2019 Domaine Didier Dagueneau Silex

Pouilly Fumé and Sancerre are the global benchmarks for Sauvignon Blanc, and there is no bigger name or more highly regarded producer in the area than Domaine Didier Dagueneau. Now under the guidance of Didier's talented son Louis-Benjamin, the wines still follow his ethos that authentic Pouilly Fumé requires healthy fruit from low yielding, old vines to produce the purest, most intense and vibrantly fresh wine. That's not to say these wines are typical of the appellation. Given the severly low yields and approach to élevage, Dagueneau wines emphasise a creamy texture rather than bracing acidity, and combine mineral flavours with exotic fruits to supreme effect.

In many ways the ultimate Dagueneau wine, Silex is super-mineral, pure and crystalline, and is typically driven, intense and very long-lived. Silex means flint and this wine is produced only from the flint-rich soils on the north-facing slopes of the hill of Saint-Andelain. The vines here mostly range between 35 and 65 years old, and yields are kept lower than most other vineyards. Silex is fermented and aged in the famed Dagueneau cigar-shaped barrels as well as other casks.

Other Reviews....
The 2019 Pouilly Fumé Silex shows an initial tenderness, sitting quietly and not shouting that it's made it into your glass. This is a wine that has its act together, feeling integrated and balanced with plentiful concentration and a savory long finish. A delicate dill note, which is a characteristic of oaked Sauvignon peeks out amid the hush. Drink 2022-2034.
93 points
Rebecca Gibb MW - Vinous