Few winemakers have been as influential, controversial, and compelling as Didier Dagueneau. A legend in his own time– and elevated to near demi-god status since his untimely death in 2008 –Dagueneau continues to profoundly inspire wine lovers and winemakers alike. Now steered by Didier’s eldest son, Louis-Benjamin, the domaine continues the tradition of passion for terroir, willingness to take chances, and the raw audacity of the wines themselves. Farming the same vineyards in Pouilly-Fumé, Louis-Benjamin works in both organic and biodynamic methods, though like his father he does not adhere to any dogmatic practices or ideology. Above all, the goal is to show the greatest respect to the life and soul of the terroir: plowing by horse, employing twice the usual number of vineyard workers, and applying the most minimal copper sulfate possible. But Dagueneau is no luddite, however traditional some of his practices may be: networked weather stations are placed throughout the vineyards and temperature control in the winery is employed and closely monitored. In the end, the goal is to produce wines that awe the nose and palate with their purity, complexity, energy, and almost miraculous expression of Pouilly’s slate-argile terroir.
