Silex Pouilly Fume 2020 Didier Dagueneau

Name: Silex Pouilly Fume 2020 Didier Dagueneau
Brand: Didier Dagueneau
Price: 192.39 EUR
Availability: OutOfStock
Rating: 4.4 (2 reviews)

4.4 stars - 2 professional reviews

€ 159,00 (ex Vat)
€ 192,39 (in Vat)

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Classification	Cru Classe
Type	White
Producer	Didier Dagueneau
Vintage	2020
Country	France
Region	Loire
Grape	Sauvignon Blanc
Alcohol %	13.5%
Volume	0,75
Condition	Perfect
Label	Perfect
Stock	0
Volume	1,5
Condition	Perfect
Label	Perfect
Stock	0

The 2020 growing season in the Loire was warm, dry and early. Harvest was earlier than usual, and plots with the flint (Silex) on top of the Saint-Andelain hill maintained acidity where other plots would have lost it. For Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau, the Silex 2020 was a concentrated but not heavy wine. While it expects more fruit weight than the cooler 2017, the Silex character, smokiness, salinity and tension, is still present.

Professional reviews

Jancis Robinson 18

Vinous 94

Read all reviews ›

Other vintages

Silex Pouilly Fume 2019 € 180,29 (in Vat) € 149,00(ex Vat) more info

Silex Pouilly Fume 2017 € 192,39 (in Vat) € 159,00(ex Vat) more info

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Tasting Note Silex Pouilly Fume 2020

First of all, the flint. This smoky, almost reductive note is characteristic of Silex, and it is pronounced in the 2020 wine. It hides ripe lemons, white peaches and a salty note that holds back the fruitiness of the warm vintage. The palate is dense but not heavy, with texture due to aging in large oak barrels, and the acidity persists through the mid-palate. Long salty finish; enjoy at around 10-12°C.

Grape Varieties

Silex is 100% Sauvignon Blanc. This is not unusual in Pouilly-Fumé, as the appellation's rules require the use of Sauvignon Blanc. What matters is where the vines grow. The vines are 60-90 years old and are planted on silex (flint mixed with clay) on top of Saint-Andelain. The soil is of great importance. The flint gives the Silex its smoky character. No other grape variety will pair so well with it.

Cellaring Potential

You could open a bottle today, but we prefer to refrain. Silex 2020 is designed for aging; it can be drunk from 2026 to 2040, but 2028 would be most optimal. Acid and flint structure provide the backbone of this wine, which should be stored horizontally at 12-14°C. The smoky notes deepen and the fruit becomes waxy and honeyed.

About Didier Dagueneau

Twelve hectares in Pouilly-Fumé. Didier Dagueneau built the estate from scratch in 1982, starting with 1.2 hectares in En-Chaille, and he was among the first in the region to ferment and age Sauvignon Blanc in oak, using it for texture rather than aroma. Yields sit at 50 to 75 per cent of what neighbours pick. Soils are still sometimes ploughed by horse, and harvesting is done by hand in several passes. Since his death in 2008, son Louis-Benjamin and daughter Charlotte have run things, and in 2018 they dropped the appellation and labelled the wines Vin de France. Plot by plot: Silex, Pur Sang, Buisson Renard, Astéroïde. But the Jurançon sweet wine Les Jardins de Babylone is the exception, made from Petit Manseng.

Terroir & Climate

The name Silex derives from the soil found at the summit of Saint-Andelain Hill, located in Pouilly-Fumé. This soil consists of silica mixed with clay. Because flint soil drains quickly, the vines are never waterlogged, and ploughing, sometimes done with a horse, allows the roots to grow deep. The vines here are between 60 and 90 years old. The smoky aroma and the sharp edge in the wine, reminiscent of striking a match, stem not from any winemaking technique, but directly from this unique combination of factors.

Winemaking

Oak barrels were an element that had virtually no tradition in this region. Dagueneau borrowed the idea from Burgundy, but uses oak barrels not to impart aroma, but rather to enhance texture and promote contact with the lees. They use 320-liter cigar-shaped casks and 600-liter foudres (large oak barrels). Silex is aged with its lees for about 12 months without racking, then aged for several more months in tanks before bottling. Only indigenous yeasts are used, and no sugar is added nor acidity adjusted. Harvesting is done by hand in several passes, selecting only fully ripe fruit.

Food Pairing

Serve with charcoal-grilled sea bass or dorade, garnished with lemon. It also pairs exceptionally well with octopus, as the wine's saltiness harmonizes beautifully with that of the dish. Crottin de Chavignol (a local goat cheese) is a classic pairing and remains one of the best combinations. If you're looking for something simpler, grilled shrimp is highly recommended.

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Silex Pouilly Fume 2020 Didier Dagueneau

Silex Pouilly Fume 2020 <span>(Magnum)</span> <a href='/wine/french-wine/loire-wine/'>Didier Dagueneau</a>

Professional reviews

Jancis Robinson (18)

Vinous (94)

ex Vat	€ 349,00
in Vat	€ 422,29
Volume	Magnum

Silex Pouilly Fume 2020 Didier Dagueneau

Silex Pouilly Fume 2020 <span>(Magnum)</span> <a href='/wine/french-wine/loire-wine/'>Didier Dagueneau</a>

Professional reviews

Jancis Robinson (18)

Vinous (94)

Other vintages

Tasting Note Silex Pouilly Fume 2020

Grape Varieties

Cellaring Potential

About Didier Dagueneau

Terroir & Climate

Winemaking

Food Pairing

Wine producers

Worldwide delivery

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