Bordeaux, France 6 & treats
Day 6 was our departure day. We had time to take a short walk and get some fresh bread early in the morning. We revisited Place Canteloup, a square by the Basilique Saint-Michel and its bell tower, which looked magnificent in the gentle morning light.
Bordeaux might be known as a wine city to many, but to me, it will always be a jasmine city.
We entered Cérès Boulangerie once they opened their door for the day. This time I got a pain aux raisins. It was lovely! J picked a chausson aux pommes. It seems a chausson aux pommes is one of the few sweet pastries that he tends to choose. We also bought two kinds of bread loafs to take home. They were still steamy hot!
We got back home safely with lots of treats, including three wines, of course: a Château Laroze 2016 from Saint-Émilion Grand Cru Classé (Right Bank), a Château Poujeaux 2016 from Moulis-en-Médoc (Left Bank), and a Château Guiraud 2022, 1er Grand Cru Classé from Sauternes.
Three jams from Atelier Paytra Fouquet in Saint-Émilion: Oranges amères au whisky (bitter oranges with whisky), Fraise - Timut du Népal(strawberry with Timur berries from Nepal), and Châtaigne à la vanille (chestnut with vanilla). All three were delicious, especially the strawberry jam. I hadn't heard of Timur berries before. Also known as Timur pepper, Timur berries are harvested from the dried husks of a thorny shrub grown in the Nepalese mountains and have distinct, intense citrusy and grapefruit aromas. I couldn't separate the flavor of Timur berries from the jam, but magic happens when they meet strawberry to become an outstanding jam.
Various chocolate from La Maison Darricau - they were fantastic!
Hasnaâ Chocolats Grands Crus' award-winning chocolate made with ganaches of fine wines from five prestigious châteaux on Bordeaux's left bank:
- Margaux with wine from Château Marquis de Terme [Grand Cru Classé]
- Saint-Julien with wine from Château Léoville Poyferré [Grand Cru Classé]
- Saint-Estèphe with wine from Château Le Crock
- Pauillac with the wine from Château Pédesclaux [Grand Cru Classé]
- Moulis with wine from Château Poujeaux [Grand Cru Classé of the Médoc]
We got a box of 25 pieces, with each region represented by 5 pieces. The chocolatier also creates the right bank version, but we picked the left bank. The left bank offers full-bodied, robust structured wines, while the right bank produces softer, rounder wines. We thought the left bank's bold taste would stand out more in the chocolate. In fact, the chocolate was wonderful. Certainly, I tasted red wine, although the difference among the five Châteaux was subtle for me.
Two bread loafs from Cérès Boulangerie: Cérès and Complet. Both were hearty and tasty.
Two kinds of canned sardines from la Perle des Dieux, a 130-year-old, traditional cannery that has been sort, cut and packed sardines that are caught locally in Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, a port in western France. One was Mexican-style spiced sardines - 'Flavors of the Yucatan;' the other was Moroccan-style spiced sardines - 'Flavors of Essaouira.' They were ok. Although we only sampled the two cans, I'm going to stick to our usual brand, la belle-iloise, for French canned sardines.
Three cheeses from Fromagerie Deruelle, an independent cheese shop that offers 150 different cheeses! J selected three types of French cheese, based on helpful recommendations from the shop's staff member: Timanoix (left), Escadut bio (middle), and Brillat-Savarin IGP (right).
- Timanoix: a semi-soft cow's milk cheese produced by Trappist monks at the Abbaye Notre-Dame de Timadeuc in Bréhan, Brittany, famous for its washed rind, which is repeatedly bathed in a brine and walnut liqueur solution as it ages for about 60 days.
- Escadut: a semi-hard, raw sheep's milk cheese produced by Basque-Béarnais farmers in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques, known for its natural rind and a buttery texture with a savory, nutty flavors.
- Brillat-Savarin IGP: a soft, triple-cream, cow's milk cheese produced in Brillat-Savarin country between Burgundy and Champagne, featuring a snowy white rind and am extremely rich, creamy texture.
We also bought two kinds of cured meat - Chorizo fumé à la broche (smoked chorizo cooked on a spit) from Saint-Agrève, the Ardèche department in southern France and Saucisse sèche maigre (lean dry sausage) - and quince jelly at the cheesemonger. We had a lovely cheese party!
It was another wonderful trip. While I have many pleasant memories, my top three highlights were sampling different cannelés, admiring the tranquil Saint-Émilion countryside, and playing an interactive grape-crushing game at La Cité du Vin. I hope we have an opportunity to further explore southwestern France and discover its charming towns and villages in the future.
