I was a regular at the restaurant, now called “IL Merlo,” when it was under different management and a different name. In March of this year, my friend Simone Fracassi, who likes to call himself the “butcher of the Valdichiana” but is actually a supplier of meat and cured meats to the best Italian restaurants and a few Swiss Michelin-starred restaurants, hosted a lunch at Il Merlo in Lido di Camaiore, with chef Angelo Torcigliani.
The menu would have been as follows:
Tasting of the day’s crusted pâté
Tourte di oca puree Subise
Salsa al cognac
Ballotina of wood pigeon and prized black truffle
Risotto with wood pigeon and horns of the dead
Double-cooked goose
Breast in mustard, orange, and lemon sauce (Maestro Martino’s recipe)
Legs cooked in goose fat, melting potatoes
Woodcock on a crouton of its gratin giblets.
Before dessert, we were also served woodcock breast, cooked rare.
Simone Fracassi’s guests were the following: Massimo Roghi, Davide Macaluso, Gionata Federigi, Andrea Lombardo, Alessandro Vezzosi, Gianni Mercatali and myself.
I arrived at the appointment a little early, just in time to start sipping on champagne accompanied by a delicious focaccia.
Each guest brought a magnum bottle of wine, and at first one of the guests said, “That’s six magnums, let’s open a couple, they’ll be enough.” To this, I replied, “They’ll all open,” and so it was. We were all relaxed and ready to spend a few pleasant hours together, enjoying these dishes and the wines that accompanied them. Chef Angelo Torcigliani was excellent; even the wood pigeon risotto was cooked al dente, just the way I like it. The only dish that left me perplexed was the rare woodcock, which, I must confess, I didn’t like. Woodcock is like pigeon to me; I can’t eat them rare, unlike steak, which I like rare, with the inside warm.
Before starting lunch, we ate some tasty focaccia accompanied by “Jean Yves De Carlini” Champagne, a non-vintage, chilled Blanc de Noirs that cooled well and delighted the palate.
Next up was a 2016 Barons de Rothschild champagne, a blend of Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.
Following are the 2022 Chianti Classico Peppoli di Antinori and the 2015 Brunello di Montalcino Mastrojanni.
Lunch continued with the uncorking of bottles. Next, the 2013 Coevo wine from Cecchi was opened, followed by the 2000 Fidenzio from Podere San Luigi. Unfortunately, the latter no longer exists due to the passing of its owners.
It was a mega high-quality lunch and chef Angelo Torcigliani was excellent at highlighting the quality of the food.
The service was impeccable and the two waitresses Paola and Vittoria pampered us completely.
Before moving on to the analysis of the wines, it is necessary to make the following premise.
Regarding the width of the tannin, it’s important to clarify the following points so it can be understood. I taste the tannin in the wine on the upper gum. The total width of the tannin is 6/6, that is, the entire width of the upper gum. Obviously, if the tannin is less wide, it could be, for example, 5/6, and so on. The width of the tannin is important when its quality is good or high. The wider the tannin, the more worthy of attention the wine is, but the tannin, as I specified, must, in any case, be of good quality.
Let’s now move on to describing the wines we tasted.
JEAN YVES DE CARLINI HOUSE
Blanc de Noirs Champagne
Grand Cru Brut S.A.
(blend: 100% Pinot Noir)
Coppery golden yellow in color. The bubbles are fine and quite numerous.
From the glass rise aromas of pine resin, green banana peel, hints of rosemary, raspberry, and pear, finishing with woody notes.
On the palate, it reveals a medium body, fine bubbles, savory flavors, and the sweetness of the outer layer of the candy. A balanced wine with a freshness that envelops the alcohol.
Its intense aromatic persistence is quite long.
(89/100)
HOUSE OF BARONS DE ROTHSCHILD
Brut, vintage 2016
(blend: 51% Pinot Noir and 49% Chardonnay)
Bright golden yellow with fine and fairly numerous bubbles.
Olfactory mix made up of aromas of brioche bread, quite ripe banana, woody, light lemon notes, finishing with hints of vanilla.
The body is medium-sufficient. A savory and well-balanced wine, with freshness completely dominating the alcohol. Its intense aromatic persistence is quite long.
Better on the nose than on the taste. (89/100)
MARQUIS ANTINORI
PEPPOLI CHIANTI CLASSICO D.O.C.G., 2022 vintage
(blend: 90% Sangiovese and 10% Cabernet Sauvignon and Syrah)
Light ruby red, transparent.
Nose composed of aromas of cherry, mint, eucalyptus, light notes of cotton starch, plum, finishing with hints of tomato preserve.
On the palate, it reveals a medium, adequate body and a good balance between alcohol and freshness. The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6), and velvety.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long with a finish of cherry and plum
(89/100)
MASTROJANNI COMPANY
Brunello di Montalcino D.O.C.G., 2015 vintage
Garnet red robe with a fine orange edge.
From the glass rise aromas of mint, eucalyptus, black marasca cherry, intense notes of peanut, green tea, clean sea water (it is similar to the white inner part of the watermelon rind), finishing with hints of worked leather.
On the palate it reveals a medium body and a good balance between alcohol and freshness.
The tannins are sweet, quite broad (5/6), initially velvety and then drying out the upper gum a bit. Its flavour persistence is long.
(93/100)
CECCHI
COEVO TASCANA IGT, 2013 vintage
(blend: 50% Merlot di Maremma and 50% Sangiovese di Castellina in Chianti)
Intense ruby red colour.
Charismatic nose composed of aromas of plum, blueberry, cherry, Marseille soap, star anise and sweet licorice that reminds me of “Morositas” sweets, sweet “Clan” pipe tobacco, black pepper, nutmeg, juniper berry and broken almond.
On the palate, it has a medium body and is perfectly balanced. The tannins are sweet, broad (6/6-), thick and silky.
Its intense aromatic persistence is long.
(95/100)
SAN LUIGI FARM
FIDENZIO, TOSCANA IGT, 2000 vintage
(blend: Cabernet Sauvignon and Cabernet Franc)
It shines with an intense ruby red and purple colour.
Olfactory fan made up of aromas of mint, eucalyptus, sweets from the outside of the candy, cocoa powder, coffee grounds, blueberry, blackberry, black pepper, nutmeg, black cherry, fresh plum and light dried plum.
On tasting the body is medium and the wine has an intense flavour of dried plum.
Excellent balance between alcohol and freshness.
The tannins are sweet, thick, broad (6/6–), initially velvety, then slightly drying the upper gum.
Its flavour is long-lasting with a finish of ripe black cherry.
(96/100)
After this pleasant lunch, we were all incredibly satisfied with the company, the food, and the wine. When Simone Fracassi organizes an event, it’s always top-notch.
