She’s the best! Chatel-Buis Montagny 2013

Chatel-Buis Montagny 2013, 13%

(£10.39, Waitrose or via Wine Searcher)

I recommended this classic white Montagny to go a with a suitably classic, elegant dish on Saturday Kitchen by Frederick Foster – paupiette of sole with wild mushrooms and herb sauce.

We found that a good Chablis also works wonders here (go for something Grand or Premier Cru if you want to push the boat out, but more humble options also go well). But this elegant pairing reminds you how good wine and food matches don’t have to be about show-boating or big flavours – instead it can be about subtle complementing. This wine is delicate and discreet, but with enough juicy apple and bready/buttery hints to work really well with all kinds of classic seafood dishes.

For this episode, we filmed the beginnings of the English wine harvest, at one of our favourite producers, Chapel Down in Kent. It may have seemed strange to then recommend a French white – but, as ever, this was quite simply the wine that went best with the dish when we tried it at home, as we always do. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t be supporting English wine too!

Either way, the wine went down very well in studio. Freddy described it as, ‘very fresh, clean – works very well’. Show host Michel Roux jr said, ‘mmmmmmm! Beautiful flavours, good balance – great combination.’ Gennaro Contaldo termed it a, ‘perfect marriage’, before adding, very sweetly, ‘she’s the best!’ Thanks, guys. (7/10, Susie, Sept 2016)