Domaine of the Bee Carignan 2019

Many say that for all the limitations of getting older, age has its compensations. Look at Arnold Schwarzenegger; in his youth he was a muscular curiosity, who's entire vocabulary consisted of "I'll be back" & "get to the chopper!" He was far too focused on churning out a vast amount of films, instead of making a few that were watchable. Now look at him, former Governor of California and one of the great American voices. He's like a slightly younger Noam Chomsky or an Austrian Foucault.

It's the same with grape vines; in their youth they're heavy lifters, over producing and potentially lacking in intensity. Yet when they get older they get much more sophisticated, seductive and serious. They essentially make the wine equivalent of Expendables 3; the gem in the crown of Arnie's acting career.

The Carignan vines at Domaine of the Bee are significantly older than Arnold, all are over 80 years old, with exceptionally low yields as a result. The subsequent wine is astonishingly intense and concentrated, bursting with big flavours of black berries bramble, supportive oak qualities and a slatey minerality. Forget Arnie, this is the Sir Ian McKellen of wines!