DOMAINE MATASSA

THE APPLE NEVER FALLS FAR FROM THE TREE

Tom Lubbe is just that kind of gentle, kind, and gregarious man that you would be proud to have as part of your family . . .

And so, the Gauby family from the Cotes Catalan did just that and welcomed him in. Tom was making wine in South Africa when he got an opportunity to do a 3-month internship at Domaine Gauby (yes, that Gauby) in the south of France. That internship turned into a 3-year relationship during which time he met Gérard Gauby’s daughter Nathalie – to whom he is now happily married.

After learning about Catalan wine-making from Gérard Gauby – the couple struck out on their own in 2002 purchasing some ancient Carignan vines (100+ years old) in the remote hillside village of Vivier at 500m – 600m altitude- saving them from extinction.

Thus Domaine Matassa was born. The couple produced their first vintage in their living room before moving into Domaine Gauby’s old cellars in 2004.

Domaine Matassa works with old-vines of traditional Catalan varieties: Carignan, Grenache, Macabeu, Grenache Gris, Muscat d’Alexandrie and Muscat de Petits-Grains. Most are massal selection. These old vines are incredibly low-yielding and result in excruciatingly terroir-driven wines of intense concentration and focus – the likes of which rarely hail from the south of France.

If our favourite wines subscribed to a formula (which they do not) Dom. Matassa would be very good at math:

• Indigenous grapes. Old vines. Massal.
• Low yields: Average 3.5 tons per hectare
• The vineyards are worked naturally and by hand.
• Pressing is started by foot
• Natural yeasts
• No additives: colour adjuncts, mega purple, enzyme, tannin, oak flavouring etc
• No sulphur is added until after malolactic fermentation. Total sulphur is always less than 20mg
• No fining

WARNING:

These are not your traditional pumped-up, high alcohol, jammy wines from the south of France.

These are beautifully balanced subtle old-vine wines driven by acidity and crunchy fruit with outstanding concentration and focus. Burgundy/Loire meets the Mediterranean?

Think 12.5% to 13.5% alcohol.

Buy these beauties at your own risk!