Domaine of the Bee started as a holiday romance. Justin Howard-Sneyd and his wife Amanda holidayed in the Roussillon back in 2003, falling in love with the area and spotting a plot of very old vines for sale. Though living and holding down full time jobs in London (Justin is an M.W. and at the time was a wine buyer for a UK supermarket), they took the plunge to become owners of a small vineyard near Maury.
Initially their visits to France were squeezed into holidays, with local friends babysitting their vines and making their wine. In 2012 they enlisted one of the region’s best-known winemakers, Jean-Marc Lafage of Domaine Lafage, to work with them. Though Justin now spends around 12 weeks per year at his estate, the Lafage team look after the vines and wines are made in a corner of their cellars.
Domaine of the Bee’s vineyard extends to just four hectares, all on steep slopes of gnarled vines aged between 60 and 100 years old. Grenache and Carignan are the bedrock of their red and rosé wines, with Grenache Gris and Blanc the mainstay of their whites. Production now sits at around 5,000 bottles per year, most of it sold to their Wine Club members who receive an annual allocation at 20% below shop prices.
The Wines
(2024) 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. Wine Club members pay £14.00
(2024) A pale, Provençal-style pink made from Grenache Noir, Grenache Gris and Syrah, this bursts with redcurrant and raspberry red fruitiness on the nose, a little Parma violet lift too. The palate is dry, the tartness of summer red berries as well as the light juiciness of fruit. It's light- to medium-bodied, but again there's just a little phenolic grip as well as the citrus acidity to balance and ensure this finishes dry and appetising. Wine Club members pay £12.80.
(2024) Made to show 'the lighter side' of Grenache. Whole bunches are feremented, with 70% of the fruit coming from winemaking friend of the domaine, Jean-Marc Lafage, who also carries out some carbonic maceration. Vibrant, purple-tinged crimson, aromas are really cherry-bright and foral, a little bit of estery Beaujolias style too, and very attractive. The palate is soft, brightly but densely fruity, loads of supple, fleshy red berries and a hint of pomegranate, then a nicely bittersweet finish showing good acidity and moderate tannin for a free-flowing finish. Wine Club members buy for £16.00.
(2024) 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.
(2024) From the estate's best barrels of Grenache and Carignan from their own vineyards, the Grenache component being increased to 60% allows them to bottle this as Maury Sec rather than more generic regional appellations. After fermentation in a mixture of steel and large oak barrels, it matures for 16 months in 225- and 500-litre barrels, a quarter of which are new. Deep colour and equally deep scents of plum compote, blueberry and warm Christmas spices. There's that background suggestion of a violet-like lift. In the mouth all about dark, brooding fruits that are ripe and sweet, with a bittersweet cocoa element and a carpet of chocolaty tannin. It's a big and substantial wine this, but crucially there is freshness to the acidity in the long, spicy finish. Wine Club members pay £22.00
(2024) With only 13% alcohol as opposed to the straight Maury Sec's 14.5% (from the same vintage) this top wine of the estate is obviously conceived and made in a different style. From a single vineyard, it is based on Grenache but 15% of the blend is made with Grenache Gris and Grenache Blanc - pink and white variants. After foot-treading and fermentation in oak, it spent 15 months in Seguin Moreau's 500-litre 'Icone' barrels. Lighter in colour, and in aroma, there's more brightness to the red fruits and more of a pastille-like quality, but a note of herbal, hessian character comes through from the stems included in fermentation. In the mouth so supple and juicy. I do like the relative restraint of the lower alcohol here personally, and the juiciness to the tannins and acids which is fresher again that the straight Maury Sec. Wine Club members buy for £40.
Domaine of the Bee
66460
Maury
France
