Our package with our tour company included a dinner at Le Chapon Fin,  the very traditional 1 Michellin * restaurant within walking distance of our apartment downtown.  Le Chapon Fin is also owned by Sylvie Cazes, the same woman who owned the travel company who was arranging our tours, so it’s no accident that the famed restaurant appeared on our itinerary.

The interior is very unusual, with rockery carved “caves,” a sort of lattice structure around the soaring high ceilings and an overall ambiance that made Christina giggle and declare that it felt like being inside a cross between a jewel box and a “Little Mermaid” movie.

The food, however, was no laughing matter.  This very serious meal in Chef Nicolas Frion’s restaurant began at 8:00 pm, and at nearly midnight, with still one more course to tackle, we finally cried “uncle” and they packaged up and sent the final dessert course home with us.

Our sommelier for the evening, Alexander, did a fantastic job of surprising us with one fun discovery and perfect pairing after another.  Here’s the wine line-up, and some photos of the fantastic food – we admit – there were a few delicious courses we devoured before realizing we hadn’t snapped a photo – and we truly lost count of how many courses there were!  These are not at all the exact food and wine pairings, but you’ll get the picture!

2011 Bell-Air Blanc – white orchard fruits, clean sea air and a hint of gravel, crisp acids on the long fuit filled finish.  Great match with the razor clams.

2010 L’Espirit de Chevalier – ripe melon, rounder in the mouth, but with lemon acidity keeping it lively, medium finish.

2007 Luchey Halde – clean bright fruit with zippy acidity, very lively in the mouth with a medium-long lemony finish.  Excellent match with the smoked Maigre fish.

2003 Cantemerle – rich red/black cherry fruit, tart acidity but with smooth tannins, long slightly over ripe fruit finish.  Tastes like a baked black cherry pie.

2010 Luis Chez – St. Joseph – Big ripe blackberry fruit combined with spices, very good tangy acidity, long ripe fruit filled finish.

2010 Nicholas Rossingnal – Pernand Vergelesses 1er Cru Fichots (Pinot Noir) – Sweet dark berries and baking spices, very good acid, long sweet black fruit finish.

2002 Doisy Verdrines – Nice ripe honeyed melon and a slight bit of mango, slightly cloyingly sweet, wish it had a little bit more acidity to counter the sugar on the medium finish.

I made Christina stop for a photo of the outside of our apartment at night on the way home – she was a good sport considering how tired we were from two nights in a row of decadent dinners!

Tomorrow, we explore more of Bordeaux…