Country: France > Loire Valley

Domaine Didier Dagueneau

Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau has masterfully led this exceptional estate dedicated to Sauvignon Blanc since the death of his father in September 2008. The use of yeasts selected in their vineyard, tight settling and long aging on lees without racking remain the basis of an absolute quest for the crystalline expression of Sauvignon, enhanced by precise aging in wood, in barrels with a volume greater than barrels, cigars (320 l) or tons (600 l). Seven vintages make up the range: Blanc Etc…, a blend of four plots; Pur Sang, blend from the Folie sector; Buisson Renard, a plot of Saint-Andelain, more compact; Flint, which exposes the crystalline purity of flint clays; without forgetting the extremely rare Clos du Calvaire (20 ares planted at 14,000 vines per hectare, uprooted in 2009 and replanted in another direction at 10,000 vines per hectare), and Asteroide, from a vineyard that is always harvested. Very ripe. Chavignol Sancerre comes from the heart of the grand cru of the Côte des Monts Damnés. Disgusted that one of his 2017s, although superb, was rejected at the approval tastings of the Pouilly-Fumé appellation, Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau decided to reclassify his production under the name Vin de France. Remember that fans of pure homemade sauvignons should discover the precious jurançons that the family produces at the Jardins de Babylone (see the South-West section).
The wines: because of a terrible frost ravaging different areas of his vineyard, Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau decided to combine his harvest into a single vintage called XXI. After a solar vintage with exotic notes of 2020, in great shape today, 2021 returns to a fresher balance, noble vegetal notes which have become rare in recent years. However, this XXI draws extremely tasty fat, well nourished by aging in wood (barrels, demi-muids) carried out with great care. A delicate grain of texture, carried by beautiful bitters. Patience. As usual, this Sauvignon will be very content when young. It will take five to six years to relax and loosen up. No doubt, it will evolve serenely for more than fifteen years.