Terre Rouge, Enigma

[Innkeeper]

1999 Terre Rouge, Sierra Foothills, Enigma ($18). This is a Rhone type blend of marsanne (63%), viognier (30%) and rousanne (7%). It weighs in at 14.3% alcohol, 3.60 pH, and 6.0 gm/liter total acidity. Offers ripe pears and roasted almonds on the nose and upfront. Complex fruit, racy acidity, and lots of full bodied heft across the palate, and a lovely, lingering finish. We felt we needed to drink it up soon, and couldn't decide what to have with it. So we created the following dish to do the trick. It did the trick, far exceeding our expectations. If you can't find Enigma, try the dish with a Cotes du Rhone Blanc. The Enigma is wonderful though, and well worth looking for.

HADDOCK SAUTE' A LA CREME':

12 oz Fresh haddock fillet (1 - 1 1/2" thick)
Salt
Paprika
Dry fine herbs (ready jarred or equal parts parsley, chives, chervil, and tarragon )
1 tbl Light olive oil
1 tbl Butter
1/4 C Dry Vermouth or white wine
1/2 C Heavy cream
10" Non-stick skillet or saute' pan

Melt butter in oil at medium heat. Season top of fillet with salt, paprika, and fine herbs. Place in pan topside down and saute five minutes, seasoning bottom the same as the top. Turn carefully and saute another five minutes. Very carefully remove fish to a warm platter, and keep warm. Pour off excess fat. Deglaze with wine, scrapping up that which was sticking to the pan, and cook down to a thick syrup. Add cream and cook until well thickened. Scrape sauce with a rubber spatula over the fish, and sprinkle with more fine herbs. Serve.