France’s Wild South

Vineyards in Roussillon at the foothills of the Pyrenees

Hello,

In the far south-west of France, where the Pyrenees tumble into the Mediterranean and the Tramontane sweeps across the slate-covered hills, lies a land for outsiders and vineyard saviours. Roussillon and Languedoc – the scorching south, yet what counts in the glass is freshness.

Four winemakers, four stories: they harvest early, farm biodynamically and bottle without additives. The result is Mediterranean soul with cool precision – wines around 10.5% alcohol that taste of garrigue, slate and wild cherry.

Matassa · Roc des Anges · Majas · Flo Busch

Matassa – the Sulphur-Free One

Tom Lubbe, a New Zealander with South African roots, vinified his first vintage in his living room in 2003. Today an icon of the natural wine scene, from Noma to the Parisian bistro – sulphur-free since 2015.

Brutal Orange VdF 2024

Macabeu · Roussillon · ca. 33 €

As direct as the name suggests. Apricot kernel, brine and wild thyme, the texture grippy as wet suede. Orange wine for those who know exactly why they're opening it.

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Matassa Rouge VdF 2024

Carignan · Roussillon · ca. 36 €

Tom harvests early, often as soon as early August, keeping the wine at 10.5% alcohol. Wild strawberry, slate dust, cool cherry, rosemary after the rain. It flows across the palate like a mountain stream.

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Roc des Anges – the Contemplatives

Marjorie Gallet trained under Gérard Gauby, the father of modern Roussillon. Together with Stéphane she farms 25 hectares of slate terraces around Montner – biodynamically, at 15 hectolitres per hectare, from century-old vines.

Segna de Cor IGP 2023

Grenache, Carignan, Syrah · Roussillon · ca. 18 €

“Sign of the heart” in Catalan, the house's vin de soif. Dark olives, dark chocolate, ripe blackberry, with Mediterranean herbs. For the barbecue, the long lazy evening, the life-affirming table.

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1903 Carignan IGP 2022

100% Carignan · Roussillon · ca. 42 €

1903 – the year of planting. Own-rooted, over 120 years old, with startlingly low yields. Ink and liquorice, dried violets, graphite. Tannins as fine as slate dust, the finish measured in minutes.

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Majas – the Rescued

“Organic farming saved the vines. It saved us.” Alain Carrère was on the brink of bankruptcy when Tom Lubbe discovered his 120-year-old Carignan vines. At 420 metres at the foot of the Pyrenees – the highest domaine in Roussillon.

Majas Rouge IGP 2024

Grenache, Carignan · Roussillon · ca. 13 €

Remarkably light, under 12% alcohol, pure drinking pleasure. Blackberry, lavender, cool cherry, garrigue. A small miracle for thirteen euros – the everyday wine you want to buy by the case.

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Col de Segas Vieille Vigne IGP 2022

Grenache, Carignan · Roussillon · ca. 20 €

The highest parcel, ancient vines. Blackcurrant, thyme, slate, dark chocolate. Surprisingly elegant – the altitude makes all the difference.

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Flo Busch – the Mosel Son in the South

“I come from the Mosel and I don't like alcohol bombs.” Florian Busch, son of Clemens Busch, left the slate valley of his childhood for the Languedoc – Mosel genes in a Mediterranean body.

Let it Flow VdF 2024

Grenache, Carignan · Languedoc · ca. 15 €

The name says it all. Red currant, garrigue herbs, cool minerality, silky tannins. It glides, it flows, it leaves you reaching for the next sip.

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Petite Nymphe Rosé AOC 2025

Grenache, Carignan · Languedoc · ca. 12 €

A rosé with backbone. Wild strawberry, peach skin, a whisper of lavender, with a saline freshness on the finish. A fine demonstration of what the Languedoc can achieve in the hands of a Mosel-trained winemaker.

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What unites these wines: they taste of where they come from. Harvested early, grown biodynamically, made by people who know when to intervene – and when to step back.

All wines from Roussillon →

All wines from Languedoc →

Would you like to know which of these wines suits your next summer evening, or which is worth laying down? Simply reply to this e-mail – the boss reads every message personally.

Santé and warm regards from Berlin,

David & the team at
Living Wines

P.S.: These early-harvested wines live by their freshness – the Zalto Universal shows them at their very best.