Roussillon, France
A New Zealander who grows up in South Africa becomes a cult icon of the natural wine world. It's a fascinating and worldly origin story but important to note because his interest in low intervention winemaking starts at the beginning of his story and not later on, like many other winemakers. After a stint at the nearly mythical Domaine Gauby, Tom Lubbe decides to stay in the south of France to launch Domaine Matassa. The vines at this estate are seriously old (with some dating back to 1895!!!) and are seriously gnarly looking - twisted and knotted, curling up from the Earth like a mangled claw. The results are an otherworldly lineup of wines that are some of the most iconic and sought after in the world.
Grenache and Macabeu come together in one of the lighter wines in the Matassa library of labels. Wild, untamed fruit flavours hint at darker fruits like blackberry and blackcurrant with some dark cherries for good measure. The body is light which provides a stark contrast to the perception of the darker fruited notes on the palate. This is almost rosé-ish. Almost. A tuft of acidity brings the sense of intense freshness, again contradicting everything your olfactory senses are trying to tell you about what you're drinking.
We adore Grenache with all things barbecue - whether flame-grilled or low & slow smoker style. Because the body is on the lighter side of things, this is really great with salmon (or trout), grilled pork tenderloin (a lower fat cut like the filet is better here) or Moroccan vegetable tagine.