VARIETAL - SAUVIGNON BLANC
When I think of spring, I think of Eastern Loire's bright, fresh, and delicious wines. Nothing beats enjoying a crisp glass of Pouilly-Fumé on a nice day. Eastern Loire (Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé) inspired wine regions like New Zealand and Austria to start producing Sauvignon Blanc. However, they are in no way routine, herbal inflected wines like those of the regions noted above. They are racy, flinty, tangy, and smoky flavors. The major difference between Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé Sauvignon Blancs is that Sancerre wines are more floral and Pouilly-Fumé wines possess characteristic flinty aromas and are slightly rounder and creamier. This wine stays true to the root, "sauvge" meaning "untamed" and is a beautiful wine that is extremely food friendly.
Serge Dagueneau & Filles has been family owned for four generations. The family is related to famous vintner Didier Dagueneau, who has built a cult following worldwide for his Loire Sauvignon Blancs. "Filles" translates to daughter in French, and she took over the winery from her father in the 2000s. Her philosophy: a relentless search for quality.
Valérie has earned recognition for her work through the numerous awards she has won for her wines over the years as well as for her work in the vineyards which she particularly enjoys, achieving the ”High Environmental Value” certification (HEV) since 2019. For this wine she uses a parcel of 55 year old vines on Kimmeridgian soil (see nerdy note below) and it is entirely hand-harvested. She believes in harvesting late when the grapes are at their peak of maturity, giving, "Les Pentes" a distinctively ripe-tasting, rich, mineral quality and an edge on other wines produced in the area.
A Message from Valerie:
"How can I describe the many steps of winemaking? From the first vine stock planted to the bottle you hold in your hands: it’s my family’s story. The story of four generations of winemakers so in love with their land that they want to express its very essence, it’s the hard work and skill of the people by my side and our willingness to give the very best of ourselves every day of the year."
PRODUCER: Serge Dagueneau Filles
WINE MAKER: Valerie Dagueneau
REGION: Pouilly-Fúme, Loire Valley
SMELL: Lime, grapefruit, melon, smoke, slate
TASTE: Full mouth feel, dry with no residual sugar, persistent length
BODY: Light
TANNIN: Low
ACIDITY: High
FOOD PAIRING
Sauvignon Blancs are known to be the perfect pairing with seafood, especially shellfish. This wine has a bigger mouth-feel, so it will be able to pair with spicier dishes. It is a crisp zesty wine that is perfect as a refreshing drink on a nice day. It pairs great with salty cheeses and herb-driven dishes.
RECIPE:
Half Baked Harvest Lebanese Chicken with Charred Lemon Cauliflower
OTHER ALIAS: Fumé Blanc (Foo-may Blonk)
TYPE OF GLASS: White wine or universal
DECANT: No
CELLAR: Drink now
IF YOU LIKE THIS.. TRY THIS! Chenin Blanc, Albariño, Vinho Verde, Verddejo
WHERE IT GROWS: France, New Zealand, Chile, South Africa, Moldova, United States, Australia, Romania, Spain
NERDY NOTE:
Kimmeridgian soil is a very unique type of soil found in the grape growing areas of eastern Loire Valley, southern Champagne and at the core of the Chablis wine region. The soil was classified in the middle of the 18th century - by a French geologist Alcide d'Obigny, while working in Dorset near the town of Kimmeridge in the south of England. He identified a unique layer of dark marl which he named Kimmeridgian. The layer is a relatively uniform chalky marl, though with thin marly limestone containing rich layers of seashells. Strata formed from the post Jurassic period continued to be deposited in the shallow sea areas which once covered this part of France.
FUN FACT:
Sauvignon Blanc is a unique tasting white wine with strong herbaceous flavors that are derived from compounds called methoxpyrazines (also found in bell peppers).
