Upon returning from the summer holidays, his\nfriend Piero Benvenuti organized a pleasant dinner at the “Salotto\nPortinari” restaurant in Florence by chef Vito Mollica.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vito prepared a special menu for us based on the\npairing of the wines that would be consumed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Present at the evening were: Aldo Fiordelli, Simone\nFracassi, Piero Benvenuti, Gianni Mercatali, Paolo Baracchino and the kind\nladies, Anna Paclet, Francesca Testi and Pinta Kaucher.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The aperitif was served to us in the pleasant\nbar of the restaurant and consisted of the Magnum of champagne from the Maison\nGaston Chiquet, blanc de blancs, 1996, combined with pleasant mis en bouche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
At the table we were served the\n“Mediterranean tuna carpaccio with citrus fruits” which was paired\nwith the Terlan wine 1st vintage 2020, a wine served blindfolded which seemed\nto be a Burgundy wine due to its mineral nose due to the presence of new wood\nand to the taste due to the imperfect taste balance. In Burgundy there are many\nwhite wines that are not well balanced between alcohol and freshness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I remembered this wine, once unmasked, which in\nthe past had more presence of wood.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the “seared imperial scampi, Casentino\nlard and Lucani beans” we were served a pleasant Bordeaux wine, La Clart\u00e9\nde Haut Brion, 2018 vintage, from Chateau Haut Brion. Excellent combination.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Followed by “porcini risotto with red\npartridge rag\u00f9” paired with Vosne Romanee Clos due Chateau vintage 2066\nfrom Domaine Compte Ligier Belair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
With the “grilled leg of suckling pig”\nwe were served two wines, the Chianti Classico Gran Selection Ipsus 2018 from\nthe Mazzei company and the Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Le Lucere 2012 from\nthe San Filippo company, both of which highlighted the pleasantness of the\ndish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Lastly, we were brought the dessert\n“Pineapple tatin scented with tenka beans and coconut ice cream”,\nwhich was accompanied by the 2004 vintage Occhio di pernice from the Vitereta\ncompany, a bottle brought by Simone Fracarsi, who was resting in the his cellar\nfor many years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
It was a very pleasant dinner for both female\nand male company, for the dishes and the wines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Vito pampered us all evening with his courtesy,\nhis kindness and his culinary skill.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Before moving on to the description of the wines\nI must make a clarification on the tannins of red wines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Regarding the width of the\ntannin, it is important to make the following clarifications so that it can be\nunderstood. I feel the tannin of the wine on the upper gum. The total width of\nthe tannin is 6\/6, i.e. the entire width of the upper gum. Obviously, if the\ntannin is less broad, it could be for example 5\/6 and so on. The width of the\ntannin is important when the quality of the tannin is of good or high level.\nThe larger the tannin, the more worthy of attention the wine is, but the\ntannin, as I have specified, must, in any case, be of good quality. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s now move on to\ndescribing the wines tasted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s\nnow look at the wines of the evening one by one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
MAISON\nGASTON CHIQUET<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Grand\nCru Blanc de Blancs, vintage 1996<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (magnum format, disgorged 2004)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n It\nshines from the glass as an intense golden yellow with amber reflections. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nbubbles are very fine and quite numerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From\nthe glass rise aromas of ripe banana, brioche bread, ripe jujube, graphite,\ncooked rennet apple, juniper berry, helichrysum (has aromas of liquorice, mint\nand chamomile), green banana peel and sea water (it is the same as the perfume\nof the internal part of the watermelon peel).<\/p>\n\n\n\n On\nthe palate the bubbles are fine, the body is medium and is richly savory and\nmineral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Flavor\nof lemon, honey, ginger and yellow grapefruit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nfreshness, flavor and minerality make the alcoholic mass imperceptible. Its\ntaste persistence is long with a cedar peel finish.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (95\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TERLANO<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n TERLAN\nI\u00b0, annata 2020<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (grape variety: 72% Pinot Bianco and 28% Chardonnay)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Transparent straw yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rich\nsense of smell, made up of aromas of freshly made popcorn, woody, sweet from\nthe outside of the dragee, starch from the cotton fabric, pear thigh, flint,\nintense aromas of episperm (it is the sweetness of the skin of the boiled\nchestnut), petrol, chamomile and licorice.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On\nthe palate it is intensely savory and mineral.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The body is medium and at the moment the wine is not well balanced, in fact despite the pleasant freshness, flavor and minerality the central part of the tongue can be felt a bit burning. Its taste persistence is long with a woody and liquorice finish. If I hadn’t been influenced by the label I would have given a lower score. Honestly, for me, smell is superior to taste. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (93\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n CHATEAU\nHAUT BRION<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n THE\nCLARITY OF HAUT BRION, year 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (grape:\n79.2% S\u00e9millon and 20.8% Sauvignon Blanc)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Light straw yellow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olfactory\nmix made of scents of starch from the cotton fabric, episperm (it is the woody\nnote that has the scent of boiled chestnut skin), petrol, popcorn, flint to end\nwith intense notes of peanut. On the palate it has a medium plus body and is\nsavory and mineral. Balanced wine with an imperceptible alcoholic mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its\ntaste persistence is long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (93\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n DOMAIN\nACCOUNT LIGIER – BELAIR<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n VOSNE\nROMANEE<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n CLOS\nDU CHATEAU, annata 2006<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Garnet red coat with fine orange edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Aromas\nof black pepper, nutmeg, raspberry, hints of wild sex, mint, cherry to finish\nwith kisses of red rose.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the palate it has spicy sensations of black\npepper that remain throughout the tasting. The body is medium and the freshness\nis enveloping enough to make the wine well balanced.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\ntannins are sweet, silky and completely broad (6\/6). Its persistence is long\nwith a very richly spiced finish with a flavor of black pepper and cloves. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (94\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n MAZZEI<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n IPSUS,\ndated 2018<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Chianti\nClassico Gran Selezione D.O.C.G.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ruby red dress with very fine garnet edge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Upon\nolfactory examination, the wine is a little closed and slowly opens up to\nbalsamic notes of mint and star anise followed by red cherry, peeled tomatoes,\nblack pepper, nutmeg and cloves.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nbody is medium and the wine is well balanced between alcohol and freshness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\ntannins are sweet, broad (6\/6) initially silky and then dry and burn the upper gum\na little.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its taste persistence is long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (93\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n SAINT\nPHILIP<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n LE\nLUCERE, born 2012<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Brunello\ndi Montalcino reserve<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Ruby red coat with garnet highlights.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nolfactory encounter is composed of scents of pea peel, chamomile, light\ncamphor, light sea water (it is the same as the scent of the white internal\npart of the watermelon peel), plum, almond shell, mint, eucalyptus, for end\nwith whispers of carob.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The\nbody is medium plus and the tannins are sweet, quite broad (5\/6), initially\nsilky and then dry a little as if they were slightly green.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Freshness\ncompletely dominates the alcoholic mass.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its taste persistence is long. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (93\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n VITERETA ESTATE COMPANY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Vinsanto OCCIO DI PERNICE, 2004 vintage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Intense amber – brown color<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olfactory mix made of perfumes of paint polish,\nnail polish, medicinal herbs, new wood, mint, eucalyptus, dried white fig and\ndried date.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On the palate, the body is very intense and has\na flavor of rhubarb root and dried dates and is savory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The body is medium plus and the wine is well\nbalanced, in fact the alcohol mass is imperceptible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Its flavor persistence is long with a peanut finish. <\/p>\n\n\n\n (96\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Upon returning from the summer holidays, his friend Piero Benvenuti organized a pleasant dinner at the “Salotto Portinari” restaurant in Florence by chef Vito Mollica. Vito prepared a special menu for us based on the pairing of the wines that would be consumed. Present at the evening were: Aldo Fiordelli, Simone Fracassi, Piero Benvenuti, Gianni […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15339,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"gallery","meta":{"tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15356","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/IMG-20240919-WA0021-1.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pav13q-3ZG","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15356"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15356\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15361,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15356\/revisions\/15361"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15339"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}