Spotlight on Domaine St Hilaire, Languedoc

Domaine St Hilaire, owned by Patrick and Elizabeth Martellucci, is one of the leading wineries in the Languedoc. This 76-hectare estate has probably been producing wines since Roman times, but it was Baron Hilaire Reynaud who named it after his patron saint, Saint Hilaire, when he acquired it in 1817. The baron was a local celebrity who achieved illustrious fame as a general and hero of Napoleon's Grande Armée.

The head winemaker Vincent Maurel has been producing wines at Saint-Hilaire for 25 years and manages the cellar with a fanatical attention to detail

We are now delighted to be able to offer the following wines at an extremely competitive price: 

Chardonnay Expression 2024 £12.45 per bottle

2024 « Expression » Chardonnay has been unmistakeably made in the style of Chablis. With no oak influence, this decidedly pure and poised Chardonnay has the classic minerality looked for by those wanting to pair it with river fish, chicken dishes and summer salads. Vincent Maurel captures the wine’s intrinsic fruitiness by bottling after 4 months, with the wine seeing no malolactic (secondary) fermentation. It has a bouquet of orange blossom and excellent green-fruit Chardonnay flavours (apple skin, kiwi and lime peel) with fine acidity. Rather enjoyable drunk on its own as well. (13.5%)

Rolle Vermentino 2024 £12.15 per bottle

The 2024 “Expression” Vermentino (Rolle) from Domaine St. Hilaire has a clear-cut citrus fruitiness, with a touch of limes and satsumas. With an attractive hint of grapefruit skin, this variety is early-picked by the St. Hilaire team to retain its zingy freshness. As from the 2022 harvest, the use of Vermentino on wine labels is meant to be restricted to just the back label, with Rolle appearing on the front label. Vincent has put the name Rolle on the back label and Vermentino on the front! Under new EU regulations, the name “Vermentino” is restricted for use by Italy only. Watch this space! (13%abv)

Viognier 2023 £11.95 per bottle

2023 “Expression” Viognier is probably St. Hilaire’s signature white: a classic Viognier resonating with the often searched for (and rarely found) peaches, apricots and greengage characteristics. It has a structure supported by a refreshing peach-stone minerality and an almost exotic spiciness, adding further complexity to the wines’ finish. Try it with Asiatic dishes (especially poultry and fish) but please also just glug it on its own! (13.5%)

Merlot 2024 £12.60 per bottle

2024 “Expression” Merlot Clearly the grapes for this really well made red were picked at peak maturity, guaranteeing a generous style but with some interesting contrasts. Dominated by black-fruit aromatics and a fleshy, cassis-like front palate, there is a wonderful overall vibrancy and juiciness. The tannins are fine and integrated but are present enough to give the wine an appealing tension. Overall, an extremely versatile red, showing off the real potential of Mediterranean reds. (14.5%)

TO FIND ALL THESE WINES CLICK ON THE LINK: DOMAINE ST HILAIRE WINES