Matassa, VDF Cuvee Alexandria 2025

100% Muscat d'Alexandria

Cotes Catalanes, Roussillon, France

Organic certified vineyards with 65+ year-old vines. The wine comes from a single vineyard with red schist soils. Seven day, whole-cluster maceration. Aged seven months in 1000L stoneware amphora. NO ADDED SULFUR, VEGAN.

Tom Lubbe was born in New Zealand and raised in South Africa. He went to France to work an internship at Domaine Gauby. Tom met his wife Nathalie and decided to stay in Calce. He founded his estate, Matassa in 2003. In total, 20 hectares are cultivated on lime, clay, schist, marl, black slate, and black marl soils. While Tom still farms some of the very low yielding old vines around the village, he has vastly expanded to different areas where yields are more generous, typically in the 25/30 hl/ha range (still relatively low for the region). The vineyards are worked naturally without any chemical aids and Tom is certified organic by Ecocert. The dedication to use cover crops has completely transformed his soils and in turn the wines. Tom is convinced that the increased insect life within the soils, particularly worms, has changed the flavors of his wines. Another shocking effect: a drastic drop in alcohol. Tom has always harvested much earlier than most, usually starting with the Muscat in early August. All his wines have now intentionally been declassified to Vin de France. The white wines are all macerated on their skins, a choice that goes back to 2008. Everything is bottled without filtration, fining, or any added sulfur.