Domaine Matassa Vins de Pays Rouge Romanissa

點擊次數(shù)：3415

Informed by the Lladoner Pelut variation on Grenache plus a bit of Carignan, the Matassa 2009 Cuvee Romanissa smells intensely pungently of rosemary, juniper berry, and diverse tiny red fruits; comes to the palate bright, sappy, and invigorating; and - as if the pungent, resinous herbal elements already adumbrated on the nose were not enough - adds salt, white pepper, and cherry pit in a tenacious and vivacious finish. "The way I heard it," says Lubbe of Lladoner, "very little got re-planted after the phylloxera because for vin doux it's not great: it ripens late, and the alcohol never gets above 13.5. Beyond that, it's smaller-berried, with thicker skins and more acidity. The 'fur' (pelut, for which it's named,) evolved to protect the vine from transpiration in the heat, conserve moisture, and reduce stress, just like the corresponding fuzz on rosemary or other Mediterranean plants. Another adaptation: It never breaks in high winds, so you can plant it anywhere. Mine is in the most exposed site in Calce. On especially windy days you can't even work there because you get blown over." Lubbe notes that if he gets enough foudres, this wine would be in line to benefit from one. Given its 3.25 pH at 13.5 alcohol it is sure to exhibit stamina and levity from the bottle, too, for half a dozen or more years. "No winemaking handbook would prepare you for the likes of this," concludes its author! 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

Smoky black tea and peat; dark berries; resinous scrub; and mouthwatering intimations of salt and pan drippings already in the nose of Matassa's 2008 Cuvee Romanissa intimate that this bottling based on the Lladoner Pelut variation on Grenache is going to offer distinctive and compelling savor, and the nose does not deceive. Palpably extract rich yet buoyant and with an almost electric sense of invigorating energy as well as gripping finishing piquancy of rosemary, peat, and chili peppers, this should be worth following for at least 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

The Matassa 2007 Cuvee Romanissa - overwhelmingly Grenache, with small amounts of Carignan, Mourvedre, and some Cabernet Sauvignon that came along with the purchase of a recent property - is, like the other reds from this estate, matured largely in older demi-muids. Bright red currant and strawberry, brine and alkaline mineral notes, and bitter-sweet floral notes combine delightfully, leading to a decidedly white wine-like palate impression. -Everything you were taught about Grenache was wrong!- says Lubbe with a laugh. This is long, salty, refreshing, and ripe in red fruit flavors for all of its almost disconcerting brightness. I can imagine holding this for several years - the 2003 still gives a good account of itself. 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.

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The 2005 Cuvee Romanissa smells and tastes tartly of rhubarb and sour cherry; possesses an unusual brightness for a red wine; and finishes with striking salinity and freshness. I would drink it in situations otherwise calling for white wine. I can't imagine it getting better, but it might remain frisky for some time yet. (The 2006 was not only equally bright, but practically brittle.) 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.