The Mediterranean marriage of putting together sea bream and fennel is always going to be a clear winner: the firm, flaky flesh when combined with the gentle tones of anise that soften when baked and develop a caramelised sweetness, enhancing the fish without dominating the dish. Add a touch of lemon with a few other ingredients, and it could not be simpler.
There are a plethora of recipes for putting together sea bream and fennel. Here is one from Angela Hartnett.
Requires a rich Chardonnay without too much strong acidity. Here are four options - Sicily, Chile, and two from New Zealand - that make a good addition to this easy to prepare dish.
1 - Errazuriz, Single Vineyard Chardonnay 2023, Aconcagua Coasta, Chile
For a tenner, is there a better Chardonnay on the market? Probably not. Founded in 1870 Errazuriz produces a broad array of wines from competitively priced entry-level to some exceptional Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays. This is clean and easy with good citrus notes on the nose leading to well-balanced acidity and tropical fruits on the palate. It's designed for immediate drinking and the fullness of the structure will work perfectly with food.
£10.00 - Majestic - mixed case of 6 - available from many merchants
2 - Craggy Range, Kidnappers Chardonnay 2024, Hawke's Bay, New Zealand
Established in 1998, this is a family owned and run winery located in the Gimblett Gravels district in Hawke’s Bay. Somewhat slow on the nose but give it a moment and stone fruit flavours - ripe peaches - appear with perfectly balanced lemon flavours on the palate, plus touches of oak from ageing in French and Austrian barrels, and the combinations demonstrates how the 2024 worked well as a vintage. Not for long ageing, drink now and enjoy this summer.
£21.00 - Waitrose - available from many merchants.
3 - Planeta, Chardonnay 2023, Menfi, Sicily
Still a tad young, but let it open up in your glass for a few minutes, or after the first mouthful, and it begins to heighten the senses. Wine is aged in French barrique with 40% new oak, 30% second-use and 30% third-use barrel for 11 months. The oak provides the perfect Mediterranean foil to accompany almost any fish recipe from Southern Europe - albeit the fennel component considered above does work superbly. This wine performs, year after year, at a level that simply brings a smile to your face, and is intensely moreish. Rich and very well-textured.
£30.00 - Majestic - mixed case of 6 - available from many merchants
4 - Greywacke, Chardonnay 2022, Marlborough, New Zealand
You can see why this wine attracts consistently good ratings from the critics over the years. Fermentation was in barrels - 20% being new - and the wine remained in oak for 11 months: certainly imparted a gracious tone to the wine with all the components working well together. Ripe stone-fruits - mainly peaches - on the palate with a strong fruit-driven expression on the palate, balanced with good and moderated acidity. Complex, but immensely drinkable and will certainly improve over a couple of years in the cellar, but then why wait? I could drink this every day this summer.
£35.00 - Majestic - mixed case of 6 - available from many merchants
