I\nrecently had lunch at the new “Arnolfo” restaurant in Colle Val\nd’Elsa. I went with Bruno Rossini, owner, together with his daughter Natascia,\nof the Podere la Capella winery in San Donato in Poggio. I had been to this new\nArnolfo restaurant for the first time two months earlier, together with friends\nGail and Giulio Nicita and I was struck by the beauty of the structure, the\nfurnishings, the kitchens, the splendid cellar, the service and the food. The\nowners, brothers Giovanni and Gaetano Trovato, spared no expense and created\nthis breathtaking structure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Giovanni\nTrovato on that occasion advised me to return during the day because I would\nsee a stupendous panorama.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
I\nremember when I went for the first time to their first restaurant in the center\nof Colle Val D’Elsa, together with friends Sandra and Patrizio Giaconi where I\nhad a great time, I remember that among the various dishes I ate a sole covered\nlike a dress with slices of courgettes. It’s not easy for me to remember a\ndish, it’s easier for me to remember a wine. In that case I remember the dish\nbecause it struck me positively both in terms of aesthetics and taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nchef of this restaurant is Gaetano Trovato while his brother Giovanni has\nalways been at the reception and in the dining room.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nraw materials of Gaetano’s cuisine are 80% local and 20% Italian. Gaetano has\ncollaborations with Laura Peri, Simone Fracassi, Poggio Sorbelli, Cavolo e\nMerenda, the Sant’Ulivieri agricultural company and many others from whom he\npurchases top quality raw materials. The Arnolfo restaurant was born in 1982\nwith the help of his mother. In 1986 the first Michelin star arrived and\nGaetano became the youngest Italian star.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\n1990, Giovanni, the sommelier who manages the room, arrived in the restaurant.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Then\nin 1994 the restaurant moved a few steps away to a 16th century building where\nin addition to the restaurant four high-level rooms were created as an\nexclusive service for restaurant guests only.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\n1999 the second Michelin star arrived, which has deservedly remained until\ntoday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In\n2008 Arnolfo joined the prestigious Relais & Chateaux family and in 2021\nthe chef began an important collaboration with the Four Seasons Resort Maldives\nin Landaa Giraavaru.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nnew structure was inaugurated in 2022, just forty years after the birth of the\nArnolfo restaurant. The Trovato brothers wanted to create an environment that\nenhanced the territory; the yellow of Siena, the travertine of the Crete\nSenesi, the large windows overlooking the charming historic center of Colle Val\nd’Elsa, the Colligiani crystals for the various sets of stemware and glasses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The\nopen kitchen overlooking the living room is a spectacle. The Trovato brothers\nleft room for the young. Alice, Gaetano’s daughter, takes care of reception and\npublic relations and next to her is Calogero Milazzo who joined the team after\nhaving gained important experience in Italy and abroad. Matilde Morandi is the\nPastry chef who, after various important experiences including that of\ncollaborating with Maestro Massari, took over the pastry shop with an\nall-female team. Chef Gaetano Trovato received the “Chef mentor” and\n“Passion dessert” awards from the Red Guide in 2023.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
As\nI wrote, I have known the Trovano brothers for many years and I have always\nseen them determined to achieve the desired results. The old location of the\nrestaurant has remained functional and is also used for tastings and as a hotel\nfor customers. Before starting lunch we went for a tour of the cellar, what can\nI say?, a wonderful cellar!. Must see! <\/p>\n\n\n\n
At\nlunch we had a beautiful view. We started our lunch with several mis en bouche\nwashed down by a pleasant champagne, the Belle Epoque from Maison Perrier\nJouet, 2013 vintage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Followed\nby scampi with diced turnips which were fabulous both for their presentation on\nthe plate and for their pleasant taste.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afterwards\nwe were served plin, Valdarno duck, pasta and chickpeas with which we drank one\nof my favorite wines, the Sangiovese “Corbezzolo” from the Podere La\nCappella company, 2016 vintage, pure poetry of food and wine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Afterwards\nI enjoyed eating the Chianina PGI, black truffle from Norcia and winter\nvegetables.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finally,\nI enjoyed tasting a couple of cheeses from the Sienese countryside. I must\nconfess that Arnolfo, for me, certainly deserves a third Michelin star and I am\nsure he will get it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let’s\nnow come to my tasting notes of the two wines drunk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
HOUSE\nPERRIER TOY<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n BELLE\nEPOQUE, 2016 vintage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (grape variety: 50% Chardonnay, 45% Pinot Noir\nand 5% Pinot Meunier)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shiny\ngolden yellow color. The bubbles are fine and quite numerous.<\/p>\n\n\n\n From\nthe glass rise aromas of rennet apple, Marseille soap, white flowers, anemones,\nflint, Coccoina glue (coconut and almond milk), salted almond, pear thigh and\niodine.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On\nthe palate the body is medium (it is more structured than the 2015), the\nbubbles are fine and caressing, rich flavor and pleasant minerality. Pear\nflavor thigh.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Wine\nwider than vertical. At a certain point the body diminishes and it is the\nfreshness that allows it to have a long tasting persistence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n (95\/100)<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n PODERE LA\nCAPPELLA<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n CORBEZZOLO,\n2016 vintage<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n Tuscany\nIGT <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n (grape\nvariety: 100% sangiovese)<\/p>\n\n\n\n Light\ngarnet red colour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Olfactory\nmix made of aromas of black morello cherry, mint, eucalyptus, processed\nleather, peeled tomatoes, nutmeg, cocoa powder, chamomile and dried chestnut.<\/p>\n\n\n\n On\nthe palate it has a medium plus chorus and is well balanced with the freshness\nthat dominates the alcoholic mass. The tannins are sweet, silky and broad\n(6\/6). Its flavor persistence is long with a finish of morello cherry and\nmedicinal herbs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This\n2016 is qualitatively halfway between 2013 and 2015.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When\nyou leave the Arnolfo restaurant after an experience like this you already\nthink about returning.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I recently had lunch at the new “Arnolfo” restaurant in Colle Val d’Elsa. I went with Bruno Rossini, owner, together with his daughter Natascia, of the Podere la Capella winery in San Donato in Poggio. I had been to this new Arnolfo restaurant for the first time two months earlier, together with friends Gail and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":15745,"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":[731,137],"class_list":["post-15773","post","type-post","status-publish","format-gallery","has-post-thumbnail","category-uncategorized","tag-arnolfo-restaurant","tag-paolo-baracchino","post_format-post-format-gallery"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/DA-SINISTRA-PAOLO-BARACCHINO-BRUNO-ROSSINI-proprietario-dell-azienda-Podere-la-Cappella.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/pav13q-46p","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"amp_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15773","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=15773"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15773\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15776,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15773\/revisions\/15776"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15745"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15773"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15773"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.paolobaracchino.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15773"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}