Tonight, Jean and I enjoyed a rare night out together, and we used it to go to a restaurant in Indianapolis that we'd not yet been to: L'Explorateur, a place with seemingly big ambitions that specialized in creative preparations using locally sourced ingredients. With the meal, we ordered a few wines off their decent but not exceptional list. With our amuse (scallop sashimi with wasabi tobiko, scallions and ginger) and first courses (hamachi carpaccio and scallop ceviche) we got a fairly forgeettable glass of Blanc de Blanc Champagne from a producer whose name was unfamiliar to me. After our second course of a zarzuela (bouillabaise-like shellfish stew with Spanish chorizo and fennel), we got our main courses (Halibut with tomato coulis for Jean and trout with a smoked chicken risotto for me) and a bottle of:
2005 Movia Pinot Grigio (Brda, Slovenia) nose: pineapple and minerals palate: medium body, crisp entry, slight creaminess, citrus
Among another 20 or so rather undistinguished white wines, this wine stood out for me. Like yet unlike many other Pinot Gris/Grigios we've had, it had the pineapple and rich mouthfeel that I associate with the Oregon version of the grape, yet retained enough acidity to pair well with the fish. The wine brought out the licorice-like elements in the fennel of various dishes, and wasn't overwhelmed by horseradish. Overall, quite a successful wine for our dinner, which was quite fine.
Mark Lipton