Today is a big day; we have a private tour of Antinori’s Chianti Estates. Oh boy this should be good.
We set off from the villa and head cross country and I mean cross-county, these are single lane roads that twist, climb, descend and twist some more. Basically we’re lookout out for the Abbey in Badia. A couple of wrong turns, a scratch of the head and ‘walla’, we’re parked outside of La Bottega a small wine shop opened by Allegra Antinori in 1995. In 2000 they expanded the shop to accommodate Osteria di Passignano, a wonderful 5 star restaurant literally in the middle of nowhere.
We sat down for lunch; the restaurant has no more than a dozen tables and today it is us and one other very well to-do family partaking in lunch.
Oh my god what a great menu, this is first-class all the way and must visit for any wine and food lover.
Here are some excerpts from the current menu:
To start off with…
Millefeuille of Tuscan Bread, Kale and Cannellini on Bean, Tomato and Sage Sauce
with Brand New Olive Oil
First course…
Rosemary Fresh Half-moon Filled with Rabbit on Tomato and Balck Olive Sauce
Second course…
Baked Suckling Piglet from the "Bosco del Bruciato" with Chestenuts Polenta Pyramid and Turpin Tops Sautée
Check out their website for a full and up-to-date menu. www.osteriadipassignano.com
After enjoying one of the best lunches of all time (I realize this is the second time this trip I’ve claimed this pleasure) and polishing of two bottles of my very favorite super-tuscan Tignanello we retreated to the bar (the shop doubles as a bar – fabulous!) to meet up with our host Betty-Ann (no she’s not originally from Italy but she did go to Swiss finishing school, close enough I think you’ll agree).
First off was a tour of the historical cellars situated under the Badia Abbey (next door) which is still occupied by monks and there rather large dogs (see photo’s). Deep into the bowels of the abbey we explored, examining barrel after barrel, mmm, I’m getting thirsty…
Returning topside we jumped in the car and followed Betty-Ann up to the Tignanello Estate home of Super-Tuscan’s Tiganello (obviously) and Solaia.
What beautiful place and in pristine condition. We headed into the main house where we sat down to taste the best the Antinori’s have to offer.
Here are the wines we tasted:
- Villa Antinori 2002
- Peppoli 2203
- Badia a Passignano Riserva 2000
- Brunello Di Montalcino 2000
- Solaia 2002
Needless to say from the start the wines just got bigger and bigger. The Brunello was a very pleasant surprise and according to Betty-Ann during a recent visit from the 1st lady she personally vindicate the Brunello as the ideal barbecue wine – but do remember that’s a presidential barbecue, not some meat-fest thrown together by yours truly.
This was a great day and I thank god for Greg’s discipline, like a professional he tasted but did not swallow. The rest of us swigged as much as we could squeeze out of Betty-Ann and slept all the way back to the villa.
|  | 
|
