Buisson Renard 2023 Domaine Didier Dagueneau | Loire

Description: Buisson Renard 2023 | Didier Dagueneau

The Buisson Renard 2023 from Domaine Didier Dagueneau is one of the most iconic single-vineyard wines from Saint-Andelain, a village perched at the summit of the Pouilly-Fumé appellation. Its history stems from a mistake that became legend: the vineyard, originally named “Buisson Mesnard,” was renamed Buisson Renard after a typo in a wine guide. Rather than correcting it, Didier Dagueneau embraced the error. Since his death in 2008, his son Louis-Benjamin Dagueneau has carried on his father’s philosophy of absolute purity with an uncompromising dedication that earned him the title of “Winemaker of the Year 2016” from *La Revue du Vin de France*.

Terroir and Grape Varieties

The Buisson Renard plot occupies the southwestern slope of the Saint-Andelain hill, halfway up, where the soil strikes a precise balance between flint-rich clay and limestone. This soil structure forces the roots of the Sauvignon Blanc vines to dig deep into the hillside to find nutrients. The result is concentration and mineral tension in every berry, with the flinty notes that have made this site famous. Unlike Pur Sang and Silex, the Buisson Renard cuvée represents the fullest-bodied and most exotic side of the estate’s single-vineyard range, with its mid-slope location lending it a slightly more generous ripeness.

Viticulture and Winemaking

The estate cultivates its vines biodynamically, with deliberately limited yields and exclusively hand-harvested grapes. Winemaking follows the same principle of non-intervention: gentle pressing, long fermentation with indigenous yeasts in barrels, followed by 12 months of aging in large, neutral barrels on fine lees. No fining, no filtration, and a homeopathic dose of sulfur at bottling: each step aims to convey the terroir intact, without any artificial enhancements.

Buisson Renard 2023 | Didier Dagueneau: The Sommelier’s Review

Philippe Mischler, sommelier at Mundovin

In my view, Buisson Renard is one of the most accomplished expressions of Loire Sauvignon Blanc in recent vintages. It combines the aromatic richness characteristic of clay-siliceous terroirs with the mineral integrity for which the Dagueneau estate is renowned. The 2023 vintage is already showing great generosity, but its peak between 2029 and 2039 is well worth the wait. I recommend serving it around 11°C, without decanting, to preserve the crystalline tension at its core.

The Nose

The nose opens with notes that are both fresh and ripe, where fresh citrus and lime zest mingle with the juiciness of white nectarine. An abundance of white flowers—ranging from jasmine to acacia blossom—gradually gives way to a mineral backdrop of heated flint.

Palate

The silky attack reveals an enveloping texture, permeated from start to finish by a lively acidity that energizes the tasting experience. The slightly chalky minerality blends with flavors of citrus and exotic fruits, before the finish takes on a salty and energetic character, whose lingering notes of flint reveal a masterful balance between richness and tension.