One Good Bottle: Bordeaux White Wine

Say "Bordeaux," and most wine lovers think of red wine, but that region also produces some of the world's most appealing whites, among them the 2006 Chateau de Fieuzal ($30). Made from sauvignon blanc and semillon, it comes from a vineyard founded in the Napoleonic era; in the 1890s, it was the favored wine of the Vatican. The chateau is situated in Pessac-Leognan, just south of the city of Bordeaux, home to some of the region's most fabled labels, including Chateau Haut-Brion; this stunning white is worthy of their company, and comes at a very reasonable price. Medium yellow in the glass, the wine's zingy nose offers grapefruit and pine, along with some earthiness imparted by age. Though it starts off fairly rich on the palate, it quickly melts into a state of grace: light, harmonious, and refreshingly acidic, with citrus and earth flavors rounded by a hint of vanilla. It's a gorgeous wine for many foods, but it's at its best with fish or poultry in a cream-based sauce.