It was the final night of our epic four day anniversary celebration and my husband’s turn to shine. He took me to dinner downtown to a restaurant where we had never eaten before AND it was right by one of my favorite Dallas wine stores, Pogo’s Wine and Spirits, which has nothing to do with this post but since we bought the wonderful wines we enjoyed in celebration 1 & 2 from Pogo’s I thought I would add them in again here.

The restaurant where we dined was an upscale French restaurant (yes there was an unintentional anniversary theme) called Bijoux. Bijoux is owned and operated by husband and wife team Scott and Gina Gottlich; with Scott as the executive chef and Gina as the restaurant’s Sommelier. They opened the restaurant together in fall 2006 and as a result of their collaboration the restaurant was named to the “Top Ten Hottest New Restaurants in America” by Bon Appétit Magazine that same year. Additionally, Bijoux has maintained two five-star reviews from the Dallas Morning News since opening in 2006. As you can see, my dear husband was not messing around making this anniversary dinner reservation!

Let’s begin our reflection on this glorious meal with the wine:

Château Magnol Haut– Médoc 2010 Cru Bourgeois Bordeaux: This beautiful deep garnet wine was crafted from 47% Merlot, 38% Cabernet Sauvignon and 15% Cabernet Franc. It opened with aromas of ripe berries, wrapped in leather, spice and chocolate. On the palate this well rounded Bordeaux delivered ripe strawberries, blackberry jam and red currants; followed by baking spices on the middle of the palate; and rich worn leather, pepper, chocolate and a hint of dusty earth on the back of the palate. It was a beautifully layered wine, though not very complex. It had rounded acidity and elegantly refined tannins that were pleasing on the palate. This wine was aged for 12 months in French oak. This wine was very easy to drink and pleasing but not a show stopper. However, I would drink it again and recommend it for elegant weeknight enjoyment.

Château Magnol is located west of Bordeaux, owning 30 hectares in the Haut-Médoc Appellation, “in the southern part of the Médoc on the left bank of the Gironde estuary. It has an ideal micro-climate thanks to its proximity to the ocean and the estuary,” where the soil consists of gravel and sand.

From the Château Magnol web site: Château Magnol is known worldwide as the heart of Barton & Guestier: hosting the company’s headquarters, a famous guesthouse and a true wineschool. Above all, Château Magnol is a vineyard which wine is served in the finest restaurants all over the world. Château Magnol’s winegrowing history goes back to 1842 when Monsieur Delisse, an experienced agronomist, consolidated the vineyards surrounding the former Château du Dehez. The estate was purchased under the name “Château Magnol” in 1978 by Barton & Guestier, who undertook major investments in the vineyards and cellars. The efforts were crowned with successs when Château Magnol was classified Cru Bourgeois in 1987.

On to the wonderful food:

Each course we enjoyed at Bijoux was excellent and all paired beautifully with the Bordeaux. Our first course was a welcome and palate cleanser. I am not entirely sure what it was but it was quite good. For an appetizer I chose the Poached Pasture Raised Egg with Heirloom tomato, smoked lettuce and a champagne vinaigrette. It was elegant and divine! For our entrees my husband enjoyed the Braised Wagyu Beef Cheek served with prawn, baby turnips and béarnaise sauce. I chose the Truffled Risotto, crafted from Carnaroli rice, Parmigiano-Reggiano and black truffles. It was decadent and fantastic! After our entrees we enjoyed some delightful fromage: Jouvance Camembert with black mission figs, housemade fig cookie and vanilla paste. It was rich, delicious and just the right amount for us to enjoy. Finally, dessert: the choice was difficult but we decided on the Blue Berry Swirl; crafted from chiffon cake, meringue and Texas blueberry ice cream. It was the perfect end to a glorious meal at Bijoux. Our waiter, Austin, was friendly, appropriately attentive and helpful. We thoroughly enjoyed our evening at Bijoux. The food was outstanding, the wine was delicious and paired very well with each course, the atmosphere was soft and romantic and the entire staff was courteous. We would happily dine at Bijoux again and have already recommended it to friends.

My Song Selection: The song I have chosen to pair with this wonderful (and last for this year) anniversary celebration and dinner at Bijoux is Thank You by Led Zeppelin. As I said in part one of my anniversary articles, all I wanted was quality time with my husband. Well as you can see quality time is exactly what I received and I am so thankful. The words of this song are so beautiful and so special to my husband and I. I am so thankful for him! Enjoy:

Spend a special anniversary dinner at a wonderful restaurant and let me know what song you would pair with it. Cheers!