to be planted. An unused flour mill that sat on the property would also be made into an underground cellar that allowed for constant temperature that allowed for the wines to be best stored. Keeping closely to the land as the Guibert's had received it, they would preserve the patchwork of naturally enclosed parcels, each sized at about a hectare, which could be ploughed by horse within a day, and allowed for more biodiversity and proved to be more ecologically friendly. As the land had already been untouched by chemicals and pesticides by the Daumas family for hundreds of years, the Guibert's would continue as such, which made the Mas de Daumas Gassac the first estate in the Languedoc to adopt full organic farming, keeping the land as pristine as it has always been.

Crucially, for the very first vintage - the 1978 red - the Guibert's would enlist the help of the great Bordeaux oenologist Emile Peynaud, who in a surprising move had been so taken by the estate that he would render his advice daily via phone for years, taking a chance on a then unknown vineyard. Fruit was hand-harvested from the then 8-hectares of vines, with Peynaud following a 89% Cabernet Sauvignon, 1% Syrah, 4% Malbec and 6% Tannat blend. Advocating for the winery to deviate from the Languedoc appellation requirements, the winery would daringly produce a non-appellation wine, labelled as Vin de Pays de l'Herault, thereby essentially declassifying themselves and detaching themselves from the Languedoc wine identity and affiliation. This was a risky but ultimately rewarding decision as while it did mean that Mas de Daumas Gassac's wines could not be readily benchmarked to a regional style (and thus harder for drinkers to understand, and easier to write off), it also meant that the winery would not fall prey to Languedoc's then poor reputation.

“There, for the first time, I had the good fortune to be present at the birth of a grand cru”

Emile Peynaud

Under the instruction of Peynaud, Mas de Daumas Gassac would produce its red wine in a traditional Bordeaux style (of the '80s), focusing on finesse, complexity and balance; big on Cabernet Sauvignon (as is Left Bank Bordeaux modus operandi) and here with minimal intervention in the cellar, allowing the fruit and terroir to express itself as naturally as possible. Fermentation is done slow and cool, with indigenous yeasts, with no sulphur used in the red wine, which is then aged for 12-15 months in oak before bottling. The wines were produced to allow for long ageing, and now after some 50 years, early vintages have proven to be exceptional, maintaining its characteristic freshness and vibrance.

The inaugural 1978 vintage would go on to be legendary and would change the Guibert's life henceforth. With outstanding reviews from the likes of French newspaper Le Figaro, as well fellow French gastronomy magazine Gault & Millau, Mas de Daumas Gassac would go on to be a big hit with even ardent wine critics such as Jane MacQuitty (The Times) and Hubrecht Duijker. This would light the fuse for a ceaselessly burning interest in Mas de Daumas Gassac's wines for the next 50 years. It is said that Aime Gassac had so much gratitude for the success of the first vintage that he kept the first bank note of 100 French francs that he was paid for the first ever case of Mas de Daumas Gassac wines, that he kept framed in his office.

The Guibert brothers.

"I believe their lack of wine background prior to creating their wild Gassac dream was one of the main reasons for our success. Making unconventional decisions was possible because they lacked the weight of tradition."

Samuel Guibert

By the early 80's, the winery would start the work to produce a white wine as well, after having discovered yet another splendid terroir that sat just outside the Gassac valley. The land there was situated on a vein of white limestone dating back to the Jurassic era, and with its cool climate, was deemed suitable for white varieties. The Guibert's would thus grow an eclectic mix of Petit Manseng, Chardonnay, Viognier, Chenin Blanc, Rousanne and Marsanne amongst many others. The Guibert's would also produce in 1981 a Rose Frizant that was made using young Cabernet Sauvignon vines with the saignee technique - what was originally meant for just the family's enjoyment eventually proved to be so highly demanded that it is today part of the winery's flagship range of wines and still serves as a cult favourite of the region.

Into the 2000's, with Aime and Veronique having laid the foundations for the family's winery to achieve cult status, with the vineyards in the best shape it's ever been, they would begin the transition of passing along the torch to their sons, four of whom continue to helm the estate. Together Samuel, Gaël, Roman and Basile, now work to produce the wines and continue to spread the word on Mas de Daumas Gassac in markets around the world. Interestingly Basile, who is based in Asia, flies back to Aniane every year during harvest season to help make the wines!

"Our objective has been to make the transition so smooth that no one could say at any given time “this is the year when the Guibert brothers started at Gassac”. We believe we have succeeded and in doing so that we have also earned the opportunity to add our own little stone to the Gassac path… Our search for excellence at all levels is an ongoing mission, always seeking better ways to look after the Mother Nature that nourishes us, so, not only do we not harm it but actually protect it, and so it goes into the hands of our children in a better state than that which we inherited." Samuel Guibert

With over 50 years under its belt, it's natural that the farming and winemaking has inevitably evolved over the decades. For one, with the vines now well-aged since their initial planting in the early 1970's, the resulting wines have therefore achieved what the brothers deem as more finesse, elegance and subtlety. Yet, at such ages, the effort to start replanting has become crucial in order to ensure sustainability and smooth continuity. The brothers are also open with the fact that the team has a better understanding and grasp of the terroir than before - in large part the result of trial and error in matching the right grape variety with the right soil. They also now enjoy better resources by way of tools, equipment, vats and even coopers. Whereas in terms of wine style, the biggest change has to do with the white wine, where Viognier was introduced in the 90's and then Chenin Blanc in the early 2000's, the inclusion of which into the white has produced a wine with more finesse and elegance.

Nevertheless one aspect that the Guibert brothers deem as perennially remaining a key human factor in the winemaking is the choice of the picking date of the fruit. With over 40 varieties of grapes to be hand harvested over the span of 3-4 weeks, the team has to remain agile and observant to determining where the fruit has ripened and can be brought in, and in what order. The brothers again focus on finesse, complexity and balance, and thus whilst they look for ripeness, they also must avoid over-ripeness, and at the same time achieve maximum acidity in order to maintain a natural freshness and balance of Mas de Daumas Gassac's wine.

Beyond Mas de Daumas Gassac itself, since 1991, Mas de Daumas Gassac has also engaged in a number of collaborations such as the Moulin de Gassac, where the Guibert's partner with local farmers to save particular prominent plots of the Languedoc-Roussillon area which has been sized down by the EU. More recently, the Guibert brothers have been spending much time at their second estate and winery which falls within the IGP St. Guilhem-le-Desert Cite d'Aniane designation, where the goal is to export the Mas de Daumas Gassac philosophy over, with an emphasis on producing more accessible and approachable, fruit-forward and lighter bodied wines.

"At Gassac, the Guibert family still live on the estate – before being a “business”, it is our land, the land where we grew up, where we played in the vineyards, building tree houses in the surrounding woods and swimming in the Gassac stream. Our responsibility is to keep that land virgin, free of any negative impact, so that our children, then their own children and theirs can do the same. Our responsibility is not to own the land but protect it." says Samuel. 

Today we're going to give Mas de Daumas Gassac's flagship trio a taste - here's the Mas De Daumas Gassac Rose Frizant, Haute Vallee du Gassac Rouge & Blanc!

We got the chance to these incredible cult wines at the 2025 VinExpo held in Singapore which was nothing short of a wine lover’s dream, filled with hundreds of amazing vendors from around the world. You’ll also find Mas de Daumas Gassac’s wines at Vintage Club (Singapore) who distributes them.

Wine Review: Mas de Daumas Gassac Rose Frizant

This is the Mas de Daumas Gassac Rose Frizant 2023, which is made 95% Cabernet Sauvignon, 5% Mourvedre, Pinot Noir, Sauvignon Blanc, Petit Manseng and Muscat. Cabernet Sauvignon from younger vineyards in Daumas Gassac are used, with the free-run grape juice fermented in a closed steel tank so as to retain all the fermenting gas, giving it a light fizz.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Pink

Aroma: Opening with fresh tones of bright strawberries, with a touch of confectionary frosting, really firm and rich, and then it begins to take an almost multi-chromatic turn with this vibrance of watermelon and bubblegum. It has this almost bubble pop quality and yet refuses to lean into being light or high-toned, still firm and rich in aroma.

Taste: A gentle carbonation gets underway here, paving the path for more of those red fruits of strawberries, watermelon flesh, and then also a slightly more tart and green style of wild strawberries. Some rustic hay comes through, as some of those confectionary tones of vanilla cream and frosting. It's rich and firm, really good supple body, yet at the same time it has this vibrant and energetic liveliness. It's a gentle sweetness throughout, with also a touch of red licorice candy.

Finish: Those red fruits and confectionaries begin to converge to something of strawberry frosting, still some tartness, some greenness, more of those wild strawberries. It works into a clean finish, really firm, rich, yet never high toned or thin.

My Thoughts

A wonderfully expressive and lively rose! It's got all the stylings of a classic rose - a wash of red fruits, some green, almost grassy tones, and even alittle bit of that confectionary vanilla cream. Yet where it really nails it is firstly just how firm and rich the body is, that supports and backs up the brighter flavours that are given a canvas with a good weight and richness to it. This makes for a most satisfying mouthfeel and body. And on top of that, there's this vibrance of multichromatic watermelon candies, watermelon fresh and toss in the rinds too, along with some bubblegum, all whilst keeping that firm and rich body.

It feels like the most complete rose you could find, and one that's fun and exciting, and also just really enjoyable to drink. This is the ultimate summer party wine - bar none.

Wine Review: Mas de Daumas Gassac Haute Vallee du Gassac White (Blanc)

This is the Mas de Daumas Gassac White 2013, and is made with 29% Viognier (origin of the vine: Georges Vernay – Condrieu), 24% Chardonnay, 21% Petit Manseng (origin of the vine: Charles Hours – Béarn), 11% Chenin Blanc (origin of the vine: Domaine Huet – Vouvray), 14% assorted rare grape varieties : Marsanne, Roussanne, Petit Courbu, Muscat Petit grain, Muscat d’Alexandrie, Gros Manseng, Semillon (France), Fiano (Italie). It is vinified with 5-7 days skin maceration and fermentation in stainless steel tanks, where is matures for 2-4 months.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Straw

Aroma: Intensely floral and aromatic, with bright notes of apples and pineapples and a clear malic acidity. There’s also a yeasty, doughy quality that immediately calls to mind Champagne, but it leans more rustic and salty, almost lanolin-like. A savoury undercurrent runs through it, blending salt, soft cheese rind, and something faintly woolly. It’s very broad and expressive for a blanc, with lots of personality and edge.

Palate: Rich and lifted, showing a bright juicy attack with a syrupy, medium-bodied texture. Fruitiness leans toward apple cores, green pears and touches of Sauternes-like sweetness, though it’s of course not dessert-level sweet. But the texture is what stands out most, so lovely silkiness and fullness, with just enough acidity to keep it in check. There’s a gentle layer of minerality beneath it all that grounds the wine.

Finish: Cleaner than the nose suggests. It dries out with a firm mineral backbone and a slightly savoury edge that carries through but doesn’t overwhelm.

My Thoughts

This is a very expressive blanc. It’s seamless and finessed on the palate but challenges expectations with its yeasty, rustic nose and textured weight. There’s a lot going on, but it all feels integrated. There’s also no cloying weight, just a clean taper and persistent mineral resonance from start to finish. It's complex and yet approachable, with a firm and rich body that's also intentional and well-composed. It's simply so incredibly interesting!

This white is surely meant to age and evolve, but it’s already drinking with intriguing complexity and character.

Wine Review: Mas de Daumas Gassac Haute Vallee du Gassac Red (Rouge)

This is the Mas de Daumas Gassac Red 2015, and is made with an eclectic mix of - 79% Cabernet Sauvignon, 7% Merlot, 6% Cabernet Franc, 2% Malbec, 2% Pinot Noir, 4% assorted rare grape varieties: Petit Verdot, Tannat, Abouriou (France), Nielluccio, Montepulciano (Italie), Saperavi (Géorgie), Carménère (France), Tempranillo (Espagne). This is vinified with slow extraction, delicate pump-over and soft infusion vinification, with long fermentation and maceration, and finally no filtration. The wines were aged for 12-15 months in 1-7 year old oak barrels.

Tasting Notes

Colour: Deep Ruby

Aroma: Aromatic, tons of fruit concentration and earthiness. Prominent but fresh earthiness with freshly tilled soil and dry hay then wrapped in potpourri and rose petals surrounding a wave of perfumed red fruits. Rich and concentrated strawberry and raspberry notes, layered with a touch of nuttiness and something more rustic: a very faint earthy funk that leans into animal hide and damp straw. Cigar box and dried herbs show up around the edges. It’s concentrated, but there’s a rustic earthiness underneath.

Palate: Same intensity and rustic purity. Raspberry, strawberry and dark cherries lead, leading toward thick fruit preserve rather than fresh fruit. Alongside the fruit, there’s a reappearance of dried hay, animal hide and earthy minerality. It's incredibly supple and plush, great richness over the medium body. It doesn’t feel overly strict or overripe, but it feels intentional and precise in its almost rustic and honest character.

Finish: Moderately long. Tannins are seamless, smooth and well-integrated. Some notes of raspberries and traces of animal fur, and fresh soil after a harvest.

My Thoughts

This is a rich and concentrated wine that’s not shy about showing its rustic roots. It comes across very upfront and unfiltered in spirit, with intensity and clarity in both fruit and earth-driven elements. It’s compelling because it doesn’t try to hide its more animal or raw qualities. And yet belying that rustic aromatic intensity is at its core a great supple concentration of deep red fruits of raspberries and strawberries in the form of preserves, garnished by red florals and a side of herbaceousness - this all delivered in a plush, rich yet satin-like, lifted body. It feels incredibly alluring and approachable, the very essence of sensuousness and pleasure.

Kanpai!

@111hotpot