Product Information:
If you’re curious about the allure of Dagueneau, look no further than this wine. Prepare to see Sauvignon Blanc in a new light - tightly wound, creamy, textured yet refreshing through aromatic and mineral intensity. Silex means ‘flint’ after all, this wine is produced only from the flint-rich soils on the north-facing slopes of the hill of Saint-Andelain, Pouilly-Fumé.
In many ways, Silex is the ultimate Dagueneau wine - super-mineral, pure and crystalline, and typically very long-lived. You can really taste the flint! The vines here mostly range between 35 and 65 years old, and yields are kept lower than in most other vineyards. Typically cool and without obvious richness. Really refreshing and with great substance and density. Flavours range but always deep, yellow fruits nectarine to fresh-sour quince but not limited to. The overall impression is precise tension and startling concentration.
Silex is 100% sauvignon blanc fermented and aged in the famed Dagueneau cigar-shaped barrels as well as other casks, and a portion is now aged in 220-litre Wineglobe - glass vessels that are neutral, avoid reduction and allow for lower SO2 levels. Because of the soil type and the concentration of the mature vines, this wine is always intense and often austere when young, typically requiring several years (between five and 10) to truly express itself.
Maker:
Dagueneau is an absolutely essential name in Loire wines. "A quality extremist" who takes the Pouilly wines to a unique level. It is after all in Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre that set the global benchmark for Sauvignon Blanc. The two signature wines, Silex and Pur Sang rank amongst the great white wines of the world. They are in a dimension beyond being merely outstanding Sauvignon Blanc.
Didier Dagueneau will forever be remembered as “The Wild Man of Saint-Andelain”. A true enfant terrible, he singlehandedly revolutionised viticulture and wine making in Pouilly-Fumé. Initially vilified by his peers, he was eventually revered for his success. Dagueneau tragically passed away in a light plane crash in September 2008. His son is now in charge of the Domaine and continues to uphold his father’s remarkable legacy.
Benjamin Dagueneau grew up in the vineyards and tasting great wines with his legendary father. He completed a degree in oenology and came back to work at the Domaine in 2004 after a year with François Chidaine in Montlouis and another year with Olivier Jullien at Mas Jullien in the Languedoc. He was about to launch his own Domaine when his father tragically passed away. He was ready.
But how do the wines of Louis Benjamin differ from those of his father. The wines today have the same tension and vineyard expression that they did under Didier yet there is an added generosity and texture which certainly adds something to the equation. Regardless, no matter which wine you choose, each bottle from this avant-garde grower lives in a dimension beyond being merely outstanding Sauvignon Blanc and ranks amongst the great white wines of the world.
Philosophy:
Didier Dagueneau crusaded for his idea of authentic Pouilly Fumé. He knew that healthy fruit from low yielding, old vines produces the purest, most intense and vibrantly fresh wine. Domaine Dagueneau's self imposed yield limit of 45 hectolitres per hectare has everything to do with his wines not being 'typical' of the appellation. Stylistically creamy texture replaces raw acidity; mineral flavours combine with exotic fruits.
In 2018 Benjamin Dagueneau pulled his family Domaine out of the Pouilly-Fumé appellation. Clearly, there is no love lost between Domaine Dagueneau and the authorities. Last year Louis-Benjamin liberated his wines by removing every reference to Pouilly-Fumé that remained on his labels—including Blanc Fumé de Pouilly, which is now labelled as Blanc Etc... It goes without saying that at no time in history has Domaine Didier Dagueneau relied on the appellation’s name to sell its wines. If anything, this latest change only serves to underline the non-conformity and confidence of one of France’s great Domaines. His father would be proud.
Nose - Riper Stone & Citrus Fruits, Herbs, Struck Match
The Silex 2020 shows ripe fruit, but there's no sense of being overblown.
Palate - High Energy, Exotic Yellow Fruits, Flint
The fine line that races through many wines relying on flint-based parcels is there, carrying the nectarine and oak-derived vanilla flavours, but its influence never tips into austerity nor firmness.
Finish - Vanilla Bean, Fine Acidity, Mineral
There's a sense of tenderness that runs through its core while remaining light in body.
While this was a warm season leading to richness in many wines from the region, the Silex 2020 shows ripe fruit, but there's no sense of being overblown. The fine line that races through many wines relying on flint-based parcels is there, carrying the nectarine and oak-derived vanilla flavours, but its influence never tips into austerity nor firmness. There's a sense of tenderness that runs through its core while remaining light in body. - Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous, 92-94 Points.
The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Sauvignon Blanc
Country - France
Region - Loire Valley
Vintage - 2020
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13.5%
