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ACellars Newsletter 17th November , 2022 - WINE FAIR + MATASSA + PYREN VINEYARD TASTING THIS SATURDAY

by Annandale Cellars
Matassa

How does a New Zealander who grew up in South Africa end up starting an iconoclastic estate in the Roussillon?

This isn't exactly an everyday occurrence, but so it goes for Tom Lubbe of Domaine Matassa. In the late 90's, Tom was working at the only estate in South Africa using indigenous yeasts and lower yields. Interested in working with Mediterranean varietals, Tom managed to score a three month internship at the legendary Domaine Gauby in the village of Calce. Gérard Gauby quickly befriended Tom and asked him to come back for three consecutive vintages as cellar helper. During that time, Tom met his wife Nathalie, who just so happens to be Gérard's sister.

The birth of their first child made Tom reconsider moving back to South Africa, opting instead to stay in Calce to start his own estate. Matassa was founded in 2003, with the first vintage entirely produced in the recently married couple's living room. Gérard felt so bad about this that he gave Tom the old Gauby cellar in 2004!

Tom works with many of the traditional Catalan varieties: Macabeo, Carignan, Mourvèdre, Grenache (mostly Lladonner Pelut, the ancient catalan strain of Grenache), Grenache Gris, Muscat d'Alexandrie and Muscat Blanc à Petits-Grains. These grapes are often co-planted together, particularly in the parcels of very old vines. In total, 20 hectares are cultivated on schist, marl, black slate and black marl soils. While Tom still farms some of the very low yielding old vines around the village of Calce, he has vastly expanded to different areas where yields are more generous - though still considered low for the region.

The vineyards are worked naturally without any chemical aids. Tom is certified organic by Ecocert. And while he does occasionally use biodynamic techniques to activate and nourish his soils, over the years this has become less of a priority. Instead, an adamant dedication to 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.

Much has also changed in the cellar over the years. All the wines have now intentionally been de-classified to Vin de France. The alcohol is much lower, rarely more than 12%. The white wines are all macerated on their skins, a choice that goes back to Alexandria 2008, the first Matassa wine of its kind. For the reds, whole-cluster infusions take precedent to maceration and extraction, with white grapes often co-fermented. If oak is used, it is not to bring structure to the wine but rather oxygen. Longer élevages have been abandoned to bottle wines much earlier. The wines are bottled without filtration or fining. Sulphur, which Tom had used judiciously in the past, has not been added to any of the production since the 2015 vintage.

We have incredibly limited amounts of these wines - only a handful of bottles. So don't wait!

 

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Pyren Vineyard

Tasting this Saturday, November 19th

3pm - 6pm

 

And from going against convention in the French Pyrénées with Matassa to trend-bucking in the Victorian Pyrenees with Pyren Vineyard.

Established in 1999 by brothers Brian and Kevyn Joy, their respective son and nephew, Leighton Joy, now calls the shots.

The vineyard is nestled in the central Victorian high country amongst state forest and grazing pastures, and is managed by viticulturist Graeme Miles organically. Inviting the visiting grazers to help maintain unwanted growth between the vines, and incorporating methods such as composting and under-vine mulching to care for the red sandy and clay loam soils, the roots of the vines run deep, and yields are low, whilst fruit quality is high.

For this weekend's tasting, we focus on the Little Rara range: Joy's experimental, rulebook-out-the-window, fun wines with the bubbly Pét-Nat #1, the skinsy Roopa and the light and bright Rouge.

Join Iain this Saturday as he sparks Joy pouring you the Little Rara range from Pyren Vineyard.

 

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WINE FAIR

DECEMBER 3rd

1 - 5pm

 

You say you want a resolution?

Well, you know... Resolutions are for January...

The Silly Season is upon us; the time to lose all resolve!

The theme for our end of year Wine Fair is without clarity: a bitmap of blurred lines between the rendered, clean and crisp laser shooters of precision to the hazy, unfined, unfiltered funky and fuzzy fizzers. There'll be something for everyone, to level up your summer. Game on!

With over 80 wines to try, tickets are only $25, and include a Riedel tasting glass, yours to take home.

Featuring winemakers Tim Ward of I'll Fly Away, Doug Woodward of Wedded to the Weather and Will Gilbert of Gilbert Family Wines pouring their own, plus plenty of friendly reps splashing their best shining wines to make the summer season sparkle. Rain, hail or more rain, it's certain to be a great day out!

 

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