Didier Dagueneau, known as the wild man of Pouilly-Fume and the great king Sauvignon Blanc, died in a plane crash last week at the age of 52. He is survived by his partner Suzanne, and four children.
He was piloting a small plane which stalled shortly after take off, falling about 50 meters (over 160 feet) before hitting the ground. One other person was seriously injured.
His reputation as the "wild man" had as much to do with his looks, as with his audacity and his hobbies. He was a handsome man, with long red hair and blue eyes, who radiated self confidence. Before he became a winemaker, he raced motocross and ran sled dogs. He decided to go into winemaking after being involved in two accidents. However, after attending agricultural college and becoming a winemaker, he stayed true to his passion for reckless sports, winning the European and world championships in sled dog racing.
He transferred his adventurous philosophy to winemaking. He thrived on taking risks and experimenting, but was nonetheless a stickler for perfection. This bold style, with the highest standards, was evident in his wines. He was controversial, creating animosity among other winemakers and growers, yet the quality of his wines was superb and fetched high prices all over the world.
He produced many wines from vineyards near his winery in St-Andelin, in Pouilly Fumé (Loire Valley, France). Some of his most well known wines are Buisson-Renard Pur Sang, and Silex, as well as a very high priced, yet sought after, Asteroïde cuvée made from 17 lines of ungrafted vines. Dagueneau also made wines from a vineyard in Monts-Damnés region of Sancerre, and produced a sweet Jurancon with his friend, Guy Pautrat.
I was devastated to hear that Dagueneau had died. Though I never had the opportunity to meet him, I’ve been a fan of his for a very long time. His legacy will stay with us!
Photograph from http://a-la-recherche-du-vin.typepad.com/french_wine_a_day/2006/week3/index.html