Lemon-Caper Halibut + Gérard Bertrand 2018 Cigalus Blanc #Winophiles #Sponsored

This is a sponsored post written by me in conjunction with the May #Winophiles event.

Wine samples were provided for this post and this page may contain affiliate links.

This month, L.M., of L.M. Archer, is hosting the French Winophiles as we explore and pair Gérard Bertrand Wines. Read her invitation here. Several of us were fortunate enough to have our posts sponsored by Gérard Bertrand. I, for one, had already sourced, tasted, and paired my wine.

Then I received a suprise bottle from Gérard Bertrand* and changed direction. But you can read my initial post at Boeuf aux Agrumes + Gérard Bertrand 2014 Kosmos. If you are reading this early enough, join the conversation on Twitter: Saturday, May 18th at 8am Pacific time. Be sure to include #Winophiles in your tweet so we can all see you; or simply search for the hashtag later and read the conversation.

The #Winophiles' Explorations

• Michelle, Rockin Red Blog: Celebrating Biodynamic Viticulture and the Beauty Of the Languedoc With Gérard Bertrand
• Lynn, Savor the Harvest: This Biodynamic Wine Is a Summer Pleaser + Saturday Culinary Concoction
• Wendy, A Day in the Life on a Farm: New Wine Paired with an Old Favorite
• Camilla, Culinary Adventures with Camilla: Lemon-Caper Halibut + Gérard Bertrand 2018 Cigalus Blanc
• Linda, My Full Wine Glass: Languedoc Wine Meets Middle Eastern Lunch
• David, Cooking Chat: Savoring a Special White Wine from Southern France
• Pinny, Chinese Food and Wine Pairings: Exploring Languedoc-Roussillon with Chateau Millegrand Mourral Grand Reserve Minervois + Chinese Charcuterie Board
• Robin, Crushed Grape Chronicles: Exploring the Grand Terroir of Gérard Bertrand with Tautavel and La Clape
• Jeff, FoodWineClick!: Butter Roasted Fish with Gérard Bertrand’s Cigalus Blanc
• Jane, Always Ravenous: Chicken Korma with Gérard Bertrand Cigalus Blanc
• Cindy, Grape Experiences: The Wines of Gerard Bertrand: Expect Joie de Vivre with Every Sip
• Susannah, Avvinare: A Wine from Gerard Bertrand: A Larger than Life Figure
• Deanna, Asian Test Kitchen: Gerard Bertrand Rose Paired with Subtly Spiced Shrimp
• Cynthia & Pierre, Traveling Wine Profs: Comfort Food and Sunny Red: Gérard Bertrand Côtes des Roses with Senegalese Mafé and Fonio
• Jill, L’Occasion: A Name To Know: Gérard Bertrand
• Gwendolyn, Wine Predator: Bertrand’s Biodynamic Cigalus Paired with French Sausage
• Liz, What’s in that Bottle: Get to Know the Winning Wines from Languedoc Icon Gérard Bertrand 
• Nicole, Somm's Table: Cooking to the Wine: Gérard Bertrand Grand Terroir Tautavel Grenache-Syrah-Carignan with Saucy Lamb Loin Chops
• Rupal, Syrah Queen: A Commitment To Languedoc – The Biodynamic Wines Of Gerard Bertrand
• Payal, Keep the Peas: Aude: Alive in More Ways Than Wine
• L.M. Archer: The Hedonistic Taster: Gérard Bertrand 2018 Cigalus Blanc

In My Glass

At Cigalus, in the South of France, Gérard Bertrand manages the vineyard according to the biodynamic system that has at the heart of it a system of growing that enhances the expression of the terroir with minimal intervention from the grower and winemaker. In fact, at the heart of the biodynamic system is the energy of the soil. All the work in the vineyard - from ploughing and pruning - and in the cellar is done in strict adherence to a calendar that revolves around the sun and the moon.

Throughout 2019, we have been exploring boidynamic wines in several of the wine groups. It's been quite eye-opening. You can read my previous posts. For those events, I shared: Dinner in Testosterone Land: Braised Short Ribs + 2016 Nuova Cappelletta Barbera del Monferrato and Learning about Biodynamic Wines + M.Chapoutier Wines with Some Cross-Cultural Pairings. I'll be honest, I appreciate learning about biodynamic practices and I truly respect wineries that are following those practices - whether they get the certifications or not - but the designation is not a guarantee of a "good" wine, in my mind.

The Cigalus vineyard has a semi-arid Mediterranean climate; with its mild winters and hot summers, all the grape varieties enjoy an early ripening. And the dryness of the climate is countered by bordering Aussou, a stream that runs alongside the property.

The Gérard Bertrand 2018 Cigalus Blanc is a blend of Chardonnay, Viognier, and Sauvignon Blanc grapes. To the eye it has as clear, light straw color. The nose is intensely citrus with notes of lime, grapefruit, and mandarin. But, after you give it a good swirl, softer tones of summer stone fruits and honey. Jake noted bioche, however, that may be because he misses bread!

On the palate, the Cigalus Blanc is surprisingly full-bodied, given its light color, supple and silky. And, despite its citrus aromas, I thought the flavor leaned more vanilla and tropical fruit. Still, its weight made it a great pour with my citrus-heavy fish dinner.

On My Plate

I had picked up some halibut at the market and wanted a quick, easy dinner. So, I opted to pan-fry the fish and make an easy pan-sauce with butter, freshly squeezed lemon juice, and caper. Then, because Jake and I are trying to cut back on bread and carbs, in general, I put the fish on a bed of zucchini noodles.

 Lemon-Caper Halibut 

Ingredients 

• 1 to 2 halibut fillets
• 1 T olive oil
• 2 T butter
• noodles or zoodles (zucchini noodles!) for serving

Caper Sauce

• 2 T butter
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 T capers
• 1 T cornstarch mixed with 1 T water
• 2 T white wine
• juice of 1/2 lemon, (about 1 T)
• 1 C chicken broth

Procedure

Caper Sauce
In a skillet, over medium heat, melt butter with garlic. Cook till the garlic softens. Add wine, lemon juice, and capers. Cook off the alcohol for a couple of minutes. Whisk in the cornstarch mixture. Pour in the broth and whisk it until it begins to thicken. Pour into a bowl and set aside.

Fish

In the same pan, over medium heat, melt butter in olive oil. Add halibut fillets. Cook for 4 to 5 minutes on each side.

To serve, toss cooked noodles with olive oil and half of the caper sauce. Place into individual bowls, top with halibut. Then divide the remaining sauce between the servings. 

As a simple side dish, I served avocados drizzled with olive oil and lemon juice. It was a tasty, simple dinner...and it went really well with the Gérard Bertrand 2018 Cigalus Blanc.

Until next time...the French Winophiles will be focusing on French wine and French cheese with Martin of ENOFYLZ Wine Blog leading the charge. Cheers!

*Disclosure: I received sample wines for recipe development, pairing, and generating social media traction. My opinions do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the organizer and sponsors of this event.