Domaine of the Bee Carignan 2022
- Retail
- £25.00
- Member
- £20.00
- Case
- £150.00
- Case (Member)
- £120.00
- Varieties
- Carignan
- Vintage
- 2022
- Country
- France
- Region
- Roussillon
- Alcohol
- 14.5%
- Bottle Size
- 750ml
- Drinking Window
- 2024 - 2031
- Description
- Pure Carignan from the 80+ year old La Roque vineyard at Domaine of the Bee. Low yielding, concentrated and vibrant.
- Eyes
- A vibrant bright purple red.
- Nose
- Soft vanilla oak, opulent black fruit - black cherries & brambles and a waft of vanilla.
- Mouth
- Top quality old-vine Carignan often possesses a brambly, wild blackberry, woodland character, and this is very evident this year - with a delicious earthiness allied with fresh black cherry yoghurt.
- Body
- full
- Winemaking notes
- From a one hectare vineyard of 80+ year-old Carignan vines. Bush vines are hand-tended, and shoot removal and a little green harvesting ensure a very well balanced crop of fully ripe grapes. Hand harvested into small baskets and destemming without crushing to allow some intra-cellular fermentation to release colour prior to the full alcoholic fermentation. Slow temperature controlled fermentation in stainless steel and a couple of 500L barrels before gentle pressing, and the wine for this two barrel bottling was matured in one 1-year-old 500L French oak barrel, and one 1-year-old 500L American oak barrel. No eggs or dairy used.
- Growing Conditions
- The Winter of 2021/22 was uncharacteristically dry, with 'normal' rain in April and May giving the vines enough moisture to commence the season's growth, and the lovely dry period during flowering in late May / June ensure the 'sortie' (successful flowering) was excellent, with LOADS of bunches. There then followed an exceptionally dry July and August which had us fearing that the vines would stop ripening, and that the grapes would just shrivel. Some relieving light rain in September kept the vines respiring, and we managed to harvest a good crop of plentiful bunches with very small grapes - with exceptional flavours.
Reviews
Jamie Goode
https://wineanorak.com/2024/08/23/domaine-of-the-bee-interesting-wines-from-the-roussillon/August 23, 2024
93/100 "Carignan from the 80+ year old La Roque vineyard at Domaine of the Bee. This is ripe, smooth and seamless with rich blackberry and black cherry fruit with complex notes of wood spice, chocolate and dried herbs complementing the lush fruit. There’s also a touch of tannic bite on the finish. Lots to like about this dense, harmonious, warming red: Carignan tamed."
Tamlyn Currin - www.jancisrobinson.com
https://www.jancisrobinson.com/tastings?search-full=%22Domaine+of+the+Bee%22July 22, 2024
17/20 "Both craggy and tender. Gruff and arioso. Blackberries and dust. The dark shine of elderberries promising sweetness and delivering medicinal bitterness; the salty citric tang of pickled lemons promising puckering and delivering (unexpected) sweetness. The tannins feel like a dusty wind on a hot dry day as the wine sighs against your tongue on the finish. Such an evocative wine – Roussillon Carignan in a single sip."
Tom Cannvan
https://wine-pages.com/tasting-notes/domaine-of-the-bee-carignan-2022/August 19, 2024
93/100 "This is 100% Carignan from the 80+ year old La Roque vineyard at Domaine of the Bee. Fermentation is in both stainless steel and 500-litre barrels, with a further year in French oak barrel, plus one in American oak barrels, all 500-litre. Dark, spicy and plummy, there's a smoky suggestion of real depth here. The fruit has a supple, rich but elegantly understated succulence and depth. The oak integrates very nicely indeed, creamy and dark, a swirl of mocha onto suede-like tannins and a juicy bramble acidity. Long and concentrated into the finish. Wine Club members buy for £20."