Matassa

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.

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.

“In all these developments over the past 15 years, I’ve noticed a transformation – in the soil, in the wine, and within myself,” says Tom Lubbe. “That’s why I still feel such a deep connection to that small Matassa parcel from the very beginning of my journey here. Thanks to its forest-side exposure, there was already intense microbial activity in the soil, naturally – a green, cool, damp, living starting point.” And you can taste it.

Matassa is far more than a place of wine production. Alongside about 15 hectares of biodynamically farmed vineyards, the estate also includes several hectares of land growing vegetables, fruit, and olives. Tom Lubbe thinks in cycles, treating the farm as a holistic ecosystem. In Roussillon’s increasingly dry climate, that’s a serious challenge. But it’s exactly where the resilience of living soils shines through.

Thanks to careful composting and soil stewardship, Matassa defies the climatic extremes – crafting natural wines year after year that are deeply rooted in terroir and unapologetically true to their origin.

At Matassa, alongside the classic Carignan, you’ll also find varieties like Grenache, Macabeu, Mourvèdre, Lladoner Pelut, and Muscat d’Alexandrie – a vibrant mix of regional, partly nearly forgotten grapes. Many of these come from ungrafted vines, which is a true rarity in France. These old vines, despite (or perhaps because of) their low yields, produce highly concentrated grapes that give the wine remarkable aromatic depth.

Whites like the “Blanc,” made from Muscat and Macabeu, show off fine herbal spice, salty freshness, and floral notes, while the red cuvées impress with energetic fruit, fine tannin structure, and vibrant acidity. Thanks to meticulous hand-harvesting and a complete avoidance of technical manipulation, each grape variety retains its natural expression. The result? Natural wines with edge and attitude – full of tension, marked by a distinctive signature, and impossible to pigeonhole.