Mas Coutelou 'Matubu' VdF 2021

Press 4 Red • May 2024 Direct Press Selection

Jeff Coutelou was one of the first to be certified organic in France — back in 1987! His neighbors were not accepting of his methods. When he planted hedges to help block their chemical sprays from coming into his vines, they burned them down. Twice. Today he continues to take on work that many others do not have the patience or commitment for, like restoring obscure, nearly forgotten varieties to combat the effects of global warming; and planting thousands of olive, almond, fig, and fruit trees for future generations. 

Coutelou is hardcore about not using sulfur. None of his wines have sulfur added and haven't for quite some time. This 'Matubu' is even certified organic by the USDA, which is so rare I can only think of seeing this on a wine two or three times. The rules are so strict that it requires costly analysis and time consuming paperwork to verify there is zero sulfur in the wine. By contrast, EU wines can be certified organic based primarily on farming practices. 

Matubu is 50/50 Syrah and Grenache with three days of maceration. It's juicy, it's ripe, it's a little spritzy. It's wild and undoubtedly alive, so don't be surprised if you detect a touch of animal funk and sweat in the mix. But that's not as off-putting as you might think, this is in the background. The lasting impression is of an invigoratingly joyful, exciting wine with bright raspberry, sassafras, and savory, grippy texture. Chill it down a bit and take it to barbecues all summer long. Jonathan Kemp