Hello, Night of Aprl 30th has strange and other-worldly connotations in Sweden ... great fires are burnt to drive away evil influneces such as the winter, and assorted things that go bump in the night, and men's choirs. It is also traditionally a night of immense drinking and falling over dead drunk by the side of the road, getting into trouble withsomebody who has drunken immensely but not yet fallen by the side of the road dead drunk, and being held up at knife point (guns are not encouraged in Sweden). Xina and self had taken the day off, gone to a furniture shop bring father-in-law (who, despite being 89 years old, has an immense professional interest in furniture), and done some shopping.
After a bottle (Nicolas Feuillatte NV brut) of rather anonymous bubbly (which did its primary duties by being dry, cold, and, if not free, then at a promotion) we opened Mas de Daumas Gassac 1990. We had previously tasted the 1996 of the same wine (a gift from Mike Tommasi) and been suitably impressed, so, when I had a chance to aquire this on iDealWine I did not hesitate. Color tended slightly towards brick around the edges, and there was a very slight turbidity to it. Cork was sound, however. Nose, a bit shy at first (unfortunately the wine was not decanted) opened up with notes of maturity, slightly barnyardy, but evolving into black currants and grass - the presence of Caberent Franc was very obvious. On palate, the acidity felt a bit unbalanced, but there was still some fruit (black currant) and length.
This was on the whole a bit of a disappointment. It did not live up to the high standard of the 1996. It might be past its prime, or, the year was not a good one (the nose, to me, implys some deficits in phenolic maturity), or, the bottle is not good. Xina was suspicious about the acidty and thought it had been added. I don't know how the Guiberts feel about adding stuff to their wines - they are not biodynamic freaks, but they appear to be into bio, which allows adding acids, to some extent.
ANybody with experience of this wine of this vintage? The concept of growing Cabernet Sauvignon in Southern France has come to fascinate me, ever since tasting a bottle of Vignelaure (do not remeber vintage).
Cheers
Nils