Silex is flint and clay, and Dagueneau farms it biodynamically with twice the labor of a conventional estate to bring in about 75% of the neighbors' yields. That math tells you everything about the priorities here. Lower clay means this is the austere one in youth, tighter and less immediately generous than Pur Sang, which is why the scores sometimes undersell it. This is the domaine's Grand Cru, if you will, and 2019 is only starting to say what it has to say.
Tasting Notes
This is Dagueneau's Grand Cru, if you will. Because of the lower clay content in the soil, this wine tends to be more austere in its youth than the Pur Sang , which explains why it often receives lower scores wine journals that rate how a wine is currently drinking. Do not be fooled! Those familiar with older vintages of Silex will attest to the fact that if given the time in bottle, it will always rise above the rest.
About the Producer
Thanks to our friend Michael Sullivan of Beaune Imports for providing much of the below information… In 2002, Didier Dagueneau embarked on a journey to produce sweet wine. His previous attempts in Pouilly-Sur-Loire, although impressive, had been rare and in the end somewhat disappointing as there is no appellations status for such wines in his home region. He sought out an area that he believed was not living up to its potential, and landed in Jurançon at the foot of the Pyrenees south of Pau.
