Bottler: Domaine Matassa, 10 Route d'Estagel, 66600 Calce / France
In the glass
Colour
Dense golden yellow with bright reflections and a natural haze.
Nose
Earthy and mineral with aniseed, chamomile and honey; bitter almond, green walnut as well as quince and tart apple lend depth and contrast.
Palate
Juicy despite moderate acidity, with a palpable tannic core, a long finish and salty, savoury, almost Maggi-like notes.
Character
Accessible yet complex – a savoury, fresh wine with slightly green tannins that pairs well with rich dishes.
Pairing
Grilled vegetables with herb oil, pan-fried oily fish such as sardines or a selection of pungent cheeses.
Notes
Vinified entirely without added sulphur since 2015, spontaneously fermented and unfiltered; Tom Lubbe harvests early and consistently prioritises freshness over power in the Roussillon.
Tasting note
Colour & appearance
Dense golden yellow with bright reflections – deliberately unfiltered and unfined, as befits a wine that has seen neither filtration nor fining.
Nose
Initially closed, almost shy, then an unusual score unfolds: aniseed, chamomile and a touch of honey, alongside abundant wild herbs. Bitter almond and green walnut provide angular counterpoints, while quince and tart apple offer a restrained fruitiness. Everything remains clear, earthy and firmly grounded in minerality.
Palate
Accessible on entry, yet by no means simple in its progression. Juicy despite moderate acidity, supported by a tannic structure that provides the core of freshness and guides the flow. Salty, savoury notes spread across the palate, herbal and almost broth-like in their depth. At one point the tannins still feel green and youthful – lending this wine tension rather than detriment.
Finish
Long and persistent, salty and savoury, with a lingering herbal bitterness. A finale that looks more to the kitchen than to dessert.
Terroir & origin
Tom Lubbe, a New Zealander with South African roots, farms around 20 hectares with his wife Nathalie in the hills surrounding Calce and Espira-de-l’Agly – plots scattered among schist, marl and Mediterranean maquis, often at considerable altitude, some between 500 and 600 metres. Ancient vines, healthy soils teeming with earthworms, certified by Ecocert. In a region traditionally focused on power, Lubbe consistently opts for freshness.
Grape variety & vinification
Pure Macabeu, one of the great Catalan white varieties. Like all the estate’s whites, Rufo is fermented on skins – a practice Tom Lubbe has followed since 2008, which gives the wine its tannic spice. Spontaneous fermentation, no filtration, and since 2015 not a single drop of sulphur has left this cellar.
Food recommendations
Its savoury, saline character makes it a match for rich dishes: pan-fried sea bream with fennel, grilled vegetables with romesco, aged Manchego or a herb tortilla. Fried mushrooms or chicken with olives also find their perfect counterpart here.
Special features
10.0% alcohol – almost provocative in Roussillon, yet a true expression of the winemaker’s philosophy: early harvesting rather than full ripeness. The result is a skin-macerated white that relies on tannin rather than sweetness, demonstrating just how light-footed Catalan Macabeu can be when one refuses to surrender to the sun.
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