Didier Dagueneau
Domaine Didier Dagueneau is located in the small village of Saint-Andelain, in the heart of Pouilly-Fumé, Loire. Didier bought some vineyards in the region in 1982 and brought his first wine on the market under the name En Chailloux three years later. Unfortunately, Didier's wonderful story as a winemaker ended in 2008, when he was involved in a plane crash. Since then, daughter and son Charlotte and Benjamin have followed in his footsteps. They turn out to be just as talented as their father!
The vineyard area covers just over twelve hectares. The ground is characterized as the perfect soil for Sauvignon Blanc. This soil consists of clay with flint, also called silex. This soil provides wines with a lot of freshness and minerality. The age of the vines is between 20 and 50 years. The yields per hectare are very low, varying from 10 to 38 hl/ha.
Various barrels are used during the vinification and maturation, from stainless steel to 620-liter oak barrels. The wooden barrels have a wall thickness of 50 mm, which allows just the right amount of air to pass through. The ratio between wood and stainless steel depends on the vintage. The most famous wines of Dageuneau are Silex, Bouisson-Renard, En Chailloux and Pur Sang. The Silex cuvée is only produced from the high-altitude plots, with the highest concentration of silex in the soil. The low yield, the unique soil and the craftsmanship of the Dagueneau family ensure wines of very high quality.
Didier's wines are among the most sought-after Sauvignon Blanc wines in the world for a good reason.
Didier Dageuneau's best vintages are: 1989, 1990, 2002, 2005, 2010, 2014 and 2016.