Mas de Daumas Gassac is located on exceptional soil discovered in 1970 by the great professor of geography in Bordeaux, Henri Enjalbert. In the Gassac Valley, under the thick scrub of "garrigue," lies 40 hectares of glacial deposits formed by the Riss, Mindel and Guntz glaciations that supply three essential elements, imperative to a great growth:
• soil so deep that the vine roots are forced to seek nourishment at great depth,
• soil so perfectly drained that it retains almost no humidity even after the most violent rainfall,
• soil so poor that the vine suffers to the very limits of endurance, thus creating unique aromas of exceptional originality.
At Daumas Gassac, every effort is made to protect the wild and natural beauty of the Gassac Valley and to preserve the "garrigue," the dominating feature of the landscape. The choice was made to create vineyards in small parcels or little clearings, engulfed by the extensive surrounding "garrigue". The wines at Daumas Gassac are, thus, enriched by the innumerable scents of Mediterranean shrubs packed tightly round the clearings. This practice which develops the individuality of the "terroir" is in complete contrast to modern viticultural techniques which tend towards vast areas of production with no other vegetation except for vines.
All our plants come from very old non-cloned vines. With our 6,000 plants per hectare we have 6,000 original plants instead of one single clone. Low yields, but prodigious richness and ability to stimulate all the senses. The introduction of clones is responsible for a dramatic decline in individuality to the advantage of standardization and high yields.
