2014 Blanc Fumé de Pouilly, Astéroïde, Domaine Didier Dagueneau, Loire

An important white grape in Bordeaux and the Loire Valley that has now found fame in New Zealand and now Chile. It thrives on the gravelly soils of Bordeaux and is blended with Sémillon to produce fresh, dry, crisp  Bordeaux Blancs, as well as more prestigious Cru Classé White Graves. It is also blended with Sémillon, though in lower proportions, to produce the great sweet wines of Sauternes. It performs well in the Loire Valley and particularly on the well-drained chalky soils found in Sancerre and Pouilly-Fumé, where it produces bone dry, highly aromatic, racy wines, with grassy and sometimes smoky, gunflint-like nuances.

Domaine Didier Dagueneau is a highly acclaimed producer specializing in making exceptional Sauvignon Blanc wines in the Loire Valley. The family-run winery was founded by Didier Dagueneau, who tragically died in a flying accident in September 2008. Despite his untimely death, his legacy lives on through the extraordinary wines he crafted during his lifetime.