Product Description:
The flint‑centric pinnacle.
Silex is Dagueneau’s signature statement—expressive of flinty, north-facing Saint‑Andelain slopes and vines aged 35‑65 years. Harvested carefully for tension, 2022’s iteration is taut, crystalline and austere, requiring time to open fully.
Fermented and matured in cigar barrels and Wineglobe, the result is mineral intensity directed by limestone-clay muscle. Drink from 2027–2040. Powerfully structured Sauvignon Blanc, a reference point for terroir-driven whites. Try with lobster or goat’s cheese.
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.
Tasting Notes
NOSE – Quartz flint
Mineral aroma with a whisper of wild goat cheese.
PALATE – Firm drive
Focused, compact, with clay element on the entry.
FINISH – Crisp austerity
Sharp, schematic and structuring.
The Finer Details
Style - White Wine
Varietal - Sauvignon Blanc
Country - France
Region - Loire Valley
Vintage - 2022
Bottle Size - 750ml
ABV - 13%
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