Serge Dagueneau Pouilly Fumé Tradition / 2022 / 375mL

Description:

The Serge Dagueneau et Filles Pouilly Fumé Tradition 2022 is a dry, tightly drawn Sauvignon Blanc from Pouilly-Fumé in the Loire Valley, built on citrus and stony flavour rather than tropical fruit. This is the estate's main cuvée, drawn from parcels around the village of Saint-Andelain, vinified in stainless steel and left on fine lees until bottling.

Grapefruit, lemon pith and white peach lead the aroma, with the flinty, struck-match character that gives the appellation its name sitting just underneath. Air brings out something softer — crushed herb, a touch of pear skin — without dulling the edge.

The palate is lean in the best sense: bright acidity running the length of the wine, a faint saline grip through the middle, and the light creaminess that lees ageing lends to the texture. It finishes long, dry and chalky, closer to wet stone than to fruit.

Oysters and other raw shellfish are the obvious call, though this 2022 Pouilly-Fumé handles more than that — goat's cheese, grilled whiting, chicken poached with tarragon, or a simple bowl of asparagus and butter.

The 375mL format is the point here: enough for two glasses over dinner, or one good pour on a weeknight with no half-empty bottle left in the fridge. Half bottles evolve more quickly than full ones, so drink this Sauvignon Blanc through to about 2027 rather than cellaring it long — it is already showing well.