Structure

Bodyfull
Tanninlow
Acidityhigh
Sweetnessdry
Finishlong
Oakbarrel aged

Drinking window

Latest scored vintage 2020: best 2025 to 2045.
vintage5 yrs25 yrs27 yrs

Critic scores

CriticVintageScore
Bettane+Desseauve reviewed 2022202097/100

Scores as published by each critic for the vintage shown.

In the glass

Full-bodiedLow tanninHigh acidityDryLong finish

Aroma: smoky flint, lemon, honeysuckle, white peach

Palate: citrus zest, saline mineral, stone fruit, intense pierre à fusil

Pouilly-Fumé from Saint-Andelain flint terroir. Didier Dagueneau's flagship cuvée since 1990; pure pierre à fusil signature on a powerful, age-worthy frame.

What it pairs with

  • Lobster with brown butter
    Full body and pierre à fusil signature handle rich shellfish; smoke meets browned butter.
  • Smoked sturgeon and caviar
    Smoke-on-smoke between flint and fish; the wine's salinity echoes caviar minerality.
  • Truffled scrambled eggs
    Stone fruit and smoke meet earthy black truffle; lees creaminess matches soft scramble.
  • Aged Comté with walnut
    Hazelnut crystallisation in the cheese partners the wine's preserved-lemon depth and smoke.

History

Didier Dagueneau released Silex in 1985 from flint terroir. The cuvée established Pouilly-Fumé as a serious, age-worthy white wine. Following Didier's death in a 2008 ultralight crash, son Louis-Benjamin has continued the project.

  1. 1985: First vintage of Silex from flint-rich parcels in Pouilly-sur-Loire
  2. 2008: Didier Dagueneau dies in an ultralight crash; son Louis-Benjamin assumes leadership

Facts

Producer
Domaine Didier Dagueneau · visiting guide
Grapes
Sauvignon Blanc (100%)
Classification
Pouilly-Fumé AOC
Oak
Fermented and aged for around 18 to 22 months in oak (cigar-shaped barrels and demi-muids), then a further 5 to 7 months in tank
ABV
13.5%
Price
EUR 200 to 400 at retail
Drinking window
5-25 from vintage
First vintage
1985
Biodynamic
Biodynamic Practicing
Organic
ECOCERT
Vegan
Yes (no animal-derived fining)

Frequently asked about Pouilly-Fumé Silex

What does Dagueneau Silex taste like?

Smoky flint, lemon, honeysuckle and white peach on the nose; citrus zest, saline mineral, stone fruit and intense pierre à fusil on the palate. Full-bodied with high acidity and a long, smoky finish.

When should I drink Dagueneau Silex?

Drink between 5 and 25 years from vintage. The cigar-barrel and demi-muid ageing build long cellaring capacity for a Pouilly-Fumé; mature bottles develop honey and dried fruit.

Where is Silex grown?

From flint-rich parcels in Pouilly-sur-Loire, biodynamically farmed. The cuvée is named after the silex (flint) soil that gives the wine its smoky character.

Is Dagueneau Silex vegan?

Yes. The estate is biodynamic and uses no animal-derived fining agents.

Tags

biodynamic cellar worthy cult wine dry full body high acid iconic mood contemplative mood elegant mood savoury occasion celebration occasion cellar occasion special old world organic pairs with aged cheese pairs with shellfish pairs with truffles pairs with white fish price luxury sauvignon blanc single vineyard still white vegan

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