Didier Dagueneau
Blanc Etc... Sauvignon Blanc
Served double-blind. The wine pours a straw color with no rim variation; medium viscosity with no signs of particles or gas. On the nose, the wine is of medium intensity with lemon meringue, pineapple, limestone-like minerals and a touch of burnt microwave popcorn. On the palate, the wine is dry; medium(?) acid and medium(+?) alcohol. There is a very peculiar textural element that I’m trying to get my head around. I think this wine may have seen some oak but the barrels would have to have been used. The finish was long and had a saline quality to it. What the hell is this? I could see this being Chardonnay from a new world producer doing some funny stuff or possibly a Marsanne from the Northern Rhone? I will say that there is a hint of a green herbal/vegetal thing on the finish that is making me consider Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner but I don’t detect the acid being high enough for SB and there is no way this is Gruner. I’m sort of stumped here…so I went with Marsanne from France, Northern Rhone, Hermitage Blanc with 3-5 years of age and I wasn’t comfortable with it…but whatever. I know that I liked this wine, whatever it was! Dang…this was Sauvignon Blanc and Didier Dagueneau Pouilley-Fumé to boot!! I should have trusted my identification of the vegetal note and considered Sauvignon Blanc a little longer than I did. The textural element is coming from contact with lees and threw off my perception of the acid. I’ll have to get better at understanding that. This wine is Benjamin Dagueneau’s VdF made with younger vines from the St. Andelain hill in Pouilly-Fumé. Drink now or over the next handful of years, easy.
Served double-blind. The wine pours a straw color with no rim variation; medium viscosity with no signs of particles or gas. On the nose, the wine is of medium intensity with lemon meringue, pineapple, limestone-like minerals and a touch of burnt microwave popcorn. On the palate, the wine is dry; medium(?) acid and medium(+?) alcohol. There is a very peculiar textural element that I’m trying to get my head around. I think this wine may have seen some oak but the barrels would have to have been used. The finish was long and had a saline quality to it. What the hell is this? I could see this being Chardonnay from a new world producer doing some funny stuff or possibly a Marsanne from the Northern Rhone? I will say that there is a hint of a green herbal/vegetal thing on the finish that is making me consider Sauvignon Blanc or Gruner Veltliner but I don’t detect the acid being high enough for SB and there is no way this is Gruner. I’m sort of stumped here…so I went with Marsanne from France, Northern Rhone, Hermitage Blanc with 3-5 years of age and I wasn’t comfortable with it…but whatever. I know that I liked this wine, whatever it was! Dang…this was Sauvignon Blanc and Didier Dagueneau Pouilley-Fumé to boot!! I should have trusted my identification of the vegetal note and considered Sauvignon Blanc a little longer than I did. The textural element is coming from contact with lees and threw off my perception of the acid. I’ll have to get better at understanding that. This wine is Benjamin Dagueneau’s VdF made with younger vines from the St. Andelain hill in Pouilly-Fumé. Drink now or over the next handful of years, easy.
Apr 18th, 2023