Matassa wines appear in Chicago with welcome consistency and are as dependable a source of contemplation and inspiration. Having served and enjoyed the wines for years in a few places around town, and appreciating the story of Tom Lubbe as a winemaker, it's always nice to have so much of his wine on the shelves. Tom was born in New Zealand but started making wine in South Africa before making his way to the Catalan coast to work at Domaine Gauby. He founded his estate in Roussillon in 2003, and recently took over the storied Jolly Ferriol property and continues to be an instrumental figure in responsible viticulture in the area - his hand in turning Domaine Majas over to organic farming and away from additives in the winery is a regular Cinderella story.

There's something really nice about getting to know and trust a winemaker through their wines, and the wines from Matassa do a fair bit to transmute Tom's thoughtfulness. I was happy to meet Tom in person last autumn, and learn some of what one might not be able to glean from digesting a bottle of his wine. His place is lovely and feels charmingly rustic - maybe the rusticity was emphasized by a lack of electricity that coincided with our visit. We arrived at the same time as the electrician, and while they went to work Tom led us into the winery where we stood in the dark for ninety minutes to attend the day's lecture on his somehow simultaneously laser-focused and general musings: politics, soil composition, history of the region, of the world...the range of topics was vast and it was captivating to hear Tom talk. He has an opinion on everything, and he's hilarious, so even as it became clear that time to walk the vines was running short (and indeed, eventually, out) we were riveted. Tom's generous and hospitable spirit also made for a memorable lunch: I've never seen so much pasta puttanesca in one place, and the mountain of ribs he grilled was tall enough to entice Arzak, Tom's sweet Spanish mastiff, to pretend to be my bud for the duration of the substantial meal while he hoped for a scrap. It’s worth mentioning that Tom also has an older black lab named Palkia and a fresh new pup named Ina, who I have yet to meet in person, but I look forward to the day and trust already that she’s a great one.

Ann Marie

If you’d like to order any bottles, give us a call at (773.360.8365) or email us with your request.

Domaine Matassa