Joint venture brings out best of Languedoc

Nov 20 2009 by Helen Savage, The Journal

Expansion of the business also put an end to the grubbing up of old vines, previously thought to be uneconomic in the vineyards surrounding the Guibert estate.

“We respect our growers and work in parallel with them,” said Samuel. “We hope there’s a feeling of shared ownership in the project. The Guibert family didn’t try to buy new land, but relied on a handshake agreement to secure the grapes they need. “It would have been inhuman to pressure folk to sell, if their land had been in the same family for a dozen generations,” Samuel insisted.

These wines, sold under the Moulin de Gassac label, feature local Languedoc varieties such as Carignan and Grenache for the red wines as well as Syrah, while the indigenous white varieties are complemented by Sauvignon Blanc, Chardonnay and Viognier.

“As soon as you get out of the valley,” Samuel told me, “the local varieties do much better than ours.”

Like the wines of Mas de Daumas Gassac itself, they are grown using sustainable methods. They aren’t registered organic, but as Samuel says, “we do the traditional things.” As well as being clean and green, Samuel hopes that the Moulin de Gassac wines display finesse. They sell well and as Samuel says: “It means that we can supply 390 shops all year round” – especially in Quebec – though they have also found their way to our region, courtesy of Michael Jobling.

Aimé is now 84 but is still very much in charge. Samuel, the eldest of five sons, joined the family firm in 2000 after a Master’s degree in soils science and then eight years importing Evian water and European wines into New Zealand. He is now assistant winemaker and had come to the North East for a dinner at Café 21.

Although work on the estate means that “you don’t see me for four months in every year,” he travels a lot to showcase his wines. After the weeks of harvest, he tried to persuade me, “this is the first time I’ve worn clean clothes in a month and a half.”

WINE OF THE WEEK

Moulin de Gassac, Faune, Vin de Pays de l’Hérault, 2008 Michael Jobling £7.19

Crisp, dry white, with an almost floral bouquet with pear and peach (the main grape is Viognier) and then a juicy taste of perfumed fruit, with a nice twist of end acidity. Try it with white meat, oily fish or gently spiced dishes.

WINE EXTRAS

The main stockist in our region for Moulin de Gassac and Mas de Daumas Gassac is Michael Jobling www.michaeljoblingwines.com (0191) 378 4554, who lists seven different wines in the Moulin de Gassac range as well as two vintages of Mas de Daumas Gassac itself: 1999 (£20.01) and the superb 2005 (£21.74). The cheapest wines, a basic red and white Guilhem are bargains at £5.98 each – if my sums are correct (Michael Jobling’s website only gives ex- VAT prices – irritating to maths-strapped mortals like me). The dry white Guilhem 2006, a blend of Sauvignon Blanc with Clairette and white Grenache is ripe and spicy – quite a big mouthful of green fruit. The red Guilhem 2006 a mix of Syrah, Carignan and Cinsault is plummy, but quite lean and also a little spicy and minty. Elise 2006 (£7.19), a blend of Merlot and Syrah, is full of perfumed, juicy, brambly fruit. It too is relatively light and elegant – certainly not a big jammy southern blockbuster.