BienVenue a Bordeaux

In Boise, we are very fortunate to have some marvelous wine friendly restaurants. One of my favorites is Cafe d'Paris. The restaurant owner, Mathieu Choux, is from a Burgundian Hotelier and Restaurant family. He started the Cafe with a bakery / Baguettes and pasteries. From there he added Petite Dejuniers - breakfast, brunch and lunches. Then he opened a night club downstairs and a dinner /wine room upstairs. He has been creating 'theme dinners' including gastronomic adventures from France. Last night we visited Bordeaux in four courses. Le Menu:
Tarte a la Moutarde - puff pastry tart with gruyere, tomato and mustard. As an appetizer, a fun way to kick-start your salivary glands into action and anticipation.
We were given a sample of 2007 Chateau d'Angludet - a Bordeaux Superior from the Margaux commune on the Left Bank of the Bordeaux Region. A vineyard rescued from the 19'th century family apathy by the English wine collecter Peter Sichel. Margaux are gentle, yet sturdy wines - 80% Cabernet Sauvignon, 20% Merlot. Floral nose of violets and lilacs with a light dusty rose. Full bodied, chocolate and brioche, lasting elegance at 13% alcohol, balanced fruit and worthy of at least 10 more years of aging. We ordered a full bottle, knowing our friends, Jan and Barbara would appreciate this wine.
Salade Landaise au Foie Gras - Oh, the decadence of silky foie gras, countered by a sharp sherry vinaigrette doused spring mix with croutons and toasted pine nuts. [note to self - does "Landaise" mean Hollandaise without the egg?]
Main Course selection of two Entrees - So for a fun 'Steven Spurrier' comparison, we ordered a bottle of Idaho's Parma Ridge 2006 Reserve Merlot - which I knew Christian had selected to carry in the cafe wine menu. This may have been infanticide! - When I first tasted this wine from barrel, I told Dick Dickstein that I wanted a case - it was soooo good then and had enormous aging potential. Subsequently, it has garnered gold medals and been selected as a "People's Choice" Best Red Wine after bottle aging a while. Compared to the Bordeaux, it is a big fruit bomb - at 15.2 % alcohol and notable Idaho soil - dust in/on the nose with sage, mint and cedar. Delightful with food and a lingering sweetness with full mouth feel. We agreed each of these wines are great ambassadors of their origin of place and will benefit from longer aging. It would be quite educational to compare these each year for the next 10 years. Or a wine from the Right bank, a St. Emillion or Pomerol with more Merlot.
A Choice of Duck Breast with red wine sauce, gratin dauphinois - crisp baked potato cake, and haricot verte - green beans. Lovely ! or Lotte a la Bordelaise - pan roasted monkfish medallions with a tomato white wine sauce, wild rice and green beans. Bob and I ordered one of each and shared. The fish with red wine was a superb pairing, the duck even more so.
Dessert: Grand Marnier Yule Log with a candied orange slice, holly leaf and berry decor. And a great cup of coffee. We were more than satisfied - in body and soul.