Few wines have developed as devoted a cult following as those of the late Didier Dagueneau. His assortment of Sauvignon Blancs from the Pouilly-Fumé appellation have become some of the best examples of how “modern” and “traditional” need not be mutually exclusive. Since Dagueneau’s death, at just 52, in 2008, his legend has only grown, making his wines—now crafted by his son, Louis-Benjamin—that much harder to get.
Today, we have a Dagueneau ‘Two-Pack’ from the stellar 2014 vintage: A bottle each of their “Blanc Fumé de Pouilly,” the introduction to their intense lineup, and “Silex,” one of the most profound expressions Pouilly-Fumé’s flint-rich soils ever bottled. These are deep, resonant, multi-layered takes on the Sauvignon Blanc grape, and each year, our allocation seems to shrink. It’s so small, in fact, that we can only offer one two-pack per customer until they sell out.
The fuzzy, bearded Dagueneau was a legendary, larger-than-life personality, and his wines reflected (and continue to reflect) that. I was lucky enough to spend a day with him back in 2007, and he remarked that his were Sauvignon Blanc wines that “transcended the variety.” His are not sharp, citrusy Pouilly-Fumés—these are broad, luscious and yet fiercely mineral wines that combine healthy, perfectly ripe organic/biodynamically farmed fruit with barrel fermentation and extended lees contact. These are not “suped-up” Sauvignon Blancs; the oak component always takes a back seat to the powerful core of fruit and minerality. Interestingly, the Dagueneau wines never undergo malolactic fermentation (a secondary fermentation that converts harsher malic acid to softer lactic acid). They get their opulent texture from barrel fermentation, while still preserving the laser-beam acidity typical of Loire Valley Sauvignon Blanc.
Today’s two-pack showcases 2014, which was as successful a vintage for whites in the Loire as it was in Burgundy. “Blanc Fumé de Pouilly,” the traditional name of Pouilly-Fumé Sauvignon Blanc (“the smoky white of Pouilly, so named for the smokiness imparted by the flint soils), is the estate’s flagship: It is fermented half in stainless steel and half in used barrels, and incorporates younger-vine fruit from Dagueneau’s assorted single vineyards. “Silex,” arguably Dagueneau’s top cuvée, is assembled from old-vine parcels selected for their high percentage of silex (flint) in the soils. It is fermented in an assortment of oak barrels of varying sizes that are constructed according to the domaine’s specifications.
In each case, you get rich, ageworthy Pouilly-Fumé. While each will age beautifully for 10 years or more, growing deeper and more heady as they do, it’s also hard to resist opening one now. If you do, decant it a good hour before serving in larger glasses (Bordeaux stems would be good) at around cellar temperature. A deep yellow-gold to the eye, these wines unleash an all-out assault on your olfactory system: focused, ripe notes of white grapefruit, quince, acacia honey, green herbs, fresh cream, a hint of tropical fruit, and a pronounced crushed-stone minerality leap from the glass. Give the wine some air to reveal its lush texture, which is buttressed by spicy, tangy acidity. Even in their youth, these wines finish with an incredible aromatic flourish. It’s a full-throttle wine experience that I think merits some contemplative sipping alongside an assortment of cheeses, especially goat’s milk chèvre. Kudos to the Dagueneau family for continuing to live up to Didier’s example! Wow.
