View Reviews

Mas de Daumas Gassac, Vin de Laurence, 2011, 50cl, Languedoc-Roussillon

$100

“A little “masterpiece” from the “old wine grower”! But a masterpiece in the olden days’ sense of unremitting, skilled work – only produced in a very special vintage such as 1997, 1998, 2007 & 2011. The two leading lights in this unconventional wine are: Sercial, a mysterious grape from the island of Madeira that develops intriguing aromas of acidity, bitterness and pepper! The other is our very own Languedoc star, the Muscat petit grain from Mireval.

The Vin de Laurence is created from a painstaking double fermentation. First the Sercial, harvested before it ripens; then the Muscat is added to the acid Sercial wine for a second fermentation. The Muscat is harvested much later, in October when the sun has baked it to near caramel before it’s crushed. When picked, the Muscat alcohol potential is close to 20°C. Once blended, the Vin de Laurence is then aged for 8 to 10 years in five to six years old oak barrel! The result of this Franco-Portuguese alchemy is a fleshy, rich amber colored wine, incredibly complex, where the Muscat’s sweetness merges with the Sercial’s acidity, to tease and delight your palate. It ends with the candied characteristics of the over-ripe grapes predominant.

As the Romans said: Nil novi sub sole (there’s nothing new under the sun). Wine lover will understand the dream of building a bridge between Tokay, today’s splendid Hungarian wine creation, and the mysterious Klein Constantia drunk by Princes and Tsars back in the 18th century. A dream comes true here in the Languedoc’s Gassac valley.” Producer’s Note