We are extremely pleased to offer the new and outstanding vintage from Domaine Didier Dagueneau.
If there were ever any doubts that Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau, son of the late Didier, could carry on his father’s brilliant legacy, these were well and truly quashed by the continued, superb quality of the 2008 and 2009 vintages. Louis-Benjamin’s 2010s have only served to concrete that impression, with all accounts hailing these wines as every bit the equal of any previous great Dagueneau vintages.
After the hot 2009, the 2010 vintage in the Loire saw a return to normality with a cool start leading into a mild summer that seemed to peak at just the right time for harvest. In consequence, the vintage looks to be excellent and comparable to the legendary 2002s.
Although allocations are down this year, exchange rate fluctuations mean that we are able to keep the prices for these iconic wines either static or, in some cases, actually pass on a small reduction.
“We are very satisfied with 2010. We have not too high alcohol degrees and very nice acidities” - Charlotte Dagueneau
NB. This year will be the first that the wines are labelled as being from Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau.
2010 Blanc Fumé de Pouilly - £175.00 per case (6x75) in bond
“Fresh lime and lemon – along with the bite of their pips – render Dagueneau’s 2010 Blanc Fume de Pouilly (just before bottling) refreshing and invigorating. Cut, bell-like clarity, and shimmering interchange of citrus, herb, salt, and stone lead to a ringing persistence that reels you in for the next sip, an appeal that I don’t expect will fade for at least the next half dozen years”
91-92+ David Schildknecht (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)
1 Cases available.
2010 Pouilly Fumé Buisson Renard - £250.00 per case (6x75) in bond
“Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau’s 2010 Blanc Fume de Pouilly Buisson Renard displays prominently piquant nuttiness along with pronounced bite of citrus rind and pineapple core, all of which guarantee a stimulating experience from what he calls “the style of wine I adore” for its density, richness and amplitude. That said, I personally much prefer as well as find more remarkable the clarity and vivacity of the estate’s “regular” 2010 Pouilly. There is certainly impressive grip to the peat- and stone-tinged finish of this Buisson Renard and I don’t doubt it will remain a formidable libation for at least the next half dozen years”
90-91 David Schildknecht (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)
0 Cases available.
2010 Pouilly Fumé Pur Sang - £230.00 per case (6x75) in bond
“Musky, faintly fusil, smoky, and pungent citrus oil aromas introduce the Dagueneau 2010 Blanc Fume de Pouilly Pur Sang, all of which have their piquant tactile and flavor counterparts on a dense but bright palate. Maritime saline and alkaline notes stimulate the salivary glands; nut oils add deep richness to a juicy matrix of grapefruit and lemon; while chalk, stone, and smoky black tea serve inform a dynamic interplay that lingers long and deliciously. This is one of those Dagueneau wines that display a hint of spice and sweetness borne of oak, but this is well-integrated into the superbly complex whole that is this outstanding (immediately pre-bottling) performance. I would expect to derive excitement for at least the next decade”
92-93 David Schildknecht (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)
0 Cases available.
2010 Pouilly Fumé Silex - £310.00 per case (6x75) in bond
“A pungent suggestion of diverse hedge flowers and high-toned herbs rises from the glass of Dagueneau 2010 Blanc Fume de Pouilly Silex; then migrates to a palate dominated by succulent grapefruit, white peach, and cassis. Breadth, opulence, sheer extract, a silken texture, and high glycerin, all seem to enhance this Sauvignon’s sense of sweet ripeness, though citrus zest and berry skin lend satisfying counterpoint. There is resonance and depth to the finish here, and if for now not quite the dazzling complexity of the corresponding Sancerre Monts Damnes, then certainly a compelling performance that promises to be worth revisiting over the next dozen or more years.”
93-94 David Schildknecht (Robert Parker’s Wine Advocate)
5 Cases available.
As well as the world beating Pouilly Fumés, Domaine Didier Dagueneau have a sister estate in Jurançon; this slightly less famous (but no less superb) estate produce truly world-beating sweet wines from this classic region.
2009 Jurançon Les Jardins de Babylone - £345.00 per case (6x50cl) in bond
Having always been interested in producing sweet wines, in 2002, Didier Dagueneau sought out an area that in his opinion, was not fully realising its potential. In Babylone, at the foot of the Pyrenees south of Pau, he found a few hectares located in a natural amphitheatre. Dagueneau's approach there is to produce wines that bring out the natural minerality of the soil and have, above all else, balance, harmony, and longevity.
3 Cases available.
These wines are offered En Primeur and are due to be shipped early in 2013. As ever these wines are in extremely short supply so please either contact us HERE.
