To celebrate the first birthday of Baby Andrew, we took him out to dinner at a local restaurant that possesses a decent wine list. With our dinners of sauteed walleye ("pike perch" for the Euro set) in a lemon-cream sauce, Jean and I selected the '02 Dom. Schlumberger Pinot Blanc "Les Princes Abbés"
nose: a bit restrained [1], showing minerals and a hint of citrus palate: medium weight, tart citrus and mineral flavors and a hint of green apples, finishing crisply
This wine reminded us both of the '02 Dauvissat Chablis, what with the minerals, apple and citrus. It was only a so-so match with the walleye, as the citrusy nature of the wine didn't complement the lemon-based sauce. Still, at $30 on their WS awarded wine list it was decent QPR and proably fared better than most of the other white wine choices (their award reflects the deep selection of CalCabs on their list, not much good when ordering a delicate fish dish). By all appearances, the wine was a better match with the fried shrimp ordered by Baby Andrew, as he kept making passes at Jean's glass whenever it ventured within a meter of his eyes.
Mark Lipton
[1] This restraint most likely was the result of having the wine served too cold for our tastes. Removing it from the chiller and allowing it to warm a few more degrees above freezing did wonders for the wine.