Few producers who exclusively craft white wine have ever inspired as much effusive praise as the late Didier Dagueneau. Starting out as a motorcycle racer with no formal enological training, he became a legendary, limit-pushing vintner and perfectionist who transcended the conventions of Pouilly-Fumé.
If you’ve ever questioned whether Sauvignon Blanc can really age, or if it has the nuanced complexity of the finest white Burgundy, cast those doubts aside and heed the words of The New York Times’ Eric Asimov: “Tasting a Dagueneau wine for the first time [is] a revelation.” And that remains true under the guidance of Didier’s son, Louis-Benjamin. Having spent his childhood in the family vineyards and cellar, Louis-Benjamin has done a remarkable job upholding his father’s legacy. And while the loss of the Didier in a freak aviation accident was devastating—not just to those who knew him personally, but to everyone who has ever been moved by his singular wines—the transition has been seamless: The demand for “Silex” is higher than ever before. In fact, our allocation seems to get smaller and smaller each year...
An iconoclast through and through, Didier set out early in his career “to make the best Sauvignon Blanc in the world.” In his short 52 years on earth, many would argue that he succeeded. But Didier was never content to rest on his laurels; he was always experimenting, always evolving, always trying to outdo himself. I had often heard stories about the outspoken, hirsute winemaker’s antics, and in 2007, I was fortunate enough to spend a day with Didier and experience his larger-than-life personality myself. His Sauvignon Blanc wines, he explained, “transcended the variety.” A far cry from the sharp, citrus-packed wines of Pouilly-Fumé, Dagueneau’s interpretation has always been remarkably textural and opulent, though still buoyed by the piercing, crystalline acidity you’d expect from the Loire Valley. In the vineyard, Didier was always chasing ever-higher quality through obsessive, meticulous care (few in the region can boast a larger crew per square hectare), and trials with organic viticulture, minuscule yields, hand harvesting, and sélection massale grafting on low-vigor rootstock. Didier would draw from traditional winemaking at times, but without ever blindly accepting the status quo; always infusing the technique with his own unique flair. Diligently picking up where his father left off, Louis-Benjamin hasn’t missed a step in keeping the Dagueneau house style alive.
Things are still much the same in the cellar, too. Louis-Benjamin is continuing Didier’s work with sans-soufre (no-sulfur) winemaking, natural fermentations, and experimental barrel regimes, and there’s another family tradition he’s preserving as well: perfectionism. In fact, those who have visited the property in recent years profess that the son might actually have surpassed the father in that realm. Louis-Benjamin’s wines have an almost-Burgundian touch; each spends a year on its lees in small oak casks before further aging in stainless steel. Silex, which comes from Dagueneau’s low-yielding, old-vine parcels with the highest percentage of silex (flint) content, is fermented in premium custom barrels in a range of sizes, designed and constructed specifically for this cuvée. Oak, however, never plays a starring role in Silex—Dagueneau’s organic/biodynamic farming is so impeccable that the perfectly healthy, just-ripe fruit remains front and center at all times. The barrel fermentation and lengthy lees contact serve simply to elevate the sublime texture of this powerful, mineral-driven wine.
If you’ve never experienced Silex—or any Dagueneau wine, for that matter—brace yourself for a wine of uncommon purity and focus. The fruit here is so intense, with a chiseled, energetic personality that soaks up every last drop of Pouilly-Fumé’s Grand-Cru-equivalent parcels. The warm, sunny 2018 vintage produced a radiant rendition of “Silex,” marked by racy, laser-focused acidity and wild, savory notes of lemon, nettles, mint, lemongrass, and kaffir lime zest. Fleshy but tart passionfruit, green peach, kiwi, and green apple round out the supple palate, almost producing an electric “green” scent to this vivid Sauvignon Blanc. Even the minerality is multi-dimensional here, with a saline gleam of crushed oyster shell layered atop a steely flash of gunflint. Now, I won’t say it’s an easy feat but I prefer to wait at least a year or two after release to give this wine a chance to settle; even then, a healthy decant of 1-2 hours is pretty much mandatory if you want to see the full range of aromas and flavors unfurl. There’s always an element of restraint to Dagueneau’s top cuvée, but Silex is never unpleasantly austere once it’s had ample time to mature. Serve this deeply aromatic wine in a generously sized Burgundy stem, never too cold, alongside uncomplicated fare, like a fresh catch of white fish in a simple sauce, or just some great chèvre. Year after year, and now generation after generation, few “cult favorite” wines deserve their plaudits more than Dagueneau.
