(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) 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) 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.
(2023) The new vintage of this old vine Grenache is made in a lighter style. A small part of the blend is a saignée, or 'bleed-off', as sometimes used to make rosé, blended back with wine that was 50% was fermented with whole bunches. It spent 15 months in the barrels. It does indeed pour a paler, still crimson, but more Pinot Noir-like colour. Lots of raspberry and summery fruit on the nose, a touch of white pepper, and just a suggestion of darker fruit and the barrel component beneath. Creamy and fruity on the palate, the tannins have a bit of heft to them, and there is keen, tart raspberry acidity to add more souring edge. Very drinkable but with a bit of strictness about it. £15.60 for club members.
(2022) Grenache Blanc with Vermentino and Marsanne from the tiny cellars of Pietri-Geraud, this is made in stainless steel and has a lovely creamy, herb tinged nose with an understated, dry fruit that touches on peach but settles on ripe pear and creamy, nutty fruit notes.
(2022) A Syrah, Grenache and Carignan blend from the elevated Agly Valley in Roussillon, this is wine does not see any barrel ageing. Instead, it celebrates a floral-touched and juicy fruit brightness, some pepper and nutmeg spice joining plum and dark, glossy cherry fruit. On the palate there is intense fruit sweetness, really mouth-filling, but that spiciness and a herbal tang adds edge and interest, bold tannins and juicy acidity completing a picture of a big, impressive and chewy mouthful of intense and ripe red wine, fit for the barbie, steak or lamb. Watch the video for more information.
(2022) Always such a lovely wine this, it is a blend of Grenache Blanc and Grenache Gris, with just 20% seeing time in one and two-year-old barrels to give a subtle dimension of creaminess adding to the honeyed, lightly waxy aspect of the nose and palate. Blossom hints flit around peachy-ripe fruit, but it stays focused and pure, a little saline aspect to quite fat lemony acidity making for an easy but perfectly-pitched, freshening finish. Club members buy for £13.20
