Serge Dagueneau & Filles Loire Valley, France.
This branch of the Dagueneau family headed by father Serge is based in Saint Andelain and owns 19 hectares of old vineyards across several of the prime sites of the appellation as well as 3 hectares in the nearby appellation of Cotes de la Charite. Today the estate is run by Serge's daughter Valerie, cousin of the late Didier Dagueneau, and Serge still helps in the vineyard.
While the calcareous soil in the vineyards give the wines ample structure and the ability to age gracefully, the vineyards of Pouilly Fumé typically have more clay and depth than the poorer more chalky soils of neighbouring Sancerre. This is particularly so in the prime area of Saint Andelain where most of the family's vineyard holdings are located.
Here the wines still show clear and intense varietal Sauvignon Blanc character and the rich clay and silex soil adds texture and generosity to the palate. Whilst this does give the wines immediate appeal, with 5 to 10 years bottle age they begin to take on more weight and richness making the wines reminiscent of aged white Burgundy.
2024 Pouilly Fume
100% Sauvignon Blanc. This is the main cuvée at this estate, coming from a number of different parcels in the village of Saint Andelain close to the Loire, all planted on Kimmeridgian marl, the Terres Blanches soil that makes these wines so distinctive. Vinified in stainless steel and aged on fine lees until bottling.
Review for 2022 as 2024 not yet reviewed.
As I have mentioned before, the Pouilly-Fumé "les Pentes” from Valerie Dagueneau is made from fifty-five year-old vines and is always hand-harvested. The 2022 version is lovely, coming in at a svelte 12.5 percent octane and offering up a refined aromatic panoply of green apple, gooseberry, fresh-cut grass, flinty minerality and a topnote of lime blossoms. On the palate the wine is bright, full-bodied and zesty, with a good core of fruit, lovely soil undertow, a good spine of acidity and fine focus and balance on the long and complex finish. A very refined example of Pouilly-Fumé. 2023-2030. 91. John Gilman - View from the Cellar, September 2023
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