Domaine Matassa, Espira d’Lagly/Calce
This South African guy has done good stuff in Southern France since 1998.
Tom Lubbe escaped the South African Apartheid regime with his parents as a kid and spent the later part of his childhood in New Zeeland. It was also here that he made his first wine.
After a few years working as a flying winemaker at various fancy estates in both New Zeeland and Australia, he had an urge to try out working with mediterranean varieties and managed to get a 3 months internship with Domaine Gauby in Calce, Roussillon.
As things happened, Tom met Nathalie in Calce, who also was his new boss’ sister (handy) and he decided to come back for the next season. At the same time, back in South Africa, Tom started up his own vinery, the legendary ‘The Observatory’ situated in Swartland and, what we know of, the only vinery producing natural wines in SA at that time.
Tom and Nathalie had their first son Jules and Tom decided to focus on his life in France and started up his Domaine Matassa with first vintage made in 2003. Years have passed, many wines has been made (and drunk), vineyards have been purchased bit by bit, and a lot of hard work has been put into soils. Wineries have changed from their own living room, to more and more comfortable venues.
Since early 2019, Tom’s château is located in Espira d’Agly, former home of Jolly Ferriol, only 13 kilometers from Calce, where the main part of his vineyards are.
Today he has 20 ha of vineyards in this wild and beautiful corner of France and we are excited to see what will come out of the new parcels purchased around the new winery.
The wines are vibrant and lively, with depth and transparency.
2019 Coume de l’Olla Blanc
Soil: Argilo calcaire
Grape: 50% Muscat á Petit Grains 50% Maccabeu
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1939-1959
Vinification: Destemmed and macerated with the skins for 7 days before pressing and ageing in concrete tanks for 6 months
2021 Cuvée Marguerite
Soil: Schist
Grape: 35% Muscat Petit Grains 35% Muscat d’Alexandria 30% Maccabeu
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: + 100 years
Vinification: Destemmed and macerated with the skins for 10 days before pressing and ageing in old foudres for 6 months.
2021 Cuvée Alexandria
Soil: Schist
Grape: Muscat d’Alexandria
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: + 100 years
Vinification: Destemmed and macerated with the skins for 3 weeks in open vats before pressing and ageing in old demi-muid for 7 months.
2021 Blossom
Soil: Schist
Grape: Muscat Petit Grains
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: + 100 years
Vinification: Destemmed and macerated with the skins for 10 days before pressing and ageing in old concrete tanks before bottling in the end of January 2022.
2021 Cuvée Marguerite
Soil: Schist
Grape: 30% Muscat Petit Grains 30% Muscat d’Alexandria 30% Maccabeu
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: + 100 years
Vinification: Fermentation with the skins for 10 days before pressing and ageing in old demi-muid and foudres for 6 months.
2021 Matassa Blanc
Soil: Schist
Grape: Grenache Gris & Maccabeu
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: + 100 years
Vinification: Direct press for the Grenache Gris, the Maccabeu is wholecluster fermented for 2 weeks, then pressed and blended with the Grenache Gris juice. Continous fermentation and ageing takes place in old foudres for 10 months.
2021 Brutal Orange
Soil: Red schist
Grape: Maccabeu
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1919-1969
Vinification: Destemmed and macerated with the skins for 3 weeks in open vats before pressing. Ageing takes place in old demi-muid liter barrels for 6 months
2021 Coume de l’Olla Rouge
Soil: Argile calcaire
Grape: 60% Grenache Noir 20% Syrah 20% Grenache Gris
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1939-1959
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation in closed tanks to avoid extraction (no need for punch down), pressed after 6 days of maceration and aged in concrete tanks before bottling after 6 months.
2021 Brutal Rouge
Soil: Red schist
Grape: 60% Syrah 40% Muscat d’Alexandria
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1929 – 1970
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation in closed tanks to avoid extraction (no need for punch down) pressed after 3 weeks maceration and aged in old 600 liters barrels for 5 months before bottling.
2021 Tattouine Rouge
Soil: Red schist
Grape: 90% Grenache Gris 10% Grenache Noir
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted in 1929 and before
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation in closed tanks to avoid extraction (no need for punch down) pressed after 3 weeks maceration and aged in old 600 liters barrels for 6 months before bottling.
2021 Matassa Rouge
Soil: Marl
Grape: Carignan Noir
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1900
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation in open with careful punch down by feet for 10 days, then pressed and aged in old foudres for 8 months
2021 Cuvée Romanissa
Soil: Schist
Grape: Grenache Noir (old hairy type called Lladonner Pelut)
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1939
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation in open vats with careful punch down by feet, pressed after 7 days of maceration and aged in old demi-muid before bottling after 8 months
2021 Ace of Spades
Soil: Black marl with volcanic rock (Myrs vineyard)
Grape: 60% Carignan 40% Mourvedre
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1950-1985
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation in closed tanks to avoid extraction(no need for punch down), pressed after 4 days of maceration and aged in concrete tanks before bottling after 6 months
2020 Mambo Sun
Soil: Black marl
Grape: 70 % Grenache (Noir, Gris, Blanc) 30% Maccabeu
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1940
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation in closed tanks to avoid extraction (no need for punch down), pressed after 5 days of maceration and aged in concrete tanks before bottling after 6 months
2021 Carner Rouge
Soil: Iron rich lime-clay with round stones
Grape: 60% Grenache Gris 40% Maccabeu
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1909 and before
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation in closed tanks to avoid extraction (no need for punch down), pressed after 1month maceration and aged in 1000 liters Amphoras for 6 months
2021 French Disco
Soil: Schist
Grape: Cinsault
Appellation: IGP Côtes Catalanes
Age of Vines: Planted 1915
Vinification: Whole cluster fermentation in open vats with careful punch down by feet, pressed after 7 days of maceration and aged in old demi-muid before bottling after 8 months