Paint the Town Red

Rouge Restaurant
Thursday October 30, 2003

This was the event of the year with a sold-out crowd of over 48 members and guests. Chef Paul Rogalski and Olivier Reynaud of the Rouge restaurant created a unique cosmopolitan cuisine with a wonderful French influence. A perfect location for a perfect evening with our special guests, producer and winemaker, James Sichel and Rupert Symington.

This extraordinary evening began with a wine tasting conducted by James Sichel as we sampled 1988, 1998 and 1999 of Château d'Angludet, Margaux and 1995 of La Ferme d'Angludet (The second wine of Château d'Angludet). Tasting Notes

Chef Rogalski prepared a wonderful four course dinner to showcase the dinner wines Château La Tour Martillac, Pessac-Leognan, 1995, Château d'Angludet, Margaux, 1996 and Château Palmer, Margaux, 1986. Menu

To top this exceptional dinner we had the pleasure to meet Port Producer, Rupert Symington who conducted a tasting of Smith-Woodhouse 1990 LBV Traditional, Graham 10 year old Tawny and Graham 1980.

l to r: Greg Stebbe, Maitre, James Sichel, new inductees: Mary Waterman and Wayne Glover.

Rupert Symington

Tasting Notes
Château La Ferme d'Angludet, 1995
Pleasant, perfumed aromatics with coffee, tobacco and warm fruit aromas of plum & cherry. Palate is medium bodied, the tannins are firm and the fruit is pleasant.
Merlot 51%, CS 40%, CF 9%.

Château d'Angludet, 1999
It has a lovely floral, cassis-perfumed nose, which comes through on the palate of this medium/light-bodied wine. With its smooth tannins it is beginning to drink well.
Merlot 48%, CS 48%.

Château d'Angludet, 1998
Vibrant aromas of blackcurrents, cedar and vanillia combine on a balanced, velvety, mid-wiehgt palate with ripe tannins. Firm wine with a ripe peppery finish.
Merlot 52%, CS 43%, PV 5%.

Château d'Angludet, 1988
Nose is elegant with ripe, round fruit with a hint of vine. The palate is medium bodied, with well balanced evident tannins and highish acidity. Mature, slightly spicy fruit flavours dominate. Clean finish, nice length.

Menu
Smoked trout salad roll, garden mint and sweet chili cream
Angus beef striploin with black truffle jus, mashed potatoes and garden vegetables
Selection of cheeses
Lemon crème brulee

About the Wines

Château d`Angludet is a Cru Bourgeois property that now regularly produces wines of grand cru classé quality. It is located in the Margaux appellation and its vineyards are situated at the 3-way intersection of the Cantenac, Arsac and Labarde communes.

The late Peter Sichel purchased the property in 1961 and it became his home for the next 37 years. The vineyards and cuverie were in a deplorable condition when Sichel took over and it is due to his sheer will and determination that d`Angludet enjoys its high reputation today.

The 32 hectares of vineyards are planted with Cabernet Sauvignon (58%), Merlot (35%), Cabernet Franc (5%) and Petit Verdot (2%). The grapes are fermented in temperature-controlled, stainless steel tanks and the wine is then aged in oak barriques (25-33% new) for 12 months. The wine is bottled unfiltered.

La Ferme d'Angludet - The second wine of Château d'Angludet is usually produced from younger vines, La Ferme d'Angludet nonetheless remains a fine illustration of the appellation. It is faithful to the character of Angludet-balanced, supple and round. However, it is less structured and less complex than the Grand Vin, and is intended to be drunk earlier, usually between the 3rd and 8th year following the vintage.

http://www.chateau-angludet.fr/english/chateau-angludet.html#

Château Palmer
Characteristics of vintage 1986
The summer of 1986 was marked by record drought conditions. Thankfully, September brought two periods of rain, which allowed the vines to ripen quickly. When picking began in early October, the weather was fine and the harvest had reached optimum maturity. The 1986s are rich and fruity with excellent tannins.

Château Tasting Note (Feburary 2000)
Attractive brick-red, showing some maturity. The bouquet is characterised by elegant, discreet scents of wild rose and other floral notes blended with hints of spice.

The nose becomes more expressive and the wine rounder and more ample on the palate. Scents of leather and prunes in brandy add to the complexity of a wine of outstanding balance and breed.

Blending of vintage 1986
The blend consists of 48% Merlot, 41% Cabernet Sauvignon, 4% Cabernet Franc, 7% Petit Verdot.

http://www.chateau-palmer.com/en/espaces/home.htm

About our Guests

James Sichel The Sichel Family have established one of the most exciting and original Bordeaux negociant companies through ongoing development since the foundation of the company in the 19th century. Being producers and winemakers, Maison Sichel has based its success on innovation and tradition.

In 1938 James Sichel's grandfather joined with three other families to purchase the legendary, but then very run down, Chateau Palmer (AC Margaux). Today, commentators and buyers in tasting notes and countless articles pay tribute to the fact that while classed as a third growth, it frequently out-performs many first growth estates. In 1961, Sichel acquired another Margaux property Chateau D'Angludet at Cantenac. Today critics agree that it ranks as one of the top Cru Bourgeois of the Medoc.

James Sichel, Proprietor of Chateau d'Angludet and Co-owner of Chateau Palmer, will share with us a lifetime of inspired winemaking by the Sichel dynasty by conducting a memorable tasting.

http://www.sichel.fr/english/index.html

Rupert Symington
The Symington family has been involved in the Port industry for over 100 years. More recently these interests have expanded to embrace the superb wines of Madeira, the exotic Atlantic island.

Oporto native Rupert Symington knows a thing or two about world-famous spirits, particularly port. After graduating from Oxford with a degree in mathematics and a passion for wine, he threw in with the financial world-as an analyst for beverage and leisure firms-before returning to the family business, Symington Port and Madeira Shippers, located in Oporto.

Symington is a fourth-generation family-run business that is known for producing and distributing some of the world's finest ports-under labels such as Graham's, Dow's, Smith Woodhouse, Gould Campbell, Warre's, and Quinta do Vesuvio.

http://www.symington.com/

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