Description

Matané was founded by the Empson family in 2008 to show the high potential of southern Italy’s winemaking region. This is a region previously known for quantity not quality, but one that was always gifted with an environment capable of producing fantastic wines from local grape varieties.

Matané source Negroamaro and Primitivo from various vineyards that sit between the towns of Manduria and Lecce, very close to the ‘heel’ of the boot on the Salento Peninsula. This southernmost region of Puglia is also Italy’s easternmost area and is punctuated by dark red soils and lots of Mediterranean sunshine.

The climate is mild in winter, with adequate rainfall, but it is also very hot in summer with very little yearly rainfall.

Our visits to Puglia have been limited, and our experiences, somewhat lacklustre in terms of the wines we had been exposed to. Most show the heat of the region and are big stewed, clumsy and always obvious wines. Luckily for us later searches were concentrated around the Salento Peninsula. This is the place to grow red grapes in Puglia, and despite the terrain being somewhat non-descript and unlike most Italian wine regions, entirely flat, it is possible to grow and make high quality grapes and wines in this somewhat rustic region.

Enter Matané. Matané stands for the first two letters of the Empson family members, Maria, Tara and the late Neil. The family had been searching for the right terroir in Puglia for some time and discovered and were given access to some of the best and oldest vineyards in the Salento region.

The wines very much represent the new winemaking approach in Puglia –with more moderate alcohol levels and gentler extractions. These two heat and dry loving grapes, Negroamaro and Primitivo grow particularly well in the calcareous, high limestone soils of the area and the Empson’s produce an authentic and fresh version with vitality built around a medium to full bodied frame.

Fermented and macerated in steel to capture the brightness, the nose is full of raspberries and blackberries and made more savoury and interesting by earthy notes and hints of crushed flowers and dried herbs. The palate is juicy, rich and concentrated with candied figs, berries as well as dark fruits like black cherry and a touch of spice. These are all framed by soft and relatively subtle tannins and a fresh and fruity tasting acid line.