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Domaine Didier Dagueneau

The life and now legend of Didier Dagueneau put the otherwise unremarkable village of Saint-Andelain on the map. Dagueneau died at age 52 in the ultralight plane he was flying, and the whole wine world mourned his passing. His two children, Louis-Benjamin and Charlotte took over the domaine. Still, you'll meet the winemaker Jean-Philippe Agisson on a visit. The Dagueneau wines blew the market away when they were first released, and they remain a benchmark in Pouilly Fumé, but the gap between Dagueneau and the rest of the field is not the gulf it was when he burst on the scene although the price tag would suggest otherwise.

Dagueneau’s inspiration for Silex, his most famous cuvée, was Marcel Guitton, the original single vineyard Sancerre producer, who first put silex (flint) on the wine label. Today, it is the most important wine in the range in terms of volume produced. Despite the warm, dry conditions of 2022, it is almost reminiscent of a tight, dry Riesling with a clear terroir rather than varietal character. It needs time in bottle to relax. These are wines made within the boundaries of the Pouilly Fumé appellation. Still, they have been labeled as Vin de France since the 2017 vintage following the appellation tasting panel’s rejection of a wine. The taut, precise and mineral Monts Damnés cuvée (planted in 2002) remains under the Sancerre appellation, and the 2022 vintage is rather closed on release. Still, it shows a tenderness and prettiness that Pouilly-Fumé does not naturally provide. The wines are all made in the same way to highlight the different sites, whether it’s the one-third marl and two-thirds flint component of the ‘entry’ wine Blanc, etc. or the richer clays of Buisson Renard, which gives the wine rounded shoulders. In 2022, the latter offers ripeness and depth yet retains a sense of line and length, even a salty character. The Pur Sang cuvée hails from the village of Saint Laurent l'Abbaye, about 5km northeast of the domaine, and is perhaps the most distinctive cuvées when tasting a full Dagueneau flight. The parcel has a chalky bedrock overlaid by flint pebbles, making for well-draining soils and producing real finesse, clarity and tension. In 2022, it retains tangy green herbs (dill) and green orange, and on release, it’s a little oaky, needing further time in bottle to fully integrate. Yet it has real class, and patience will be rewarded. All the wines mature in 20-25% new oak (demis-muids, cigars) and typically spend 8-10 months in stainless steel afterward before bottling.

From Sancerre: Combat Fatigue (Aug 2024) by Rebecca Gibb MW

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