The 2009 Matassa Blanc - as usual, consisting of Grenache Gris and Macabeu - was bottled just before Christmas, earlier than usual to preserve liveliness, although, if anything, Lubbe has been inclined to release his 2009 whites a bit later than usual, thinking they need time to work themselves out in bottle. Here, the Grenache Gris-typical pungency as well as tactile impingement of citrus zest (grapefruit and lime especially) and of seeming mineral matter are accentuated, but at the same time so is the variety's nuttiness, and there is an overall lushness and softness borne of the vintage. An alkaline mineral note and mouthwatering salinity follow all the way from the nose to the long finish of a wine that should be intriguing to follow for several years. As so often with this vintage, though, I miss the floral dimension that can be such a haunting trait of Grenache Gris. Tom Lubbe - for much more about whose work, consult my report in issue 183 - continues to experiment and fine tune, and there are some new cuvees and ideas here since I last visited. Speaking of which, beginning with 2011, Lubbe will have some old and impeccably cared-for foudres to utilize, as he was able to pick them up from Weingut Georg Breuer in Rudesheim whose cellar renovations were incompatible with their largest barrels. (Pity the freight company tasked with trucking them up to Calce!) I quizzed Lubbe this year about his reliance on so little sulfur; and he sought to assure me that "'tis enough, 'twill serve." But he also noted that contrary to widespread practice among advocates of low sulfur, he applies his sole dosage not at bottling, but rather right after the wine comes out of malo, so as to shock it only once; to have longer to observe the emergence of any potential problems; and above all because he believes that this is the most vulnerable moment in a wine's elevage, and hence the point, if any, at which it requires sulfuring. Lubbe notes that despite the drought in 2008, his vines produced a larger crop (relatively speaking!) than in other (warmer) recent vintages. He shares an opinion I heard from quite a few growers in the wake of recent experience that ultimately it's heat, not drought, that by promoting shut-down wreaks mischief with quality. (Incidentally, New Zealand-born Sam Harrop M.W. - known inter alia for his work in the Loire - is now no longer a partner in Matassa.)Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334 8191

Alkaline, saline, and crushed stone notes in the nose of the 2008 Matassa Blanc mingle with musky floral and animal nuances of the intriguing, even provocative sort that some of us find so compelling in Grenache Gris-based wines. While the brightness of Lubbe's 2008 Nouge and Marguerite cuvees was sufficiently extreme to qualify as an acquired taste, in this cuvee Matassa we have a grounding in nutty low-tones that lends richness alongside piquancy and there is a lovely interplay of floral, fruit, and mineral elements in an exhilaratingly long finish. Look for this to be worth following for the better part of a decade. Tom Lubbe - for much more about whose work, consult my report in issue 183 - continues to experiment and fine tune, and there are some new cuvees and ideas here since I last visited. Speaking of which, beginning with 2011, Lubbe will have some old and impeccably cared-for foudres to utilize, as he was able to pick them up from Weingut Georg Breuer in Rudesheim whose cellar renovations were incompatible with their largest barrels. (Pity the freight company tasked with trucking them up to Calce!) I quizzed Lubbe this year about his reliance on so little sulfur; and he sought to assure me that "'tis enough, 'twill serve." But he also noted that contrary to widespread practice among advocates of low sulfur, he applies his sole dosage not at bottling, but rather right after the wine comes out of malo, so as to shock it only once; to have longer to observe the emergence of any potential problems; and above all because he believes that this is the most vulnerable moment in a wine's elevage, and hence the point, if any, at which it requires sulfuring. Lubbe notes that despite the drought in 2008, his vines produced a larger crop (relatively speaking!) than in other (warmer) recent vintages. He shares an opinion I heard from quite a few growers in the wake of recent experience that ultimately it's heat, not drought, that by promoting shut-down wreaks mischief with quality. (Incidentally, New Zealand-born Sam Harrop M.W. - known inter alia for his work in the Loire - is now no longer a partner in Matassa.)Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334 8191

2007 Matassa Blanc - Grenache Gris with a third Macabeu, and only just bottled when I tasted it - offers salt-spray, exotic, musky flowers, red currant, pomegranate, and mysteriously animal scents in the nose. A striking, shimmering exchange of saline, alkaline, iodine and crustacean minerality with white peach, tart red fruits, citrus zest, and flowers on the palate, leads to a finish that positively sizzles with mineral, berry, and citrus intensity. More richness of texture is almost bound to emerge and I have no doubt Lubbe is correct in asserting that this will prove to be his best white wine yet. Certainly it is the most exciting I tasted in this session, and I predict it will continue to fascinate for a decade. South African-born and -trained Tom Lubbe arrived to do a stint at Gerard Gauby and fell in love with Roussillon - and with his wife (and Gauby's daughter) Nathalie. In 2001, the couple established their decidedly low-tech domaine. (Sam Harrop - a New Zealand-trained oenological consultant and M.W. well-known for his work on the Loire - is the third, largely hands-off partner in this venture.) Lubbe's biodynamic methods and experimental spirit are in the Gauby mode, but the vinous results are utterly unique, with more than two-thirds of production consisting of distinctively delicious whites. Virtually all of Lubbe's wines stay below 13% alcohol. They also keep quite low pHs, thanks, Lubbe avers, to his care and rejuvenation of the soil. He says he took it as a great compliment when he was falsely accused of having acidified his 2003s! (Incidentally, Lubbe has begun a joint project with Domaine de Majas in cool, high-elevation Caudies de Fenouilledes under the label -Three Trees.- The three wines - designed to sell at a very modest price - looked promising early-on though very bright and, I thought, in need of settling down. Hopefully they will arrive in the U.S. market in time to be reviewed in our August -values- issue.)Importer: Ibanez Pleven Offerings, New York, NY; tel. (917) 613 1793.