Dominio de las Abejas 'Nectar de Campo' 2021

Dominio de las Abejas Estate 

- Founded in 2015 by Mauricio Ruiz and family - Winemaker: Mauricio Ruiz (Mexican born, lives part  time in Ensenada and part time in Australia where he  runs two other organic biodynamic natural wineries - Winery location: Valle de Ojos Negros, Baja California - Region and grape source: Las Abejas is a concept  winery that was started based on choosing the best  possible piece of land for growing grapes in anticipation  of climate change. Their search alighted on a piece of  land in the high elevation Valle de Ojos Negros in Baja  California, located just south and slightly inland from  Valle de Guadalupe. Priority was placed on organic  certification since the beginning, and the vineyards are  certified organic by the CCOF. All grapes in their wines  come from estate vineyards. 

- Vineyard location, elevation and grape varieties:  The las Abejas vineyard is located in a very unique  section of Valle de Ojos Negros that was once a marsh,  (when the water table was much higher than it is now).  The marsh was a resource for untold generations of  migratory waterfowl all of which left deposits that  enriched the soil. The marsh was gone long before they  purchased the land, but the signature of this period is  left in the rich and unique composition of the soil which  has far more organic content than the surrounding  area. At 2,200 ft in elevation, the main challenge of  growing grapes here is the threat of frost during the  growing season. They grow 10 grape varieties:  Nebbiolo, Grenache, Nero D' Avola, Cinsault, Carignan,  Chardonnay, Marsanne, Sauvignon Blanc, Colombard,  and Zinfandel. 

- Other Notes: 

The wines of las Abejas are made naturally. Ambient  yeast fermentation, no corrections or additions, no  filtration or fining and only a 30 ppm sulfite addition at  bottling. This absolute gem of an estate is one of only a  handful of organic certified vineyards in Mexico making  100% natural wine that is clean and precise, showing no  faults of any kind. Their creations are at the top level of  natural wines worldwide. 

Total Production: 4 wines 1,200 cases 

Dominio de las Abejas - Nectar de Campo 2021 

Tasting Notes and Drinking Window: 

All of the wines in the lineup from Dominio de Las Abejas are  best summed up by a single word “delicious” as their balance of  fruit, tannin, texture, and persistence all seems to perfectly  tweak the pleasure dial to 11. In this vintage of their only red  blend, we find all of the lusciousness and complexity of the  previous vintages with an added bright high note of structure  that gives it a slightly more serious tone. Beautifully layered and  built to impress any pallet, those looking to explore natural  wines and not loose contact with terra firma need look no  further.  

500 cases made 

Drinking window: upon release - 10 years 

Vintage: 

2022 

Blend: 

36% Grenache, 24% Nero d'Avola, 24% Carignan, 16%  Cinsault 

Producer: 

Dominio de las Abejas 
 

Winemaker: 

Mauricio Raiz - Mexican 
 

Vineyards: 

Valle de Ojos Negros - Estate vineyards planted in 2015 at an  elevation of 2,200 ft in a unique section of the valley that was  once a marsh. Vineyards are certified organic by the CCOF. 

Winemaking: 

Nectar de Campo translates to “nectar of the fields” in English,  and as the name states this wine is a blend of all of the red  grapes from the winery’s estate vineyards except the Nebbiolo.  All grapes were picked on the same day and cofermented on  native yeast, (some full cluster) for a period of 12 days in  stainless steel tanks. The wine was then pressed from the skins  and left to age on the lees for a period of 6 months in stainless  tanks before being bottled without filtration or fining.  Sulfites: 30 ppm 
 

Farming: 

Organic, sustainable 
 

Alcohol: 

13.9%