Founded in 2003 by South African-born Tom Lubbe, Matassa is one of the benchmark estates of natural wine in southern France. From the very beginning, the domaine has been farmed organically, with biodynamic practices also shaping its work over time. Based near Calce, in the Roussillon, Matassa works with old Mediterranean vineyards and grape varieties such as Carignan, Grenache, Macabeu, Muscat and Grenache Gris, producing wines that feel strikingly fresh, energetic and alive despite the region’s warm climate.

Tom’s path to Roussillon was shaped by both instinct and experience. After working in South Africa, he came to France and became deeply influenced by the old vines, limestone soils and raw beauty of the hills around Calce. Matassa grew from this landscape: a project built on organic and biodynamic farming, careful observation and a refusal to force the wines into the heavy, high-alcohol style often associated with the south.

The vineyards are farmed with a strong focus on soil life, biodiversity and balance. Many parcels are old bush vines, deeply rooted in complex soils of schist, limestone and marl. Harvesting is often done earlier than the regional norm, not to make the wines thin, but to preserve natural acidity, brightness and drinkability. This choice has become one of Matassa’s signatures: wines with southern fruit, but northern tension.

In the cellar, intervention is kept to an absolute minimum. Fermentations are spontaneous, no additives are used, and the wines are bottled without added sulfur. Depending on the parcel and vintage, Tom works with direct press, whole bunches, skin contact, short macerations or longer élevage, always seeking purity rather than extraction. Matassa’s so-called “white” wines are almost always made as skin-contact wines. Tom has a particular love for maceration, not as a stylistic trick, but because he sees the skins as a natural source of protection, structure and energy for the wine. This extended contact gives the wines texture, aromatic depth and a quiet stability, allowing him to work without additives while still preserving freshness and balance.

The Matassa range moves freely between pale, perfumed reds, textured skin-contact whites, delicate pét-nats and vibrant Mediterranean blends. They are playful, but never careless; wild in spirit, yet precise in execution. Every bottle carries the warmth of Roussillon, lifted by freshness, mineral energy and a deep respect for the living vineyard.