Field of the Bee 2023
- Retail
- £18.00
- Member
- £14.40
- Case
- £108.00
- Case (Member)
- £86.40
- Varieties
- Grenache Gris, Grenache Blanc, Roussanne
- Vintage
- 2023
- Country
- France
- Region
- Roussillon
- Alcohol
- 13%
- Bottle Size
- 750ml
- Drinking Window
- 2024 - 2028
- Description
- Our delicious white is made from several parcels of ancient vines belonging to Jean-Marc, some of them over 100 years old. These grapes – local heroes Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc (with a little bit of Roussanne) produce a wonderfully soft, likeable white.
- Eyes
- A refreshing greenish gold.
- Nose
- A delicious nostril-filling nose with bright mouthwatering fruit - pears and even a hint of fresh pineapple - and a very subtle note of creamy oak.
- Mouth
- Our white is dry, and full of richness and flavour, but with enough bright citric acidity to make sure it stays refreshing all the way to a saline and mineral finish.
- Body
- medium
- Winemaking notes
- The grapes that go into this wine come from vineyards belonging to Jean-Marc Lafage (hence it is bottled under the 'Field of the Bee' label, rather than as 'Domaine of the Bee' (which would need to come 100% from our own vineyards). Some of Jean-Marc's vines are over 100 years old, and produce fabulously intense grapes which need careful vinification at cool temperatures, with 20% of the wine aged in barrel for 4 months.
- Growing Conditions
- After a second dry summer, with a dry winter in between, the lack of water in the region is turning into a crisis, and the vines struggled to flower and ripen a normal sized crop. The heat, and shortage of water resulted in a lower yield of smaller-sized grapes, with plenty of ripeness and flavour.
Reviews
Jamie Goode
https://wineanorak.com/2024/08/23/domaine-of-the-bee-interesting-wines-from-the-roussillon/August 23, 2024
92/100 "From centenarian Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, as well as a touch of Roussane, owned by Lafage, this is bright and fruit-driven with crisp lemony fruit as well as some subtle melony richness. There’s good weight here with nice primary fruit, and an intriguing texture with a hint of fennel on the finish. Very stylish."
Tamlyn Currin - www.jancisrobinson.com
https://www.jancisrobinson.com/tastings?search-full=%22Domaine+of+the+Bee%22July 22, 2024
17.5/20 "It smells of pineapple skin and crushed tarragon and wild mint and sweet fennel. A stunningly fragrant wine, perfumed with wild-herb flowers and sap and stalk and seed. I always find this a Janus wine, looking in two directions, and what you find depends on the direction you are coming from. You could find honey and roasted courgettes, cashew cream and Meyer lemon. Or you could find fennel pollen, the glitter of salt, the bite of samphire and a blade of granite-ground acidity and bitterness. You could drink this young, facing into freshness; or you could tuck this away in a corner of the cellar and drink it facing into honeyed patina. Either way, it's worth twice the price."
Tom Cannavan
https://wine-pages.com/tasting-notes/domaine-of-the-bee-field-of-the-bee-blanc-2023/August 19, 2024
91/100 "Another fine showing for this wine, made from Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc with a smattering of Roussanne, some of the vines over 100 years old. A small percentage is barrel aged for four months, which adds texture and a bit of extra phenolic grip to an otherwise summery and fruit-filled white. Peach and citrus on the nose, a sheen of almond, then a full-textured palate with that core of citrus and hints of very grown-up bitter salad leaves and that lightly grippy finish adding to its gastronomic credentials."