Sole Meunière & Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine AOC

1. Gut the fish. Remove the grey skin and fins. Scale the white side. Rinse and dry.
2. Squeeze the lemon.
3. Chop the parsley.
4. In a dish, flour the soles completely. Shake off excess flour.

1. Heat the olive oil in a frying pan with 30g of butter. Brown the soles over a low heat for 7 to 8 minutes on each side.
2. Plate your fish. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped parsley and sprinkle with lemon juice. Keep warm.

1. In a small saucepan, melt the butter over low heat.
2. Stir until it starts to foam (about 30 seconds). The butter should turn light brown without turning black.
3. Without waiting, pour the beurre noisette directly on top of the fish.

Enjoy immediately!

Serving suggestion: steamed potatoes

To accompany the delicacy of this fish, a sparkling white wine from the Loire Valley!

Trust the magic of the typical Pays Nantais grape variety, Melon de Bourgogne, also called Muscadet. These are dry white wines, refreshing and very fragrant when young. Those that age very well gain in complexity and are best enjoyed with refined dishes and fine fish. It is therefore the ideal wine for our recipe!

No, it's not a noble grape variety, but Melon de Bourgogne is one of the most expressive. Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine is a monovarietal wine made from this white grape variety, which gives it its unique taste characteristics. It gives distinctive flavours of fruity aromas: citrus fruit (grapefruit, lemon) and apple. Described as saline, the palate is reminiscent of terroirs influenced by the sea. The appellation is therefore a perfect match for seafood.

The aromatic bouquet generally develops floral notes on the palate, adding complexity to the wine. Thanks to ageing on the lees, the winemaking process can produce a slightly creamy texture that adds roundness on the palate.

With time in the cellar, wines made from this grape variety can develop notes of brioche or hazelnut. This means that with our recipe, it is preferable to use a wine from an older vintage. The Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine appellation produces wines with an ageing potential of between 2 and 5 years, and even 10 years for good vintages.

The term ‘sur lie’ applies to several Loire Valley wine appellations, including the famous Muscadets: Muscadet, Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine, Muscadet Côtes de Grandlieu, Muscadet Coteaux de la Loire and Gros Plant su Pays Nantais. This is a specific winemaking method that meets specifications for maturing wines in their container. The lees are the sedimentary deposit formed at the bottom of the vat or barrel. The winemaker may decide to remove the lees by racking, or they may decide to leave them, which is when the wine is matured on the lees. Before bottling, the wine is filtered.

Melon de Bourgogne is a grape variety that ages well on its lees. This method of vinification involves racking the wine from the vat at the end of fermentation in order to eliminate the coarser lees (i.e. the solid residues of grape or earth present on the skins of the grapes). This leaves only the fine lees, also known as dead yeast. These lees settle to the bottom of the vats or barrels and are put back into suspension during the bâtonnage technique, which enriches the wine. The elements making up the lees are then hydrolysed into smaller, more soluble elements, giving the wine the desired qualities: a smoother texture, full-bodiedness and roundness, suppleness, while refining the liveliness and aromas.

Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine AOC wines usually sell for between £8 and £18. Our selection of affordable Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine AOC wines is the perfect accompaniment to fine fish and seafood dishes. Muscadet-Sèvre-et-Maine is an appellation that has a place on festive tables for special occasions, or to accompany seafood tastings in summer. Take advantage of special offers all year round, such as the summer sales, clearance sales, the Wine Fair, the Christmas sales and much more.