CellarTracker!™

Search: (advanced)


External search
Google (images)
Wine Advocate
Wine Spectator
Burghound
Wine-Searcher

Vintages
2022
2020
2019
2018
2017
2016
2015
2014
2013
2012
2011
2010
2009
2008
2007
2006
2005
2004
2003
2002
Show more

From this producer
Show all wines
All tasting notes
  Home | All Cellars | Tasting Notes | Reports | UsersHelp | Member Sign In 
  >> USE THE NEW CELLARTRACKER <<


 Vintage1995 Label 2 of 113 
TypeWhite
ProducerDidier Dagueneau
VarietySauvignon Blanc
DesignationSilex
Vineyardn/a
CountryFrance
RegionLoire Valley
SubRegionUpper Loire
AppellationPouilly-Fumé
OptionsShow neither variety nor appellation

Drinking Windows and Values
Drinking window: Drink between 2001 and 2010 (based on 249 user opinions)
Wine Market Journal quarterly auction price: See Dagueneau Pouilly Fume Silex on the Wine Market Journal.

Community Tasting History

Community Tasting Notes (average 91.4 pts. and median of 90 pts. in 9 notes) - hiding notes with no text

 Tasted by Nels+ on 11/17/2019 & rated 91 points: In der Nase eine Mineral-Explosion. Dezente reife Steinfrucht, Hefe und gute Säurestruktur (1023 views)
 Tasted by d'Artagnan on 9/14/2017 & rated 88 points: Verticale du Domaine Didier Dagueneau (Au Petit Resto): Cette fois, c'est moi qui était à contre-courant, n'ayant pas trop apprécié ce millésime qui a emporté l'adhésion de la majorité.

Un nez réduit, pas très avenant. Une bouche ronde et plus riche, mais pas très longue, que j'ai trouvée un peu terne. Un vin agréable, mais sans plus. 88 pts (2749 views)
 Tasted by Mario17 on 9/14/2017 & rated 94 points: Verticale de Dagueneau au Petit Resto. Le nez est élégant et racé. La bouche est encore fraîche et minérale, ronde et délicieuse, à l'aveugle, jamais je n'aurais dit 1995, il était encore bien en vie selon moi. (2109 views)
 Tasted by mikita77 on 5/14/2016 & rated 94 points: Quite an amazing wine at more than 20 years of age. Some sherry notes showed proof of its maturity, but there was great freshness to balance. Notes of apricot pie, some honey. Really the most outstanding Sauvignon Blanc I have tasted. (2735 views)
 Tasted by PatrikO on 6/26/2012 & rated 90 points: From Mag, one of the more leaner Silex I've had, lots of mineral, but lack the fruit, bit short in the mouth. time to drink up. (4476 views)
 Tasted by mychurch on 4/23/2012 & rated 96 points: Truly a profound wine. As mineral as the 95 Latour Montrachet it was drunk with, but with a lighter and very differant profile. Lots of pineapple, smoke, flint and jasmine on the nose. Perfect balance. Still fresh with no sign of aging, this could make very old bones. (3736 views)
 Tasted by chefee1 on 8/24/2007: dead... (3708 views)
 Tasted by mdefreitas on 5/23/1999 & rated 90 points: Big Pinot Tasting: High in mineral, but the acids in the wine was the dominant feature. Mouthwatering in intensity, but too much at this time. Cellar this baby. (4487 views)

CellarTracker Wiki Articles (login to edit | view all articles)

Didier Dagueneau

Producer Wikipedia

Didier Dagueneau has been called a nonconformist, independent, eccentric, and maverick. He is also dedicated to producing some of the greatest white wines of the Loire — and all of France for that matter. He is considered by many to be a master of the sauvignon blanc grape.

He is on a crusade to redeem the reputation of authentic Pouilly-Fumé. Domaine Didier Dagueneau is located in Saint Andelain, a village in the Pouilly Fumé Appellation. He owns about 28 acres of land consisting of mainly clay and flint based soils (or ‘Silex’ in French). Dagueneau is a perfectionist and he attends to every detail — from vineyard management (biodynamic since 1993) to the cellar, which is said to look like a cathedral. He goes way beyond the regulations of the appellation — pruning severely, de-budding, de-leafing, thinning clusters, and keeping low yields — and each harvest is done manually over several tries (he has the labor receipts to prove it).

Others have written more eloquently about Dagueneau. The following passage was translated from Vallee de la Loire – Grandeur Nature by James Turnball.

A young rebel with convictions. Dagueneau owes his success to the strength of his convictions. A local winemaker’s son, he set out on his own in 1982. He began using oak barrels for his vinifications a couple years later and wines of great quality were not far behind. Certain traditionalists, however, said that his wines were not “real” Pouilly Fume.

Dagueneau’s non-conformity has helped him more than hurt him: his long tousled hair, his bushy beard, his intense gaze, not to mention his passion for sled dogs have all earned him the nickname “the madman of Saint-Andelain” and made him very popular with the press.

What does Dagueneau have that the other don’t? He is extremely meticulous and possesses a special intuition where winemaking is concerned. His goals are always authenticity and perfection. To obtain grapes of the highest quality, his vineyard workers spend at least three months carefully de-budding even after a severe pruning earlier in the year. And when the grapes are perfectly ripe, the harvest is done by hand, so that only grapes of impeccable condition are picked, the others are either thrown out or left on the vine to be picked later.

His new winemaking facilities, specifically adapted to Dagueneau’s techniques, use gravity for moving liquids and allow him to apply his ideas without the slightest compromise. After fermentation, the wines are aged in a beautiful cellar containing big barrels and “cigares” (small, long oval barrels which he designed and are made especially for him). The cellar is kept quite cool to limit interaction between the wine and the oak, thus avoiding an overly oaky aroma in the wine.

Dagueneau makes four different dry white wines, all Pouilly Fumés. His basic wine is the En Chailloux, a blend from several vineyards. Next step up is the Buisson Menard, more flinty in style, but still round, and more ageworthy. The remaining two wines are both superstars from single vineyards, and are barrel fermented. Both come from slate soils with one being called Silex, and the other known as Pur Sang.

Pur Sang means “Thoroughbred” in English. The flavors tend to fall somewhere in between the En Chailloux (which accounts for half his production and is his softest, friendliest wine) and Cuvée Silex (his most structured cuvée). The Pur Sang is said to be a more hedonistic Sauvignon (often on par with the Silex), but less mineral driven.

That being said the minerality comes through loud and clear on the nose as well as lemon, citrus, white flowers and some fresh hay. On the palate, very structured, rich and creamy with pronounced mineral components, chalky and loads of lemon zest with a hint of tangerine and nectarine. Great acidity with a very clean, pure and an extremely long finish.

The acidity and strong mineral components make this a great pairing for mussels, raw clams or oysters as well as other seafood dishes. Also, seems as though this wine might benefit from 2-3 years of cellaring….

They say that in the United States, scores sell wine. In Europe, a good story sells wine. Dagueneau is a great story — and his wines are also scored well and often included in TWS Top 100 Wines in any given vintage.

View releated post Didier Dagueneau Blanc Fumé de Pouilly, 2006.

This wine may not be a great value (ok, it isn’t a good value) or very easy to find, but it is worth seeking out — and it might be a good time to do so given that 2006 was such a good year in Loire. Not to mention that his lore will only continue to increase and the dollar shows no signs of getting up off its knees.

A stunning wine. Imported by Polaner Selections.

Didier Dagueneau was tragically killed on September 17, 2008 when the ultralight plane he was piloting experienced problems during take off and crashed. He was only 52 years young. He had accomplished so much and his wines established a benchmark for sauvignon blanc, yet it seemed as though he was just getting started. He will be missed.

Sauvignon Blanc

Varietal Character

France

Vins de France (Office National Interprofessionnel des Vins ) | Pages Vins, Directory of French Winegrowers | French Wine (Wikipedia)

Wine Scholar Guild vintage ratings

2018 vintage: "marked by a wet spring, a superb summer and a good harvest"
2019 vintage reports
2021: "From a general standpoint, whether for white, rosé or red wines, 2021 is a year marked by quality in the Rhône Valley Vineyards. Structured, elegant, fresh and fruity will be the main keywords for this new vintage."
2022 harvest: idealwine.info | wine-searcher.com

Loire Valley

Vins du Val de Loire (Interprofession des Vins du Val de Loire)

Jancis Robinson vintage reports
Wine Spectator vintage reports
Wine Scholar Guild vintage reports

2016 vintage:
"Quality and concentration is good, with Chenin Blanc being particularly noteworthy in 2016 while Sancerre is thought to be the best of the Sauvignon Blanc appellations. Cabernet Franc is 'delicious, ripe and fruity' according to Loire courtier Chris Hardy." - Jancis Roninson

2017 vintage reports:
Jancis Robinson
Vinfolio

"2018 wines will not be typical of the Loire rather they will have the characteristics of wines from much further south" - Philippe Gilbert

2019 vintage:
Academie du Vin report
"the warm 2019 vintage is characterised by a surprising freshness" - Jim Budd

Vineyards on weinagen-info

Pouilly-Fumé

Single vinyards on weinlagfen-info

 
© 2003-24 CellarTracker! LLC. All rights reserved. "CellarTracker!" is a trademark of CellarTracker! LLC. No part of this website may be used, reproduced or distributed without the prior written permission of CellarTracker! LLC. (Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.) - Follow us on Twitter and on Facebook