2001 Mas de Daumas Gassac

The 2001 Rouge is terrific. Wood smoke, white truffle, worn-in leather and cedar give the 2001 beguiling aromatic complexity and nuance. The tannins remain firm, ensuring another decade or so of fine drinking. The 2001 is an excellent choice for readers are looking for a mature wine to drink now. Some slightly angular contours remain, but that won’t be an issue at the dinner table.

65.8% Cabernet Sauvignon, 10.4% Merlot, 6.5% Cabernet Franc, 0.3% Tannat, 3.6% Malbec, 2.1% Pinot Noir, 8.8% Syrah, 2.5% rare varieties. TA 3.37  g/l (sulphuric) , pH 3.45. Ripe black cherry – much fruitier and sweeter than their norm, it seems. Milk chocolate, soft tannins with a pinch of spice on the finish. Rounded, succulent with a gradual fade and a very smooth mouthfeel. (RH)

Bright ruby-red. Candied raspberry, minerals, gunflint, licorice and tarragon on the nose, plus a suggestion of raw berries. Very young and tightly wound; dense but currently folded in on itself. Intensely spicy flavors of bitter cherry, cassis, tobacco, licorice and tarragon. Distinctly atypical for Languedoc wine in its mid-palate energy and underlying spine. Finishes long and juicy, with sweet but firm tannins. Difficult going today, and in need of at least seven or eight years of cellaring.