My favorite bistro for serious eating in Bordeaux is La Tupina, located in the old part of the city, not far from the river. The chef, Jean-Pierre Xiradakis, prepares the finest roast chicken in the region, and his famed omelet stuffed to the brim with black truffles is exquisite. For my tastes, La Tupina also has the best french fries in the Bordeaux region. All in all, this was a decadent feasting opportunity during my two week tasting trip to Bordeaux.

The wines began with a magnificent bottle of the 1990 Lynch Bages, one of the great vintages for this beloved Pauillac owned by Jean-Michel Cazes. It was paired with a corked bottle of 1990 Léoville Las-Cases. That was redeemed with a brilliant, fully mature yet beautifully elegant wine of first-growth quality, the 1985 Léoville Las-Cases, which has another decade of aging ability, although it is certainly à point, as the French would say. The 1986 Léoville Las-Cases was much younger, fuller-bodied, more muscular, and more packed and stacked in the mouth. A great young Léoville Las-Cases, it was the late Michel Delon's favorite vintage. He preferred it over even the 1982 and 1990. The 1986 should drink well for another 20+ years.