DOMAINE DIDIER DAGUENEAU
Saint-Andelain
Domaine Didier Dagueneau is based in the small village of Saint-Andelain in the heart of the Pouilly-Fumé appellation and is the source of some of the most singular wines of the world.
A true rebel, Didier Dagueneau decided to establish his own Domaine rather than join the family estate. He acquired his first parcel and began to vinify in 1982. Inspired by the work of Edmond Vatan in Sancerre and Henri Jayer in Burgundy, Dagueuneau was one of the first growers in Loire to experiment with single-parcel wines, starting with En Chailloux in 1982 and later with the cuvée Pur Sang in 1988.
On a mission to resurrect Pouilly-Fumé’s reputation for Sauvignon Blanc of the highest quality, Dagueneau became the “enfant terrible” of Pouilly-Fumé and heavily and publicly criticizing the practices of his winemaking neighbors, at a time when the region was associated with overcropping and accusations of vintage blending.
After establishing his wines at the very top of the Pouilly-Fumé appellation, Didier Dagueneau further grew the estate by acquiring vines in the thought after vineyard of Monts Damnés in Sancerre in 2000, and in Jurançon in 2002.
Didier tragically died in 2008 in a plane crash. Louis-Benjamin, who had been working alongside his father in the vineyards and cellar had to step in and take over the management of the Domaine with his sister Charlotte. After seeing the remarkable results of the 2008 and 2009 vintages, it was clear that the winery was in good hands. Over the years, Louis-Benjamin has further solidified the Domaine's place in the higher echelon of the wine world.
In the Vineyard
Like any great winegrower, Didier knew that the path to excellence began with careful and meticulous work in the vineyards.
The vineyards are farmed using biodynamic methods and yields are kept extremely low. On average, one worker per hectare is employed to care for the vines throughout the year. The soils are tilled, sometimes using horses, to encourage roots to grow deep in their underlying terroirs. When vines need to be replanted, there is extreme care to select only low-vigor rootstock and the best massal selection cuttings to graft.
When the time is right, the harvest is carried manually throughout the vineyards.
In the Cellar
Since the beginning, it was Dagueneau’s preference to age his wine in barrels. A mix of sizes, shapes, and percentage of new and used barrels is used depending on vineyard and vintage. The current practice is to hold the wines in oak for their first year, and then to transfer them into tanks and hold them “en masse” for 5 to 7 months before bottling.
Didier Dagueneau never rested on his laurels, following his footsteps, Louis-Benjamin keeps experimenting with his techniques with the goal of raising the bar on quality.
While the wines can be drunk young, like all great bottles, they benefit from extended aging in the cellar.
Pouilly-Fumé
Silex
Silex means flint, and this soil type is mostly found around Saint-Andelain, where the Dagueneaus are based. The cuvée comes from a single parcel of vines located on the top of Saint-Andelain hill. Vines here are between 60 and 90 years old.
About 8,000 bottles are produced every year.
Pouilly-Fumé
Buisson Renard
Buisson Renard is made exclusively of Sauvignon Blanc from a clay-rich parcel at the lower end of Saint-Andelain. It is often the richest of the range.
Sancerre
Le Mont Damné
This is the only parcel Didier bought on the other side of the river in Sancerre, and he chose the appellation’s greatest site.
Jurançon Moelleux
Les Jardins de Babylone
Les Jardins de Babylone is a special collaborative project undertaken by Louis-Benjamin and Guy Pautrat, who farms a 7.4-hectare vineyard at the foot of the Pyrénées in Jurançon. This particular vineyard forms the shape of a natural amphitheater. This Moelleux, sweet wine, is made exclusively of Petit Manseng.
Vin de France
Pur Sang
This cuvée is produced from a vineyard north of Saint-Andelain called "La Folie". The soil here is deep clay with some limestone. The vineyard is gently sloped and has perfect south/southeast exposure.
Vin de France
Blanc Fumé de Pouilly
The Blanc Fumé de Pouilly is the only cuvée produced by the Domaine which is a blend of different parcels from vines between 10-25 years old.
