I may not be able to travel to Bordeaux at the moment…but I couldn’t resist it when Bordeaux came to my backyard. Last night, Lavendou Bistro Provincial hosted three Bordeaux winery owners. Wines from three distinct appellations were paired with three main courses for a decadent meal that was worth skipping lunch for.
The evening started with a welcome Champagne and amuse-bouche of mushroom tart and prosciutto canape–and then the reds began to pour!
The first two wines were from Château Branaire-Ducru in Saint-Julien. They were presented by François-Xavier Maroteaux, the current manager of the estate and new president of the Union des Grands Crus de Bordeaux. Maroteaux spoke for a few moments about the history of the Château, its current plantings and its signature style.
Each course was paired with two wines from a single producer–the Château’s first wine (grand vin) and their second wine. In the case of Château Branaire-Ducru we were treated to two powerful and fragrant Left Bank blends, paired with baked salmon in Bordelaise sauce and Lavendou’s creamy risotto with leeks and asparagus.
All the wines were excellent, it goes without saying. But the 2016 Duluc de Branaire-Ducru almost brought me to tears with the intensity and finesse of its fruit and floral aromas. (No detailed tasting notes–this was a date night–but I did list all the wines at the bottom of this post.)
Next up were two wines from Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste in Pauillac, based on Cabernet Sauvignon. These were very classic in style with black fruits, grippy tannins, and a whiff of earthiness.
The menu pairing was a meaty duck pâté en croûte garnished with thyme sprigs and blackcurrants. The Grand-Puy-Lacoste grand vin was rich and scented with vanilla and blackberry that complemented the puff pastry and fruity sauce, while the second wine had refreshingly herbal, almost grassy aromas. This pair of wines were the most different from each other. I relished them both and couldn’t decide which one paired best with the sweet and gamey flavors of the duck.
Two foodie asides: As much as wine writers love to talk about blackcurrants, I hadn’t actually eaten a fresh one in a while. So, that was a learning experience. Also, Lavendou does duck really well. If you ever see their “duck three ways” appetizer on the menu–with rillettes and house-cured duck pastrami–get that plate!
The third (!) entree of the night was a hearty beef tenderloin. It was served with dauphinoise potatoes and topped with goose liver and truffle-laced demi-glace. It was perfectly cooked and the plate’s richness was amplified by soft and elegant Merlot-based wines from Château Pavie Macquin. Estate manager Cyrille Thienpont flattered all the Texans in the room by talking about the viticultural advantages of Texas rootstocks.
The final course was a fudgy chocolate terrine served with a Bastor-Lamontagne Sauternes. By this time Sarah and I were so full we could only manage a few bites of dessert. The Sauternes wasn’t my favorite ever–a little simple, we both thought–but I sure did drink it all anyway.
During the dessert course, one of the winemaker-speakers, Emily Borie, came by the table to check on us and handed out Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste stickers to me and Sarah. All this wine and food and we also get stickers? I was in heaven. The sticker is going in my wine journal, with all the fruit and vegetable stickers.
[Edited to add: I guess it’s not a sticker, but some kind of round shiny business card? Never mind, it’s still pretty cool.]
[Edited again to add: It’s not a sticker or a business card, but a fold-able wine pourer that goes in the neck of a bottle! Big thanks to Daniel for enlightening me.]
After everyone was all wined up, the servers circulated an order form for the evening’s featured wines. We pre-ordered a couple bottles of our favorite wine of the night (Château Branaire-Ducru’s second wine, delicious and a steal at $40), and a couple of other bottles to revisit.
If you read my wine blog, you know most of the French wine I drink at home comes from the middle or bottom shelf. I love the wines of Bordeaux and they’re so good with everyday food it seems a shame to hoard them or to save them for special occasions.
So, it’s rare that I have the chance to drink a Grand Cru–much less in the presence of the men and women who produce these remarkable wines. This dinner was a splurge for us at $135 a seat but I’m glad I jumped on the opportunity. The portions and pours were abundant. We were given a private table for two–which was fine with me because I’m rather shy–but I think you can request to be seated with the winemakers if you want to chat them up.
If you’re in the DFW area, I highly recommend getting on Lavendou’s mailing list for invites to their special dinners. (They also announce events on their Facebook page.) Their Sunday afternoon tea and three-course chef’s lunch (weekends) are local favorites, as well. If you enjoy tasting traditional French cooking and exceptional wines in a cozy setting, this venerable neighborhood spot checks all the boxes.
The occasion:
Bordeaux Wine Dinner (March 5, 2025)
Lavendou Bistro Provincial
19009 Preston Rd #200, Dallas, TX 75252
The wines:
JN Haton Blanc de Noirs Champagne (NV)
Château Duluc de Branaire-Ducru, Saint-Julien (2016)
Château Branaire-Ducru Saint-Julien, Grand Cru Classé (2019)
Château Lacoste-Borie, Pauillac (2016)
Château Grand-Puy-Lacoste, Pauillac, Grand Cru Classé (2018)
Château Les Chênes de Macquin, Saint-Emilion (2018)
Château Pavie Macquin, Saint-Emilion, Premier Grand Cru Classé (2019)
Château Bastor-Lamontagne, Sauternes (2016)
Review disclosure: I was not compensated or provided any free products for this review. Opinions expressed on The Wine Fairy blog are entirely my own.
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