Virgile Blanc Saint-Saturnin 2021
Member Price €24.13
The Languedoc - with its high altitude, complex soils and rich tapestry of old vines - should be heaven for making white wines.
It’s got all the raw ingredients to be held right up there with Burgundy and the Loire, France’s other great white wine regions.
Maybe it’s because there’s a better history of making reds here, that I’ve always struggled to find a white wine I’d be proud to hang my hat on.
Until I tried this wine when visiting Virgile and Magdalena Joly in the Languedoc recently!
Saint-Saturnin is an up-and-coming appellation in the Larzac’s southern foothills, with hot days and cold nights producing grapes with that perfect balance of full flavour and freshness.
Virgile’s Grenache Blanc on its own gives beautiful flavours of white peach, pear and a lovely minerality too. He then adds 20-25% of Rolle to the blend, which gives it extra complexity and takes it from good to great, and ages it for 18 months in fine French oak barrels.
This wine was awarded 98/100 points and won Best In Show at Millésime Bio, a big organic wine fair in Montpellier that I go to every year.
With Burgundy getting more and more out of reach for people in France, Virgile tells me he’s winning hearts with this wine as a great alternative.
So try it for yourself and see exactly why - for a really top French white, it's an amazing price too.
| Wine type | White |
| Grape(s) | 75 % Grenache blanc, 25 % Rolle (Vermentino) |
| Country | FRANCE |
| Region of origin | LANGUEDOC |
| Appellation | AOP LANGUEDOC SAINT SATURNIN |
| Vintage | 2021 |
| Alcohol % | 14.5 |
| Oak? | YES |
| Months in Oak | 18 |
| Type of Oak | FRENCH OAK BARRELS |
| Allergens (e.g. Milk, Egg, Fish, Nuts) | no |
| Average age of vines | 50 |
| Average altitude of vines (m) | 120 |
| Soil type(s) | CLAY LIMESTONE |
| Closure Type | |
| Is this wine organic? | YES CERTIFIED BY ECOCERT |
| Biodynamic? | NO |
| Sustainably produced? | YES |
| Suitable for vegans? | YES |
| Ageing potential (years) | 5 |
| Ideal drinking window | 2024-2029 |
We worked together for years in the UK, and I’m delighted to finally bring Virgile and Magda’s wines to Ireland
FOR IRELAND
We know how important it is to get your wine order quickly and efficiently. So we’ve partnered with UPS to offer next-day delivery on our wines.
Here’s what you need to know:
- It’s free - delivery is already included in the members' price
- It’s fast - you’ll get next-day delivery if you order before 12pm Monday-Thursday
- It’s environmentally-friendly - all of our orders are shipped carbon neutral with UPS.
€2 per case is added to all Northern Ireland orders to cover additional shipping costs. The point of sale occurs in the Republic of Ireland.
Our minimum order requirement is 6 bottles and we ship in multiples of 6’s. This can be 6 different bottles!
You may need to show your ID on delivery.
Please read our Terms & Conditions for more information.
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FOR UK
1. Order minimum & case sizes
We ship exclusively in full cases of wine. Your order must be a minimum of 6 bottles and in a multiple of 6 (for example 6, 12, 18 bottles).
2. Where we deliver
We deliver across Great Britain, with a small number of exceptions. Delivery is currently not available to the following locations:
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Channel Islands (GY, JE)
Please also note that some more remote areas take a little longer to reach. For the postcodes listed below, delivery may take 2–5 working days due to their location, and there is an additional £20 charge applied to these areas:
KA27, KA28, AB31–AB56, IV1–IV63, KW1–KW17, PH15–PH150, PA20–PA78, HS1–HS9, PH42–PH44, ZE1–ZE3, FK16–FK21,BT
3. Delivery timeframe
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Place your order by midday (12pm) Monday-Friday for next working-day delivery.
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Saturday delivery is available when you order by midday on Friday.
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If you order after midday, your delivery will fall on the next working day, and in some cases it may arrive sooner - but this is not guaranteed.
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Orders placed after 3pm on a Friday will be delivered on the following Tuesday.
4. Courier & delivery options
We use DPD Local for all deliveries with the default method as delivery to your address - handover required. You’ll receive text and/or an email notification to let you know your case has been shipped and another with your 1 hour delivery window, with both giving you the options to:
• leave in a safe place
• leave with a neighbour
• change the delivery day
• deliver to a different address
• deliver to a DPD Pickup ParcelShop
If you choose a safe place or a neighbour and the parcel is delivered to that place or person, responsibility passes to you from that point onwards.
5. Age verification
This site is for adults only. We operate a Challenge 25 age verification policy. When in doubt DPD will request valid photo ID on delivery to confirm you are 18 or over. Accepted ID includes a passport, driving licence or other recognised photographic ID.
6. Damaged goods in transit
If your case of wine is damaged during transit, we will be notified by DPD and will reorder and dispatch a replacement for you at the earliest opportunity and keep you updated throughout.
7. Returns once delivered
If you decide you need to return your order after it has been delivered, please get in touch with us and we will arrange a collection. Returns are handled on a case-by-case basis once you contact us.
8. General provisions
By placing an order you agree to these delivery terms. We may update or amend these terms from time to time - any changes will apply to orders placed after the update.