In the glass
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.
- 1985 — First vintage of Silex from flint-rich parcels in Pouilly-sur-Loire
- 2008 — Didier Dagueneau dies in an ultralight crash; son Louis-Benjamin assumes leadership
Facts
- Producer
- Domaine Didier Dagueneau
- 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)
Scores
- Bettane+Desseauve 97 (2020 vintage, reviewed 2022)
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 remarkable 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.