View from the Romanissa vineyard (@tomlubbe)

2021s from Matassa!

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I can't remember the first time I met Tom Lubbe, but I will never forget him! Anyone who knows Tom will certainly understand why. He's witty, intelligent, sarcastic, thoughtful, and warm-hearted, and meeting him leaves an impression. He also happens to be a darn good winemaker! I do recall that I was in the Loire Valley when I first met Tom, most likely at L'Herbe Rouge, the quaint restaurant that was transformed into a intimate and lively wine tasting every January by the importer Louis/Dressner Selections back before COVID came to town. I was surrounded by French vignerons, and here was this scruffy gent, going on in fluent English about some of the British tourists who descend upon the Roussillon during the Summer. His use of profanity was timed perfectly, and accentuated the storytelling. Tom reminded me of the rustic and down to earth winemakers I had met in the Roussillon over the years, a bit like Thierry Navarre or Eric Laguerre, but with a much more "creative" vocabulary.

Tasting with Tom over the years has revealed an upwards arch in the clarity and balance of his wines. Though this is partly due to changes he has made to his approach at harvest time and in the cellar, it is also a direct effect of the diligent work he does in the vineyard, with cover crops, and regenerative agricutlure. He is as obsessed with earthworms as our own David Lillie, or dare I say it, even Claude Bourgignon. As Jules Dressner describes in a post on the Louis/Dressner website, "Tom feels that earthworms, whom unperturbed can freely create tunnels in the soil, are directly related to the flavors of his wines." It's something that has been explained to my by my father several times while driving around France, but I don't fully understand. The secret life of earthworms! There is much research on this (see Claude Bourgignon), not only on the earthworm's ability to digest mineral material that vines cannot absorb and turn it into something that vines can absorb, but also on the important cycle that worms are a part of, taking matter from deep beneath the surface and turning the soil every so slowly, actually creating hummus that is rich in nutrients. Though it may take decades to create an inch of new hummus, this has not deterred Tom from making every effort in his vineyards to support and develop biodiversity in his vineyards and provide a land of opportunity to the worms of the Roussillon.

Domaine Matassa began in the early 2000s, when Tom and a friend from New Zealand bought a small plot in the Roussillon called Clos Matassa. Tom had spent over a decade in South Africa working with Louise Hofmeyer at a domaine called Welgemeend, which was the only winery in the 90s that was dedicated to native yeast fermentation. He traveled to the Roussillon to work at Domaine Gauby, and ended up being invited to work full-time. After this time at Gauby, arguably one of the most important estates in the region for producing high quality, low intervention wines, Tom found some land with which to begin his own project. The Matassa project now spans several vineyard sites, many co-planted with white and red varieties, on a variety of terroirs, namely red schist, the rare black schist, granite, limestone and some clay. He is just over a hill from Calce, a commune that has become notable for the attention from wine writers and enthusiasts, due to the amazing potential of the area to produce complex and dynamic wines. There has been a fair amount of attention on the Roussillon lately, with respect to the promise of the region for producing fine wines. The reputation for years has been that of good values and easy farming, always linked with the Languedoc ("Languedoc-Roussillon"), which is a region that differs from the Roussillon in many ways. Now we are hearing some buzz. Of course we are also seeing issues with drought and heat as climate change continues to pose problems to agricultural pursuits.

Tom Lubbe sizing up a vine

Tom's approaches to vineyard management and vinification seem to be well suited both to the newfound interest in the wines of the region and the challenges of the changing climate. His farming is focused on generating life in the soil and plowing less, and his winemaking style often works with shorter macerations, infusion, co-fermentation of red and white grapes, and overall less extraction. His wines are pure and fascinating. They showcase the garrique, spice, and mineral complexity (especially of the schist soils) of the region, while also tasting unlike most of the wines that are typically produced there.

Today we present a line-up of 2021 wines from Matassa. By Tom's account, 2021 saw a "long harsh summer, not particulalry hot, but the driest ever (200mm from end of harvest 2020 to beginning of 2021), with endless Tramontane wind." The Tramontane is much like the Mistral (an intense current that sweeps through the Southern Rhone), but is felt strongly in the Roussillon, especially around Perpignan. Tom found the fruit in 2021 to have good acidity, and the wines to be "more structured than last year [2020]" so he "kept the macerations short accordingly." We have at times had Tom's wines on the shelf, but it has been a while since there was an opportunity to present so many at the same time. Though not a complete lineup, there is a great opportunity to experience the range of styles and expressions of the Matassa wines. The "Olla" wines, named after a vineyard called "Coume de L'olla," are always balanced and delicate, clearly the gateway drugs, suggesting the freshness and high toned energy to be found with the estate wines. Alexandria and Marguerite were wowing wine-drinkers before the orange wine craze, and the style of these wines is related to experiments Tom first made in 2008 with skin inclusion during fermentation. It seems all white grapes now see some skin contact during fermentation. If I could choose only one word for the reds, it would be "vibrant," not just thanks to the prevalent use of small percentages of white or grey grapes with the reds, but also due to Tom's intent to seek acidity and balance. His macerations are short for the region, and aging is usually in large 2500L foudres, fiber glass or demi-muid. No over-extraction or new oak here. I'd be surprised if he even had a barrel as young as 4 years old. We hope you enjoy the wines!

Big thanks to Tom Lubbe for being relatively prolific on Instagram and inviting us into his little world, and to Jules Dressner for compiling some great interviews and material for the Louis/Dressner profile of Domaine Matassa.

-Eben Lillie

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Matassa 2021 Vin de France 'Olla Blanc'

The wine comes from a single vineyard (Coume de l'Olla) of clay and limestone. Maceration is with whole clusters for 2 weeks, and aging is in concrete. The blend here is Macabeu, Muscat Petit Grains, and Muscat d'Alexandria. A nice introduction to the unique, quasi-white wines from Matassa. Though this should develop more stability with a bit more time in bottle, as many no SO2 added wines do, if you plan to drink it soon we would recommend consuming within a couple of hours, which really shouldn't be too hard to do!

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $31.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • No Sulfur

Matassa 2021 Vin de France 'Alexandria'

As winemaker Tom Lubbe explains, "Alexandria is named cunningly after its grape, which is thought by some to be the ancestor of all , harking back to the first days of the craft in ancient Egypt." //  This is 100% Muscat d'Alexandria, from a single parcel of red schist. Maceration is whole cluster, for 3 weeks. Tom employs what would be called "infusion" style, which means there is no extraction and typically zero pump over. In 2008, he left some skins in during fermentation and has used this technique with most of his fermentations of white grapes since then. Aging is in 2500L barrels. Muscat d'Alexandria always produces perfumed, floral notes on the nose. The inclusion of skins provides additional nutrients for the yeasts, which happily ferment all the sugars to make a totally dry wine, with a beautiful aromatic profile and a touch of fleshiness.

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $38.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • Low Sulfur

Matassa 2021 Vin de France 'Marguerite'

Cuvée Marguerite is named after the grandmother of Tom's wife Nathalie, who was apparently the last matriarch of the family to speak Catalan as her first language. The grapes come from three parcels, and the wine is a blend of Macabeu, Muscat Petit Grains, and Muscat d'Alexandria from schist and marl soils. Grapes are co-fremented, whole cluster, in cement and the wine is aged in 2500L foudres. Though it is still marked by the aromatic influence of the Muscat varieties, the weight and density provided by the Macabeu give this wine a different profile than Cuvée Alexandria. It may be my favorite between the two, but that has more to do with my ever-changing relationship with pyrozenes than any other factor. I have had several people show me a picture of this wine on their phone, but I never have it. We will be keeping one bottle offline for the next time that happens. -EL


  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $38.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • No Sulfur

Matassa 2021 Vin de France Matassa Blanc

Grenache Gris and Macabeu, from vines that average 95 years old. Here the Grenache Gris grapes see some whole cluster fermentation and then direct press, while the Macabeu sees 2 weeks of maceration for the Macabeu. The resulting wine is aged in large 2000L foudres on lees until bottling. Pure schist soils here, which keep the Macabeu in check. Macabeu can have lot of weight and occasionally even fatness, depending on many factors, two main ones being ripeness and terroir. Schist, especially the historic schist here at the foothills of the Pyrenees, seems to provide guidance to Macabeu, keeping it slim, and focused. This is a lovely white wine that shows great potential for aging.

  • Out of Stock
  • white
  • 0 in stock
  • $47.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • No Sulfur

Matassa 2021 Vin de France 'Olla Rouge'

Primarily Grenache Noir with Grenache Gris, Macabeu from a clay and limestone parcel. The grapes are co-fermented in concrete with 3 days of maceration, then pressed and racked into concrete for aging. Olla Rouge is a real charmer. There's spice, grit, and freshness! Enjoy with a light chill.

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $31.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • No Sulfur

Matassa 2021 Vin de France 'Romanissa' Rouge

Romanissa is a small vineyard on red schist soils, named after the rosemary that grows there. This cuvee is 100% Lledoner Pelut, also known in Spain as Garnacha Peluda. It is related to Grenache in some way, and I have heard accounts that it is a very hairy grape, with visible hairs on the skin. The grapes are macerated for 4 days, whole cluster, in fiber glass, then pressed and racked into demi-muid for aging. The 2021 vintage saw about 30-40% loss due to the apetite of the local wild pigs, but Tom called this an "an improvement on last year." The burly character of the variety is present here, but paired with elegant tannins and nice acidity and structure from the schist.

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $39.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • No Sulfur

Matassa 2021 Vin de France 'Matassa Rouge'

THE estate wine. Back when Tom was helping with the Domaine de Majas wines, I was more confused about what was what, but I always knew that this namesake cuvée was part of the origin story of the domaine. Mostly Carignan (I assume from the original Clos Matassa parcel that Tom started with in the early 2000s), with Grenache Gris, and 10% field blend of white grapes. Fermentation is whole cluster for 4 days, and aging is in demi-muid. Sometimes the "top" red of an estate in the Roussillon is the one they over-extract and put in new oak. This is the exact opposite! Not to say that it's some kind of "glou-glou" light red, as Carignan always offers lovely material and dark fruit flavors, but the wine is elegant and nuanced. There is finesse to the tannins and great acidity. A Roussillon that drinks like a Burgundy, if you will.

  • Out of Stock
  • red
  • 0 in stock
  • $47.99

  • Organic
  • Biodynamic
  • No Sulfur