| Classification | Cru Classe |
| Type | White |
| Producer | Didier Dagueneau |
| Vintage | 2022 |
| Country | France |
| Region | Loire |
| Appellation | Pouilly-Fume |
| Grape | Sauvignon Blanc |
| Volume | 0,75 |
| Condition | Perfect |
| Label | Perfect |
| Stock | 0 |
The 2022 growing season in the Loire brought what Sauvignon Blanc needed: long aging time and concentrated fruit. After a dry summer, Dagueneau harvested in late September, allowing the old vines in the Silex vineyards to show their characteristic minerality. This vintage shows the classic smoky flint character that made Dagueneau famous, but with the citrus precision that characterizes the 2022. It's a distinctive flinty nuance that can only come from those limestone-silica soils in Saint-Andelain.
Initially, there are hints of crushed flint and wet stone, followed by notes of grapefruit peel, white peach, and a faint smoky nuance. Aging on the lees has added a creamy richness to the palate that is rarely found in Sauvignon Blanc wines, yet the acidity maintains the wine's overall structure. The 2022 growing season is reflected not so much in softness as in the ripeness of the fruit. The long-lasting finish, with its subtle hints of saltiness and bitterness, stands out in a positive way. You can open a bottle to enjoy with a meal right away, or let it age for a decade or more.
The pure essence of Sauvignon Blanc. In Silex, the grape aromas evolve from grassy nuances to siliceous and citrus notes; precisely for this reason, Silex feels more like a mineral-driven white wine than a typical Loire Sauvignon.
Drink or hold. The acidity and the texture of the lees underpin its ability to age. Serve at 10-12°C, and for young bottles, let them rest in a decanter for about 30 minutes to remove any reductive notes.
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.
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.
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.
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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