Matassa El Carner
Country: France
Region: Roussillon
Grapes: Grenache Gris, Macabeu
Vintage: 2022
Tom Lubbe of Matassa is originally from New Zealand, winemaking first in South Africa and then at Domaine Gauby in Roussillon before starting Matassa in 2003. Most of the vineyards are 60-120 years old, co-planted with different varieties on schist and marl. All the vineyards are worked naturally without herbicides or pesticides.
Carner means ‘ram’ in the traditional Catalan language. A beautiful orange wine made from a blend of Grenache Gris and Macabeu from a 0.5-hectare parcel of vines planted lime, clay, and slate soils, and surrounded by garrigue (wild scrub such as thyme and lavender). Whole bunches were macerated in a 1000-litre amphora, where fermentation occurred naturally. Expect notes of fresh herbs, orange rind and earth that open up beautifully to reveal complex fruits and minerality.