Tattouine VdF rouge 2024

The Tattouine VdF rouge 2024 is a light, unsulphured red wine from Calce in Roussillon, crafted by Tom Lubbe from Grenache Gris and Grenache Noir. At 10.0 % vol., with lively acidity and a tart-sweet pull, it drinks with lively appeal. Served lightly chilled, its freshness comes through most clearly.

The parcels of Domaine Matassa spread across the hills around Calce and Espira-de-l'Agly, high-altitude garrigue sites up to around 450 metres, surrounded by cedars, fig trees and wild rosemary. The soils are schist and marl, along with black schist and black marl. Across the 20 hectares stand vines aged 60 to 120 years, some over a hundred. Cover crops, compost and manual work instead of chemicals are confirmed by Ecocert.

90 % Grenache Gris and 10 % Grenache Noir, macerated for three weeks. Fermentation is spontaneous, no sulphur has been added since 2015, and the wine is neither filtered nor fined, hence the haze in the glass.

The nose leads with crushed raspberries on ice, sour cherry, blueberry jelly and elderberry, alongside wild mint, sage and rosemary, backed by incense, rosehip tea and liquorice, with distinctly yeasty notes throughout. The palate opens refreshingly, the ripe tannin structure is polished and spicy, and the minerality leaves plenty of salinity on the tongue.

Tom Lubbe starts the harvest early, sometimes as early as the beginning of August for the Muscats; the estate's wines rarely exceed 12 % alcohol. In 2003 he vinified his first vintage in his living room, after Gérard Gauby had left his old cellar to the young couple.