Didier Dagueneau

J

Joe Dressner

Joe Dressner
542
Copyright Bertrand Celce

Denyse and I visited Didier Dagueneau this summer to taste the 2007s and the bottled 2006s.

Didier had recently renovated The Temple, an ancient chapel next to his home which had fallen into ruin. He had decided to turn the Temple into a cultural center and had mounted an exhibition of Jean-Marie Prier's photography for its inauguration this summer. Prier was the most famous French photographer of the 1960s and the Temple was filled with photos of celebrities from that epoch.

Didier took us on a tour and Denyse and I had to name each celebrity. Of course, even I know Claude Franois but only Denyse knew Dani, Sylvie Vartan and Sheila. I didn't recognize Franoise Hardy but I did recognize Jacques Dutronc. Dylan, the Rolling Stones and all the stars of the Anglophone world were easy enough for me.

You could see how proud and joyful Didier was of putting together such an art show. While we were in the Temple, Didier talked about how every year he organizes a lavish dinner called Les Anciens, where he invites all the older vignerons of the area for a great meal, old bottles and good times. Didier was a maverick and a rebel, but he had great respect and love for all these anciens, like Edmond Vatan and Claude Thomas, who had taught him his mtier.

Didier Dagueneau died this morning, September 17th, in a small plane crash in the Cognac region. The wine world has lost a great vigneron and the world has lost one of the most original, charming and mischievous characters to ever grace a vineyard row.
 
Didier Dagueneau died this morning, September 17th, in a small plane crash in the Cognac region. The wine world has lost a great vigneron and the world has lost one of the most original, charming and mischievous characters to ever grace a vineyard row.
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That's terrible news, just as shocking as the suicide of DFW. I had a sinking feeling when I saw the subject, but you suckered me in to reading the whole thing with your tribute to M. Dageneau. I had mixed feelings about his wines, but the wine world has lost a true original.

Mark Lipton
 
Sad news indeed. I never met him, but have some very fond memories of bottles of mid-1990s Silex that opened my eyes to things other than those woody Chardonnays everyone was talking about and drinking during my early geek days. Those bottles of Silex (thankfully) led directly to an early interest and exploration on my part of the vinious treasures of the Loire. Merci, M. Dageneau.

Peace,

Dave
 
Wow. I, too, fell away from his wines in later years (the prices helped), but in my early explorations, the wines were revelatory, and in the best of ways. A sad loss.
 
Just when you get to "know" someone. Never really understood the wines, but a few months ago Joe brought a Cuvee Buisson Renard to Kane's house, which I just loved - don't recall the vintage, probably 05 or 06, but racy, precise, complex, perfectly ripe and fresh. Was really looking forward to paying some serious attention to the man, after tasting that wonderful bottle. Very sad.
 
Really, really sad news. I can tell you the Kermit suppliers at our portfolio tasting today that I told the terrible news to were pretty shook up by it.

Sorry for the loss of your friend and business partner, Joe.
 
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