A Visit to Mataburro

Laurent Roger grew up in the village of Rivesaltes, just outside Perpignan, deep in the south of France. Him and his partner Melissa Ingrand started the Mataburro project in 2017. When the wines first arrived in the UK, we were immediately enthralled. Roussillon was not a region we associated with light and delicate reds but here they were, treading the path between rusticity and precision perfectly. I met the couple at La Dive in 2020 and then again at a wine fair in Montpellier earlier this year but nothing comes to close to visiting winemakers in their vineyard. So whilst in the south of France for a wedding at the end of August, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

 (Laurent roger of Mataburro in the Otium vineyard)

Laurent was half way through harvest but was very kind to take time out and give us a tour of his vineyards. The 80 year Grenache vines were particularly beautiful but he also has 80 year old Macabeo, 60 year old Mourvèdre & Merlot and 30 year old Muscat vines. He grew up on this land and you can feel the connection he has to it as he takes us around.

His father and grandfather ran the Mas Castello winery here but winemaking wasn't always the plan for Laurent. He had seen how difficult it was to make a living and his family even gave up production entirely in the year 2000. Sweet Muscat was the speciality of Rivesaltes but as global demand for sweet wine took a sharp decline, his father along with many other winemakers in the region, felt hopeless.

(Mourvèdre grapes in the days before harvest)

Laurent left Rivesaltes with the intention of never returning. He studied and then ended up in Paris, working a kitchen job. But somewhere along the way, natural wine peaked his interest and he ended up working at famous Parisian wine bar La Verre Volé. Access to so many exciting bottles really opened his mind and after a couple of years, he realised his path and returned to Rivesaltes. He explained to his father that he wanted to follow in the family footsteps and make wine again in this region and his dad couldn't believe it. Knowing the challenges of working this land, he thought his son was mad. But Laurent explained that this is what he knew and this is where he belonged.

(Mourvèdre vines growing on black marl soils)

He went to study with local legend Alain Castex, a godfather of the natural wine scene in the south of France who was known for creating light and fresh wines in a region where many deemed that impossible. Laurent learnt a lot and refers to Alain as his guru. He began working old family vines in Rivesaltes and started producing fruit forward wines that were 12% alcohol or less. Over time, the cuvées have evolved, sometimes consisting of a different blend of grape varieties depending on the vintage. The wines have become more and more precise whilst retaining their energy and character.

(Amphora vessels in the Mataburro winery)

In recent years, Laurent has managed to acquire more vines but has also lost some drought, a sign of the harsh conditions that winemakers in this region face. When a plot of Macabeo vines situated right next to some of his own became available, he jumped at the chance. Whilst going through the purchase papers, he noticed his grandfather's name on the records. On closer inspection of the vineyard, he realised it had been planted with the exact same distance between vines as others planted by his grandfather. What a magical feeling that must have been. Now he produces a wine from this plot called Memo in memory of his grandfather, the man responsible for lighting the fire within Laurent himself.

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Below is a summary of all the Mataburro wines;

Idoine was maybe the first cuvée we tried back in 2019. This is a light and fresh expression of Merlot from 60 year old vines. Bursting with strawberry and red cherry fruit along with a subtle herbal note, this is a thirst quenching wine best served slightly chilled.

Otium is another light and juicy cuvée made from predominantly Grenache Noir. Extra complexity comes from a few other varieties that are interspersed in the vineyard. These include Grenache Gris, Macabeo and Carignan. Whilst we await the arrival of the 2023 vintage, we do have a very special version of this wine from 2020, Otium Reserve. Laurent decided to age one barrel of the usual Otium wine for 12 months without topping up. This allowed some gentle oxidation which has given the wine even more depth and finesse. A special bottle that will potentially never be made again!

Totem offers the most body and structure of any of Laurent's wines. Made from a blend of Mourvèdre and Grenache grapes and aged in amphora vessels, the dark fruit character is still complimented by the signature Mataburro freshness. A wine best paired with food.

Mura Mura is the lightest cuvée of the lot. A rosé made from Grenache, Merlot and Muscat, this is always one of the fastest selling wines, so much so that we have already sold out :( When I spoke to Laurent a few years ago, he described how he really enjoys using the Muscat grape, once famous in his region, in creative ways to make new styles of wine. The tropical and aromatic notes bring a lovely complexity to the red berry fruit provided by the Grenache and Merlot.

If you love the sound of Muscat blended with red juice, you haven't missed your chance just yet. Quartet 2023 is a blend of all 3 of the already mentioned cuvées. Another light and juicy, but complex wine that is always a huge crowd pleaser. We still have a few bottles of Quartet 2022 which was a different style and has no Muscat in the blend. It drinks more like a Totem light.

Memo, mentioned above, is a skin contact wine made from Macabeo grapes. This is the third vintage of the cuvée, and in our opinion, the best yet. A slightly deeper orange wine this year, it offers a lovely salinity along side citrus fruit and a savoury finish.

Finally, a very special wine to end on. Guru is a skin contact cuvée made with the grapes of the late Alain Castex. After he passed away, Laurent was offered Grenache Gris and Macabeo grapes as the pair was so close. He produced this wine in memory of his great teacher. Only available in magnum and will probably never be made again.

Happy drinking!