Domaine des Mathouans

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  NATURAL WINE

Latour-de-France is another one of those picturesque villages you find in the Pyrénées-Orientales, with its tiled rooves and surrounding vineyards you could very well think you were looking at a postcard instead of a real place. Latour-de-France is real though, not only is it real, it's also super old. Bosting a castle dating back to the 11th century and a chapel from the 13th, the past is never far here. Perhaps it’s fitting then that Latour-de-France has found its second act as a Natural Wine haven, after all isn’t Natural Wine an attempt to rediscover the past? Standing in the vineyards, many of which are over 100 years old, it’s easy to see why so many foreign Natural Winemakers have begun to call this place home and it makes complete sense it’s where we found Aline Hock and her Domaine des Mathouans.

Originally from Belgium, Aline might not be from Latour, but it is certainly in her blood now. Aline does things the old way, her vineyards are all biodynamically farmed, plowed by horse, and grazed by sheep to increase biodiversity. She works mainly with the indigenousness varietals of the valley, which include Macabeu, Grenache, Lledoner Pelut, and Carignan, always allowing the pureness of the fruit and soil to shine through. Nothing is added to these wines, no fancy winemaking, just wines the way they should be. Aline’s wines will make you think, mainly about how delicious some of these varietals are and why the hell aren’t we drinking more Macabeu and Carignan!