Winery

Matassa

Originating from Catalan, Matassa means ticket of a natural forest. Tom Lubbe, the pioneering winemaker behind Matassa with his visionary approach of biodynamics, has ascended to cult status in the Languedoc-Roussillon region within a mere of two decades.

"I want to vitalise the soils, add organic material, green and cover soils, compost, stop ploughing and breaking them up. I want to activate them, make them rich, diverse and alive. It sounds simple, but it's not at all."

– Tom Lubbe

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Tom Lubbe's Matassa winery stands for purist natural wines from Languedoc-Roussillon

Tom Lubbe, the wine rebel from New Zealand, dreamed early on of a viticulture that puts nature at the centre. But it was only in the Mediterranean Languedoc-Roussillon that he found the perfect place to realise his revolutionary vision. After years as cellar master with legend Gerard Gauby, he acquired a spectacular plot of wild, unpruned vineyard with ancient Carignan vines in 2003 - and the Matassa winery was born. Together with his wife Nathalie and friend Sam Harrop, the Matassa vineyard is now one of the most progressive wineries in the south of France, and probably the world.

Domaine Matassa is one of the most progressive biodynamic wineries in the world

The Domaine Matassa covers around 15 hectares and is maintained with uncompromising biodynamic practices. Tom Lubbe has specialized particularly in composting, which is aimed at cooling the soils and sustainably enhancing microbial life. Since Tom took over the vineyards, the overall life in the soil has significantly increased, lowering the pH level and resulting in balanced wines.

The yields from the old vines are extremely low, averaging just 12-18 hectoliters per hectare. Yet, this radical approach pays off: the natural wines from Matassa Estate are puristic masterpieces that perfectly capture the DNA of this wonderful place and are now causing a stir around the world.

Tom Lubbe is a role model for many young winemakers and his natural wines get celebrated around the globe

"With all these developments over the last 15 years, I realise a change in the soil, in the wine, but also in myself - and therefore I still feel a very strong connection to this small parcel of Matassa at the very beginning of my work here, where naturally, thanks to the exposure in the middle of the forest, there was a high level of microbiological activity in the soil and so an extraordinary starting point was already available for me - green, cool, moist, alive," says Tom Lubbe. And you can definitely taste that!

Matassa wines are made without additives and are among the most unique natural wines in France

Tom Lubbe is radically and rigorously committed to soil greening, which leads to an interesting effect: the drastic reduction in alcohol content. Within 15 years, he has been able to reduce this by a total of 3%. Matassa's vision is to produce natural wines with a cool style and a high level of tension on the palate.

When the natural wines are matured, the barrels are supposed to give the wine oxygen without changing the flavours or structure. The natural wines are bottled without filtration or fining and, since the 2015 vintage, no sulphur has been added at all. The clarity and precision of Matassa wines, underlined by an incredibly gripping minerality, make them one of the greatest wine experiences from France. Unique!