2022 Domaine Didier Dagueneau Vin de France Buisson Renard

Buisson Renard has become one of the cult cuvées of the Dagueneau stable - a wine of subtle power and unmistakable pedigree from a cooler, clay-and-flint site on the southwest flank of Saint-Andelain. Once known as Buisson Menard, a critic’s typo rebranded it ‘Renard’ (fox bush), and Didier Dagueneau liked the new name so much he kept it. The rest, as they say, is history.

In 2022, the wine is as riveting as ever. It was fermented and matured in the domaine’s signature cigar-shaped barrels - 450–600L vessels custom-designed to maximise lees contact and build mouthfeel without sacrificing line. The result is a Sauvignon Blanc with real breadth and architecture. It opens with layers of fennel, quince and ripe citrus, grounded by that tell-tale Dagueneau flintiness and wrapped in a gentle, savoury grip from the lees.

Buisson Renard is typically a little more textured, a little more savoury, than its siblings. It walks the tightrope between richness and restraint with serious poise - generous without being showy, detailed without being austere.

If Silex is the spearpoint, Buisson Renard is the slow-burner: nuanced, complex and powerful. A rare bottle and one to watch unfold with time.

95 points
- La Revue du Vin de France (Green Guide)

95 points
"Smell the warmth of the vintage and experience its richness and yet its sense of lightness... a salty residue that makes you want to continue drinking... provides precision and line."
- Rebecca Gibb MW (Vinous)