Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fume Silex Blanc 2008
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Robert
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Ripe pear and white peach along with sage, and fusil, chalky notes of crushed stone rise from the glass of Dagueneau 2008 Blanc Fume de Pouilly Silex. On paper, this reminds one of 1996 (as Benjamin Dagueneau mentions immediately after I make a note of the fact), boasting – assuming you consider that word appropriate to the circumstances – 14.2% alcohol and well over 6 grams acidity. Lime zest and huckleberry notes serve for the sort of bitter concentration one noted in the corresponding Buisson Renard, but here that is imbedded in a far lusher, riper context; accompanied by a more refined texture; and without betraying its alcohol in any heat or roughness. “This will be a great keeper,” predicts Benjamin Dagueneau, and I would certainly not be surprised if it were worth re-visiting for more than a dozen years. Tasting the 1996 along side (a wine whose analysis reveals negligibly less alcohol and acid than the 2008) one is struck by the malt and caramel notes it has developed, but I really ascribe that to the more obvious application of oak in those days (which I noted when, as it happens, I was able to taste this 1996 in barrel) rather than simply to bottle age.
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However dare-devilish in both winemaking and in life, Didier's untimely death in a plane crash in 2008 shook the wine community to its core. Fortunately for all who love Didier's wines, his oldest son, Louis-Benjamin, is now steering the domaine with the audacity, passion and talent that many critics and wine-lovers agree equal those of his father. Didier's were no small shoes to fill, but Louis-Benjamin, now with several harvests under his belt, has more than proven to be up to the task. In fact, he and his sister, Charlotte, have brought new energy to an enterprise that was already considered at the top of its game. While the solar panels on the winery roof are indicative that the younger Dagueneaus are reaching for new heights, tasting the 2008, 2009 and 2010 vintages is proof that they are on a path that their father would have approved. Louis-Benjamin is a force in both the vineyards and the cellars. If this is what we can expect from this young man after only a handful of solo vintages, we can only imagine the new heights to which the domaine will soar! Didier would be proud.
Capable of a vast array of styles, Sauvignon Blanc is a crisp, refreshing variety that equally reflects both terroir and varietal character. Though it can vary depending on where it is grown, a couple of commonalities always exist—namely, zesty acidity and intense aromatics. This variety is of French provenance. Somm Secret—Along with Cabernet Franc, Sauvignon Blanc is a proud parent of Cabernet Sauvignon. That green bell pepper aroma that all three varieties share is no coincidence—it comes from a high concentration of pyrazines (herbaceous aromatic compounds) inherent to each member of the family.
Famous in the Loire and throughout the world for perfumed Sauvignon blanc, Pouilly-Fume sits due east, across the Loire River from Sancerre. Limestone soils with clay and flint (also called silex) contribute to the wines' freshness and often times smoky, flinty, mineral character.