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: 5 wines 3,400 cases
2021 Charles Martinez - Dominio de las Abejas
Tasting Notes and Drinking Window:
This exceptionally delicious wine comes from the same high pedigree of the Domino de las Abejas estate grapes but is an homage to the grandmothers of the family whose names (because of the tradition of passing on the patrilineal rather than matrilineal names to each successive generation) have been lost. Had the mother’s last names rather than the father’s been kept the family’s last name would have been Charles Martinez. In the end the wine is intended to honor the mothers, grandmothers and great grandmothers as it was through them that the family lines continued and were born.
The alebrije or nahual on the label is there because in the Zapoteca culture of Mexico, these magical beings are the first guides we have in the afterlife, and in many ways act like the first guides we have in life: our mothers.
A blend that leads with Malbec, this is quite a bit denser than the other two reds for this estate but it’s far from lacking grace and elegance, but rather shows how the style they developed in the Abejas line translates when developed in a more full bodied style. An incredibly well made wine for this or any price, 2024 marks the first year it will be imported into the US and we expect it to quickly become a market favorite in the years to come.
1400 cases made
Drinking window: upon release - 12 years
Vintage:
2021
Blend:
40% Malbec, 30% Syrah, 30% Cabernet Sauvignon
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:
All grapes were picked and sorted by hand from the Dominio de las Abejas certified organic family estate. Selected grapes were then crushed and pressed into stainless steel tanks for fermentation. Once fermentation was complete the wine was aged for 12 months in a mixture of mainly 3rd and 4th use barrels of American oak and a small proportion of 1st use American oak. Each grape variety went through this process seperately and the final blend was made in the end just before bottling.
Sulfites: 70 ppm
Farming:
Organic, sustainable
Alcohol:
13.5%
