2009 Daumas Gassac Mas de Daumas Gassac Hérault Rouge 12L

2009 Mas de Daumas Gassac: Southern French Grand Cru Balthazar

The 2009 Mas de Daumas Gassac Hérault Rouge 12L Balthazar represents a rich, mature collector triumph of southern French fine winemaking. In particular, the estate sits in an isolated microclimate along the Gassac valley with glacial soils resembling the Médoc. In addition, the solar and celebrated 2009 vintage delivered immense fruit concentration, velvety tannins, and decades of cellar life in large format.

Tasting Notes for 2009 Mas de Daumas Gassac

The wine opens with voluptuous aromas of ripe blackberry, dark plum, cigar box, cedarwood, and dried violets. Furthermore, complex secondary notes of dark chocolate, leather, and roasted spices unfold in the decanter. On the palate, plush, seamless tannins cushion a powerful and savory core of dark fruit. Consequently, the finish lingers with extraordinary length, warming spice, and noble Mediterranean poise.

Key Wine Details

• Producer: Mas de Daumas Gassac

• Vintage: 2009

• Appellation: IGP Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert / Hérault, Languedoc, France

• Blend: Predominantly Cabernet Sauvignon with rare indigenous red varieties

• Format: 12L Large Format (Balthazar)

• Cellar Window: Drink now through 2045

Estate History and Heritage

Mas de Daumas Gassac revolutionized southern French fine winemaking starting in the early 1970s under Aimé and Véronique Guibert. Specifically, famed Bordeaux geologist Henri Enjalbert discovered the unique microclimate, and enologist Émile Peynaud guided the winemaking. Moreover, Daumas Gassac is universally heralded as the “Lafite of the South.”

Today, large-format bottlings like this 12-liter Balthazar make extraordinary showpieces for grand celebrations and private cellars. As a result, this 2009 bottling represents an enduring monument of French viticulture.