Fié Gris, Loire Valley: Sauvignon Blanc Uncorked

"The wine cup is the little silver well, where truth, if truth there be, doth dwell" ~ William Shakespeare 

Folks who know me, understand that I'm not always the biggest fan of Sauvignon Blanc, especially many of the new world styles which seem a bit monolithic. Until recently, when I had an opportunity to sample some Duckhorn Sauvignon Blanc, not the Decoy quick turn bottle with a screw cap. But to be fair I rarely even think about uncorking a white wine. I do however love all types of Sauvignon Blanc as a go-to ingredient for various recipes. That said, every now and then, I'll reach for white wine, often it's something like a Grenache Blanc from Paso Robles or a Rhone Zone favorite, possibly even a random Riesling, the wine that supposedly goes with everything.

Last weekend was one of those moments, as I was preparing Katie Lee's easy-breezy, so simple even a vino-sapiens like me could do it, Sole Meunière Recipe [see below], while watching playoff games I realized I'd sadly opened/uncorked my very last bottle of 2010 Fié Gris I had stashed in the cellar. But on the bright side, I guess it's a good excuse to do a bit of wine shopping, what some a silver lining.

This Recipe below turned out perfectly, and the resulting sauce was in a word "wow," and I know that because the ever fussy [discriminating] Mrs. Cuvee asked for a second helping, that's how I know I've hit the proverbial home-run. A fact that further demonstrates that if I can prepare this dish, anyone can. Sadly, tho she is still not sold on the beautiful qualities of Fié Gris like I am. Btw, if you save room for some dessert, the Fie Gris, surprisingly so, goes wonderfully with toasted marshmallows.

Ingredients:

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 teaspoon kosher salt [don't fuss if it's not kosher]

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper [a must]

4 sole fillets, (4 ounces each) [wild caught]

4 tbsp unsalted butter

2 teaspoons fresh lemon juice

1 teaspoon minced flat-leaf parsley [fresh]

Directions: 

• Combine flour, salt, and pepper. Dredge each fish fillet in the flour mixture until well coated.
• In a large skillet over medium heat, melt 1 tablespoon of the butter. Add the fish and brown about 3 minutes on each side, depending on thickness.
• Transfer the fish to a platter and tent with foil. Add the remaining butter to the pan and turn up the heat to medium-high.
• When the butter starts to brown, about 3 minutes, add the lemon juice and parsley. Pour the butter over the fish and serve immediately. 
• I prepared mine with Spaghetti noodles and a Kale, Chard, and Spinach salad. 

One of the big wine [surprises] discoveries for me last year is a great little wine called Fié Gris, [Éric Chevalier] wine which to me is the poster boy for "esoteric." And for me to be crazy [wonderfully excited] about any Sauvignon Blanc, it would appear that it has to be French, and it's typically a Sancerre which captivates me so often. Now enter Fie Gris [Loire Valley, Pays Nantais, Vin de Pays du Jardin] I really dig this description below.

"Long before there was Sancerre and/or Pouilly-Fumé, certainly long before Marlborough or perhaps even Sauternes. And long, long before there was even Sauvignon Blanc in the New World, storytellers and wine historians say, there was Fie Gris." ~ North Berkeley Imports.

The following was my tasting note from last year. Nothing has changed, this a bottle of wine with real soul and substance. The nose on this wine grabbed my attention immediately; very smoky very [gunflint], bell-pepper, loads of wet-stone, infused with just a twist of lemon peel and not fully ripe plums. On the palate, vivid acid, but still a lush, full-bodied mouthfeel, smoke from a distant fire, herbaceous, wet-stone fruit, making for a wonderfully terroir-driven wine experience not to be missed.

I've not sure ever tasted a wine similar to it, but there's something familiar about it. I found it to be a very exotic wine to be sure, but nonetheless incredibly captivating, inviting sips at first, then slurps and finally even a big gulp [oh-my].

Until next time folks remember, while we recognize that convenience is an essential factor in the fast turn-around bottled [#wine] segment. I contend that good food and, good wine should not be the rare commodity, but instead it should be a model which we strive to live by!