Born in South Africa and raised in New Zealand, Tom Lubbe makes wine in Roussillon at the foot of the Pyrenees. After learning from Louise Hofmeyer (at the time, the only estate in South Africa using exclusively indigenous yeasts) he did a stage at Domaine Gauby in Calce. Tom returned for three more vintages as a cellar helper, meeting his now wife and forming a strong foundation for his own Domaine. Matassa is an old Catalan word for thicket or scrub, referring to the rough shrubbery that surrounds the steep vineyards. Highly adaptive in both vineyard and cellar, Tom works with all types of vessel including large wooden barrels, barrique, clay, concrete, and fibreglass.
In Tom’s words: ‘Real wine is taking additives out of the equation and putting grapes to the front.’ Enter a thirst-quenching combo of Muscat Petit Grain and Macabeu; the former giving a floral aroma and the latter a punch of minerality, along with an addictive hint of salt. Very light and a little bit wild – drink it on the balcony while watching your tomatoes ripen.