About This Vineyard
In 2001 New Zealanders Sam Harrop and Tom Lubbe purchased a small vineyard high up in the hills of the Coteaux du Fenouillèdes, in the Roussillon region of France, called Clos Matassa. The vineyard was a hillside plot planted with old-vine Carignan, and because of the altitude, 450 metres, the growing season is around a month longer than the lower vineyards in this warm region. Soils are granitic.
Lubbe has experience of making wine in both France and South Africa and from 1999–2002 he made wine at Domaine Gauby, a celebrated estate that’s led the way in this part of the Roussillon. Harrop is a consultant winemaker and Master of Wine who previously worked for six years as winemaker and buyer with the wine department at UK retailer Marks and Spencer. Vineyard management is biodynamic, and the winemaking aims to be as natural as possible. The only addition is a bit of sulfur dioxide.
