Matassa

The Living Room That Produced Cult Wines

When Tom Lubbe bottled his first vintage in 2003, it literally happened in the living room. The New Zealander with South African roots had stayed on after an internship with Gérard Gauby in Calce – drawn to the region, to the Catalan grape varieties, and to Nathalie, Gérard's sister. Gauby, legendary pioneer of Roussillon, simply handed over his old cellar to the young couple. Thus began the story of an estate that today ranks among the most sought-after addresses in the natural wine scene – from Parisian bistros via Hackney wine bars to Noma in Copenhagen.

Century-Old Vines Between Forest and Herbs

Tom and Nathalie now farm 20 hectares – scattered across the hills around Calce and Espira-de-l'Agly, often surrounded by dense Mediterranean garrigue, cedars, fig trees and wild rosemary. The parcels bear names like Romanissa or El Carner, and many harbour 60 to 120-year-old vines, some even over 100 years old. In Vivier, at 500 to 600 metres altitude, Tom rescued ancient Carignan vines from being pulled up – they were too low-yielding for the cooperative. The soils? Schist, marl, black schist, black marl. A geology that writes minerality into the glasses.

Certification by Ecocert confirms what has long been practice: no chemicals, instead cover crops, compost and patient handwork. Tom has specialised in improving soil health. The result can be counted: the earthworms are back. What cannot be counted: how much the taste of the wines has changed as a result.

Harvest Earlier, Drink Fresher

Whilst others in Roussillon focus on power and ripeness, Tom Lubbe harvests early – sometimes the Muscat harvest begins as early as the start of August. The result: wines with surprisingly low alcohol. In 2005 the levels were at 13.5%, today often at 10.5%. Not a quirk, but philosophy: Tom wants to make wines he himself wants to drink – daily, without effort, with freshness rather than force.

In the cellar he works with everything at his disposal: large wooden casks, barriques, clay, concrete, but preferably fibreglass – more neutral than stainless steel, he finds. The white wines are fermented on the skins – a practice Tom has maintained since the 2008 Alexandria. For the red wines he relies on whole-bunch infusion, often co-fermented with white grapes. Filtration? Fining? Sulphur? None of it – since 2015 not a drop of SO₂ has left the cellar.

A Teacher for the Next Generation

Tom Lubbe didn't invent the natural wine movement, but he helped shape it. Winemakers like Jurgen Gouws of Intellego and Craig Hawkins of Testalonga cite him as a mentor. What Tom learnt at Domaine Welgemeend in South Africa – spontaneous fermentation, low yields, no additions – he perfected in Roussillon. In Calce he's not the only one who learnt the basics from Gérard Gauby: Marjorie Gallet of Roc des Anges also found her approach to biodynamic viticulture here.

Anyone opening a Matassa Rouge – whether the juicy Brutal Orange, the profound El Carner or the playful Tattouine – doesn't taste label philosophy. But schist dust, wild herbs, rosemary after rain. Wines that show Roussillon as it could be, if one doesn't yield to the sun.