Somehow, after our day of touring, we managed to grab a little time before dinner at the hotel.  But first, we wandered into the little town near the hotel that was constructed as an idyllic village – the little town of Bages.

The boulangerie there held a delightful assortment of cheeses, wines, pastries and nibbles.  But none so amazing (in my wife’s opinion), as the Foie Gras Chips.  If they weren’t so fragile, she would’ve smuggled them home in our bags.

We also forgot to mention the great Cafe Lavinal bistro in the heart of the town – we actually ate there the first night we arrived, but truth be told, we were so tired that Christina had to keep waking me up during dinner.

So, technically, on our second full day, but three dinners later, we found ourselves back at our hotel, the Cordeillan Bages, for dinner at their renowned restaurant, run by Chef Jean-Luc Rocha.  The moment you entered, you knew it was going to be a serious white-tablecloth dining experience.

We each had a different glass of champagne to start the evening, and then enjoyed a bottle of red from the Barton estates – we thought it fitting, since we had been there that morning.

2003 Langoa Barton – Sweet dark red/black fruit combined with baking spices and just enough good acidity to keep it all lively.  The tannins are mostly resolved and the wine has a nice long spicy fruit filled finish.  This is drinking very well right now and over the next decade.

Honestly, at this point, the food all runs together.  We had a fixed-course meal, and Christina declared my dish choices the winners, though they were all truly amazing, and the service was impeccable.

The food was not only beautiful – like art on a plate, it tasted just as good as it looked.  I’m not ashamed to admit that after the cheese course, we had to call it a night and head straight to bed!  Too much to do the next day…!