2005 Didier Dagueneau Pouilly-Fumé Blanc Fumé de Pouilly

As one would predict, Didier Dagueneau has turned out one of if not the most impressive collection of the vintage in the Eastern Loire. There is nothing mundane about his “basic” 2005 Blanc Fume de Pouilly (that circuitous appellation being, by the way, an officially-sanctioned alternative to “Pouilly-Fume”). Passion fruit, melon, cassis, and hints of chalk in the nose lead to an amazingly elegant, light yet mouth-filling, polished, ripe palate, where fresh lime, melon and passion fruit are thoroughly suffused with herbs and chalk. A salty note adds invigoration to this wine’s deliciously-poised finish. Importer: Louis/Dressner Selections, New York, NY; tel. (212) 334 8191