$330.00
| /
Region: Loire Valley
Grapes: Sauvignon Blanc
First Glance: Nutty, Stonefruit, Textural, Mineral
Acclaim: 94pts
The Wine:
Pur sang is French for ‘thoroughbred’. The label evolved from Didier Dagueneau’s frustration at how often wine writers referenced the fact he used a horse to till some of the vineyards. The first iteration of the label was a photographic representation of a horsehide rug!
This is rightly considered one of Dagueneau’s superstars—although, in truth, all his wines are superstars. It comes from a densely planted, 30-year-old vineyard in Saint-Laurent-l’Abbaye called La Folie (madness). It’s hidden between two parcels of woodland about five kilometres north of Saint-Andelain. The vineyard is named for the local farmers, who thought Didier Dagueneau was mad when he purchased the land. It was not a vineyard at the time and was full of huge boulders.
It turns out that Didier had done his homework; La Folie was a historical Pouilly vineyard with very interesting soil—a vein of pure flint and silica-rich clay sometimes called chailles roulées—and its gently sloping, south/southeast exposure made it potentially one of Pouilly’s finest plots.
The Review:
Rebecca Gibb MW, Vinous - 94pts
"Forget aromatic Sauvignon, the 2020 Pur Sang is clear, pure and restrained. An evident nutty note to this is likely derived from the 20-25% new oak employed for all the Dagueneau cuvées. The oak combines with ripe, white stone fruit and almond meal, which lingers on the taut, grippy finish, and reveals that this wine is still in its infancy."
