As far as I can tell from the Beaune Imports website, the lineup below was Dagueneau’s complete release of '07s. These were all good wines, but not the best Dagueneaus I’ve tasted, which was a bit disappointing after hearing, following DD’s untimely death, that he had thought '07 was shaping up as his best vintage ever. And at their current prices, I will not be buying these. Made me wish I’d bought a few more of the '06 Silex, however, which I thought was DD’s best ever.
Pictured, Les Monts Damnés '07 Releases
2007 Didier Dagueneau Blanc Fumé de Pouilly- France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé
Focused, dry-Riesling-like, minerally, tart stone fruit, tart pineapple nose; tart stone fruit, mineral, tart lime and citrus palate; medium finish (92 pts.)
2007 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Buisson Renard- France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé
Light yellow color; big, dry pineapple, herbal, lemon grass nose; tight, solid, minerally, tart stone fruit, lime and lemon grass palate; medium finish 91+ pts. (92 pts.)
2007 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Pur Sang- France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé
Light canary yellow color; intriguing, high-toned, tart stone fruit, mineral, citrus and fresh lime nose; tasty, young yet, tart grapefruit, with cut and minerality; medium-plus finish 93+ pts. (93 pts.)
2007 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Silex- France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé
Light canary yellow color; refined ripe and tart grapefruit and citrus nose; tart grapefruit, citrus, lime palate with definition and medium-plus acidity; medium finish 92+ pts. (92 pts.)
2006 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé “Blanc Fumé de Pouilly” Clos du Calvaire- France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Pouilly-Fumé
Light yellow color; big, lemon chiffon, mineral and orange blossom nose; tasty, tart lemon, tart orange, mineral palate with cut and a touch of orange honey; medium-plus finish 92+ pts. (hard to put a finger on–keeps changing in the glass) (92 pts.)
2007 Didier Dagueneau Sancerre Les Monts Damnés- France, Loire Valley, Upper Loire, Sancerre
Light medium canary yellow color; nice, tart lemon nose; high acidity, tart lemon, grapefruit palate, steely; medium-plus finish 91+ pts. (lovely package, but rather disappointing at this price) (91 pts.)
Steve,
I enjoyed a few bottles of the '06 Silex last year. I think they’re drinking well now, and should be good for at least 2 or 3 years. Silex no doubt has the longest aging potential of Dagueneau’s wines, but on the whole, I have found his wines to be made for drinking in their first 2 to 3 years of life, going downhill sharply after that.
Thanks for the notes, Richard. I had hoped to pick up some '07 Buisson Renard, but it’s just shy of $100 here in Portland and your impressions pushed me firmly into the “no” camp. On the other hand, the Les Monts Damnés sounds wonderful, but I haven’t seen it here at all. Do you recall the price?
Lyle and Melissa,
The Sancerre, Monts Damnee, is a rarity, and where I tasted it, they weren’t offering it for sale, so I don’t have a price on it, and don’t see any on Winesearcher either. (In fact, they weren’t supposed to open the bottle at the tasting I went to, but did by mistake, and I was told I had the last pour.)
Lyle,
I don’t know what’s up with the '07 Jurancon. Beaune Imports doesn’t show any Jurancon for '07, but I see mention of one at a Castagna Restaurant wine dinner in Oregon this year, and other indications that they’ve made one every year since '04, including '08. The last one I had was the '04.
I have never had the Les Monts Damnes or the Jurancon but am dying to try both but both are really expensive in relative price to the rest of the wines in the respective appellations he is working in. How is the Jurancon? The sweet one is l’Asteroide and is there a dry one too?