Suzanne's 2006 Date Night Cabernet garnered a lofty 93 from Wine Spectator. Here is what Wine Spectator magazine says.
PHIFER PAVITT Cabernet Sauvignon Napa Valley Date Night 2006
Well-crafted, tight and structured, with a complex blend of currant, boysenberry, black cherry and plum fruit framed by chewy, integrated tannins. Ends with a loamy earth edge. Drink now through 2017. 275 cases made. Phifer Pavitt Date Night is the best Pope Valley Cabernet I've tried (although the label doesn't say Pope Valley) Phifer Pavitt's bottling comes from Pope Valley, which is legally part of Napa, but is separated from the valley by Howell Mountain. This is the second exciting vintage from this producer, and I'm sure that once people realize how good Pope Valley wines can be, you'll start to see and hear more references to the Pope Valley-Napa Valley appellation, as well as more producers seeking its grapes. (A petition for a Pope Valley AVA, or American Viticultural Area, is in the works.) The wines are rich and fleshy, with gobs of fruit and great depth, but not as heavy as some Cabernets from the valley floor. —J.L.
The tasting will be at the home of Dr. David & Rhonda Kemp and conducted poolside if weather permits.
It will take place Thursday evening, Oct. 1 at 7pm. Suzanne will be
flying in from her Napa Valley home and personally conducting the
tasting. Phifer-Pavitt has graciously donated the wine and her
expenses, so all monies go directly to our charity Kalein
scholarship fund. We will do a comparative tasting of the 2006 (93
rating W.S.)and the rare and sold-out 2005 (94 rating W.S.) "Date
Night" vintages. We will also taste the extraordinary Olabisi Chardonnay from Phifer-Pavitt award-winning winemaker Ted Osborne and possibly a Syrah as well. Plenty of wine complemented by cheeses selected for ideal pairings will be on hand.
Space is limited to first 35.
The tasting is $100. donation per person.
You may sign up HERE.
Michael Sichel, whose cooking style draws on his
experiences at leading restaurants in France and the United States, has joined 7
on Fulton as Executive Chef. Sichel is a native New Yorker whose first encounter
with south-Louisiana cuisine came during the 10 months he spent in 1999 as
executive chef at Kean’s Carriage House in St. Francisville.
Sichel said his culinary style at 7 is “French-based and
New Orleans-inspired.” Among the dishes appearing on the initial menus are a
wild-mushroom soup with oysters and truffle-whipped egg yolk, warm crabmeat with
lemon mascarpone and curry foam, and bacon-wrapped pork tenderloin with pork
belly in sauce naturelle. “The exciting dining environment in New Orleans was a
major factor in my decision to work here,” Sichel said. “People in this city
have truly refined palates, which is one more motivation for me to maintain high
standards, to use the best technique with the best seasonal product available.”
Sichel, who holds an associate’s degree from the Culinary
Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., spent a year working under chef Pascal
Morel at the renowned Abbaye de Sainte Croix in Salon de Provence, France. His
other early postings included such widely respected American restaurants as
Rubicon in San Francisco, Gotham Bar & Grill in New York, and Chicago’s
Ritz-Carlton 
