Southwest Wine Region:
Domaine Matha Marcillac
As one drives along a small road in the Aveyron, one is soothed by the gently rolling green hills scattered with sheep or blonde aquitaine cows. Fruit trees line one field and potatoes lie dormant in another. It is a small, peaceful area that is stuck between two more famous regions; Bordeaux and the Rhône.
One pulls into the tiny town of Goutrens, not far from Rodez. As one winds along a flat narrow lane, they suddenly see something spectacular; a stunningly picturesque valley whose depth and grandeur make one think of a miniature Valais in Switzerland.
Just over a century ago, these valley walls were lined with over 4,000 hectares of vines. If one looks closely along the crests of the hills, one can see overgrown terraces whose reproductive future was stymied by the phylloxéra, and whose impotent vine stumps now remain frozen in the ground like tombstones.
Today a mere 150 hectares (370 acres) remain, dug into the hillsides along the causse, high enough up the hill to prevent damage from spring frosts and at a steep angle which allows maximum exposure to the sun.
Iron-rich soil in Marcillac
Marcillac achieved VDQS status in 1964. In 1965, the cave coopérative was formed and included nearly all of the region's 70 producers, who property under vine averaged just over a hectare each. In 1990, thanks to the effort of the coopérative and several independent producers, Marcillac was granted AOC status.
Red wine is predominant product of Marcillac, although rosé is also allowed within the AOC. The king of grapes is the Mansois, also known in other regions of the Southwest as Fer Servadou or Braucol. It must be used in at least 80% of all Marcillac wines. Other grapes allowed include Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Gamay, Merlot, Jurançon Noir, and the nearly extinct Mouyssaguès.
Mansois gives the region its identity and its wine an individual and distinctive taste. In Madiran and Brulhois, it produces a rather heavy, rustic wine that often gives support to the more noble varietals. In Marcillac, however, it normally produces a lighter wine with good color and hints of raspberry fruit. What sets it off, though, is its perfume of ground red pepper and spice -- often paprika. It makes for a highly enjoyable and memorable mouthful of wine. Wines from Marcillac are drinkable on release, and will normally age gracefully for three to five years.
The residence of Jean-Luc Matha is located in the center of Bruejouls, a quaint village at the bottom of the Aveyron valley. Matha is a man in his mid-forties, with a thick moustache, laughing eyes and, more often than not, a cigarette in hand. He once studied to be a priest and a clown, before giving up both professions and returning to the earth.
Jean-Luc Matha in his element, Bruejouls, Summer 2004
He began with six hectares of vines. Now he works a vineyard that contains 13, with vines that average 30 years. From these comes the fruit that comprises one of Marcillac's best wines.
"Vines are like man," he says with a mischievous smile. "When they are young, they are like children. They're not strong enough to support weight. As they get older, it's as if they gain muscles. They begin to control the weight."
Matha was one of the first in the appellation to trim leaves and excess grapes from his vines, something he's confident produces more concentrated juice. Once picked, all grapes are destemmed in an effort to avoid hard, green tannin. Now, most producers in the area have followed his lead.
 Two wines are made at the property, a Cuvée Lairis and a Cuvée Peirafi. Both are made from 100% Mansois. The Cuvée Lairis is fermented in stainless steel for 10-12 days and sees no oak, while the Cuvée Peirafi has a fermentation period that takes place over 15-20 days before going into very old foudres. "To use new wood, one must have grapes that provide a certain material. Mansois does not do that; Instead, we've simply turned our attention to achieving extreme concentration on the vine and in tank, which will ultimately help our wine to age gracefully."
"I love the things that the earth gives," continues Matha. "I love working with the vine up on the hill. And just before I come down, I like to watch the sunset and see how the colors change... I breath and listen to the sounds around me... I am in the midst of nature and feel completely content."
Thoreau revisited or winemaker? Both, really. "So far I have made fourteen wines at this property. And in a way, they are like my fourteen children. Each one is a little bit different, yet each one has a common bond that gives them their ultimate identity; the earth, the vine, the frost, the rain and the sun. That, for me, is the beauty of winemaking."
Cuvée Lairis: Deep ruby. Intriguing aromas include cassis, white pepper, and paprika. Medium to full-body. Supple, suave texture. Like a hypothetical blend of Cabernet Franc from the Loire, Gamay from Beaujolais and Grenache from the Rhône. Highly fruity mouth with well-integrated tannin on the finish.
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