Domaine du Météore gains Bibendum distribution

By Jo Gilbert

Published: 10 March, 2025

Domaine du Météore – which, as the name suggests, is grown in and around a meteor crater – has joined Bibendum’s portfolio of wine producers. The producer’s wines will now be distributed through Bibendum to the on-trade and independent merchants through Walker & Wodehouse in England & Wales.

Situated in the village of Cabrerolles at over 300m, Domaine du Météore is believed to be the only vineyard in the world to grow in and around a meteor crater. The geological site was created 10,000 years ago, when a meteorite struck a hillside in Southern France. The producer’s vineyards now span the schist soils of AOP Faugères and Saint-Chinian in the foothills of the Haut-Languedoc mountains.

Christine Barkey, wine buyer at Bibendum said: “The innovative team, led by Dr Paul Jenkins, is curating a truly breathtaking experience at the domaine from vineyard to the bottle. Simon Frech’s winemaking honours the unique terroir, with every cuvée showcasing the fantastic quality that can be produced in Faugères at the foothills of the Massif Central. A sense of true peace and natural beauty exudes the domaine, and the vineyards in and around the unique meteor crater are brimming with wildlife. I have rarely been so moved by a place, and we are proud to share the wines of Domaine du Météore with our customers.”

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The winery and vineyards were acquired in 2018 by two London physicians, Dr Paul Jenkins (endocrinologist) and Dr Paul Jarman (neurologist). After 25 years of travel with their families to the region, they fell in love with the domaine and its story – thus fulfilling a lifelong dream of owning a vineyard. They work alongside winemaker Simon Frech, who was born in Bordeaux to a wine growing family before working abroad in both New Zealand and Argentina.

The team’s ethos is to create terroir-driven wines which express the forces of nature that created them with as little intervention as possible. The wines are made in small volumes using organic methods. The team is working towards becoming fully biodynamic.

Jenkins added: “We are truly delighted to be partnering with Bibendum to present our wines to a wider UK audience. Bibendum has a stellar reputation, and we believe this will be the start of a long-term successful partnership to showcase our wines which reflect the magical combination of their unique cosmic properties and schist terroir.”

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