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Now Viewing: Dagueneau Didier
Didier Dagueneau, widely known as the best producer in Pouilly-Fumé, makes wine in the tiny town of Saint-Andelain. He cultivates approximately 11.5 hectares there. He literally is on a crusade to redeem the reputation of authentic Pouilly-Fumé. He openly criticizes neighbors who overproduce. He takes the media on tours of his meticulous vineyards. Dagueneau, ever the perfectionist, attends to every detail, from vineyard management (biodynamic since 1993) to the cellar, which looks like a cathedral. Dagueneau goes way beyond the regulations of the appellation, pruing severely, de-budding, de-leafing, thinning clusters, and keeping low yields. According to Jacqueline Friedrich's "A Wine and Food Guide to the Loire," Dagueneau claims his winemaking is not systematic. Broadly, grapes may or may not undergo skin contact. If the harvest is ripe and healthy, grapes are not destemmed. Several varieties of yeast are added. Fermentation occurs in small, thermoregulated stainless steel tanks or in oak barrels (some designed to his specifications). After an initial racking the wines stay on their fine lees until bottling. He is opposed to malolactic fermentation for Sauvignon Blanc no matter how acid the vintage.
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