2010 Didier Dagueneau Buisson Renard Pouilly-Fumé

When you read about wine as much as I do, there are a bunch of winemakers/producers that you file away as important in their field. Mavericks, game-changers, the people that define styles, that create cult followings, that demand high prices for very small production wines. You do this without ever having the expectation that you’ll actually get to taste their wine.

For me, Didier Dagueneau was one of those winemakers. Growing Sauvignon Blanc in the Loire region of France, he set out to make the greatest Sauvignon Blanc in the world. Production was small, the wines developed a cult following, and prices rose. Tragically, he died in a plane crash in 2008, a visionary and only 52 years old. His son took over the business and the wines have continued, maintaining the cult status and tight allocations. I read the stories, filed them away and continued my studies.

Imagine my surprise then, when I get a text from a very special friend that she managed to find a bottle. I was beyond excited and so grateful that she wanted to share it with our small group. I was going to get to drink a wine that for years I had believed I would only read about.

This 2010 Didier Dageneau Sauvignon Blanc is from the single vineyard Buisson Renard in Pokily-Fumé. Funny story, the vineyard was originally named Buisson Menard, but Dagueneau renamed it Renard (fox in French) to get back at a wine critic who had mistakenly called it that while criticizing Dagueneau. Anyway, just 7000 bottles of this wine were made by Didier Dagueneau’s son, Louis-Benjamin. That’s less than 600 cases of this 100% Sauvignon Blanc.

Pardon me as I get a bit geeky here, but I can’t help myself. The wine itself was a mind-bend, somehow managing to be funky and intense, both razor-like and vibrant. Loads of minerals on the nose as well as fleshy, ample fruit. Citrus rind and pineapple under a taught line of nuttiness. Pear, citrus, melon and herbs all come through, yet without some the aromas I usually find prevalent in Sauvignon Blanc. The wine is a awash in contrast, tart yet ripe, rich in texture yet lean in finish. Clean yet funky. Incredibly complex, the wine is fermented in new oak barrels, which adds body and richness, yet they do not allow malolactic fermentation, so you get none of the buttery softness you’d expect from oak.

I kept going back to my glass, giddy every time I sniffed. I treasured the wine as well as the friend who shared her treasure. But that seems to be the thing about great wine. Those who love it don’t want to taste in seclusion. They want to share the experience with others who love it as well. And that makes the experience all the more memorable.