Domaine des Mathouans Lledoner Pelut 2013 Languedoc-Roussillon, France

About the winemaker

Domaine des Mathouans in located in Latour-de-France in the Roussillon region in France. Belgian, Aline Hock – who runs the domain with her husband – used to be a banker in Luxembourg. Passionate about wine, she discovered the region during an internship she had to do to complete a degree in oenology. Utterly seduced by the region she decided to give up banking for winemaking and in 2008 acquired the first five hectares of vines. 2009 was her first vintage. The domain now comprises ten hectares of vines, all grown biodynamically. The soils are ploughed with a horse and Aline is contemplating planting olive trees and fruit trees to diversify the ecosystem and add sources of revenue. She grows Syrah, Grenache Gris and Carignan Noir on clay-lime soil, Macabeu on black marl, Grenache Noir, Lledoner Pelut and Muscat Petit Grain on gneiss and Carignan on granitic soil. No additives are added to the wines except for minimal doses of sulphur.