Just on Wine Advocate........

If you are in the Chianti Classico area, these are the 2 names you have to remember when you are near the town of Panzano: Dario Cecchini (the world most famous butcher) and Fontodi......

Solociccia
August 2009
Antonio Galloni

Solociccia is the brainchild of Panzano’s famous rock-star butcher Dario Cecchini, who seems to be everywhere in this small, hillside town. Panzano is technically part of the commune of Greve, in Tuscany’s Chianti Classico, but it is such a unique microclimate that it really deserves to be recognized for its own special qualities. This gorgeous, scenic village is home to some of Italy’s most celebrated producers, including Fontodi, Castello di Rampolla and La Massa.

Cecchini’s butcher shop is one of the best-known in all of Italy, drawing visitors from around the world. His Florentine steaks, available only through advance reservation, are the stuff of legend. Just across the street, Cecchini runs Solociccia, an informal eatery that features a wide assortment of local dishes (Cecchini also runs a more upscale restaurant right around the corner). Solociccia offers two seatings at dinner; 7pm and 9pm, at communal tables. Reservations are essential. The prix-fixe menu will delight carnivores for its breadth, but Solociccia is not a place for those who don’t like red meat, as there are no choices to be made. Instead, diners will be greeted with a seemingly endless array of local specialties served family-style. Incredibly, the dinner costs just 30 euros per person (all inclusive), which makes it one of the very best deals in Italy. Guests can drink the house wine (which is more than respectable) or bring their own at no extra charge. Given the dismal storage conditions in Panzano’s wine shops, I suggest purchasing a few bottles at any one of the local wineries that sell directly to the public.

Absolutely everything was divine; in fact I had seconds of many of the dishes! The purity and simplicity of the cuisine was remarkable. I brought along a bottle of Fontodi’s 2006 Flaccianello, which other than being, oh, about ten years too young, was extraordinary for its sumptuous, radiant fruit. This delicious dinner was a fitting end to a wonderful week in Tuscany.

Solociccia, Via XX Luglio, 11 Panzano in Chianti Firenze tel.+39 055 852727

Food:

Course 1 – Spicy meat ragu on toast
Course 2 – Batter-fried meats and vegetables
Course 3 – Sautéed marinated beef
Course 4 – Fresh raw garden vegetables
Course 5 – Homemade focaccia
Course 6 – Bread from Panzano
Course 7 – Garbanzo and white beans
Course 8 – Roasted beef
Course 9 – Boiled beef and vegetable salad
Course 10 – Braised beef
Course 11 – Olive oil cake

2006	Fontodi Flaccianello 96 Wine Advocate # 184 Aug 2009 Antonio Galloni 96 Drink: 2016 - 2026 $81-$313 (110) The 2006 Flaccianello della Pieve (Sangiovese) is just as phenomenal as it was when I tasted it from barrel. This spectacularly ripe and concentrated wine reveals masses of dark cherries, plums, licorice, smoke, violets, French oak and minerals that coat the palate with extraordinary richness. The winepossesses plenty of structure, but the sheer density of the fruit provides stunning balance. The 2006 Flaccianello is one of the more primary wines of the vintage, and it will require considerable patience. Flaccianello continues to prove that Panzano’s Conca d’Oro is one of the most privileged spots for Sangiovese in Tuscany. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2026. My visit to Fontodi last year was fascinating, as I spent several hours with proprietor Giovanni Manetti and oenologist Franco Bernabei tasting through multiple barrels of all of the estate’s wines. Importer: Vinifera Imports, Ronkonkoma, NY; tel. (631) 467-5907

New Wines added to the Book

2008 Roberto Zeni Muller-Thurgau

Muller-Thurgau is a white variety of wine, obtained from the cross breeding from Riesling Renano and green Sylvaner, carried out by the researcher Muller, from the town of Thurgau (Swizerland). This cross exalts all the aromatic characteristics and confers a delicate smell of sage and a persistent sourness.

2006 Villa Medoro Montepulciano d'Abbruzzo: 3 Glasses from the Gambero Rosso 2009

Feudo Disisa (Sicily):

2008 Grillo, 2006 Nero d'Avola and their blend, the 2006 Tornamira (Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, Syrah)

The Wine Advocate New Scores

		Year		Wine Name	Rating▼	Maturity		Price
		2004		Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino	94	Young		73-145
		2004		Canalicchio di Sopra Brunello di Montalcino	93	Young		49-75
		2003		Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano	93	Young		82-144
		2004		Valdicava Brunello di Montalcino Riserva Madonna del Piano	(93-96)	Young
		2004		Castello Romitorio Brunello di Montalcino	92	Young		65-73
		2007		Valdicava Rosso di Montalcino	91	Young		26-33
		2004		Pietranera Brunello di Montalcino Pietranera	90	Young		51
		2004		Donna Olga Brunello di Montalcino	89	Young		70
		2004		Tenuta Friggiali Brunello di Montalcino	89	Young		65
		2005		Castello Romitorio Romito del Romitorio	88	Mature		46
		2006		Castello Romitorio Rosso di Montalcino	88	Mature		22

CANTINA VIGNAIOLI
Langhe Pertinace 1997

Score: 91 Release Price: $38 Country: Italy Region: Piedmont Issue: Nov 30, 2001 Vibrant and rich, with loads of fruit. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and lots of blackberry, cherry and toasted oak character that turns to coffee and smoke. Long, long finish. Nebbiolo, Barbera and Cabernet Sauvignon. Drink now through 2004. 900 cases made. –JS