Producer · Languedoc-Roussillon, France

Domaine of the Bee

Domaine of the Bee began with one inspiring trip. Master of Wine Justin Howard-Sneyd visited Roussillon in 2004 and came home having bought four hectares of vines near the village of Maury.

The vines are mostly Grenache and Carignan, spread over three plots and aged from fifty to a hundred years. The wines taste proudly of the hot, dry south, but they keep a lovely freshness that lightens the weight.

The names are a bit cheeky, yet the wines are serious. They show just what old vines on Roussillon's rugged hills can do.

Grenache · £20.49 to £24.49 a bottle