Candid Tuscan cuisine

«Antinori in Chianti Classico: tradition opens up to the future». This is a good synthesis to describe the project created by this noble estate in the heart of its happiest domain. The new winery is, in fact, a majestic architectural work which, from the outside, doesn’t suggest its complexity, being it in harmony with the hill that contains it, in the Tuscan countryside. The structure has so much potential, from the museum to the cellar, that one would need years to express it all.

The Rinuccio 1180 restaurant was created at the top of the building. The name is a tribute to the founder of the family. The menu is straightforward and tries to give value to authentic, traditional Tuscan cuisine, with selected, candid and finely executed dishes that show the identity of the place. The dish that best represents this intention is the Spaghetto all'aglione (aglio means garlic) – its preparation will be covered in detail on another occasion. For now we will only say this is one of the most rustic traditional dishes, “ignorante”, as they would say locally, just to give an idea of how something rustic and authentic can be made more gentle thanks to technique, without losing its identity.

Among the main courses, the Polpetta di lesso rifatta (meatball with boiled meat) breaded only in breadcrumbs, granny-style, or the not-to-be-missed Fritto di carne toscano (Tuscan fried meat mix) reinterpreted with a touch of extra personality yet respectful of the original version. The chicken is marinated in the juice and zest of a lemon and with parsley. It is rolled twice in flour and egg (and some more parsley). The rabbit is slightly smoked so that it has a more decisive taste and its flavour stands out; the double rolling, in this case, includes the addition of thyme and santoreggia to the egg, instead of the parsley. To finish, there are the Fried red potatoes.

Matteo Gambi is the one who doses tradition and technique. The young yet already experienced chef, thanks to the fine-tuning he had at the Ora d’Aria in Firenze as sous-chef of Marco Stabile, has learned from his masters how important it is to «put in effort in order to get a result, because if you want to be good, you need to move fast and being ready to sacrifice is essential». The chef is sunny but not a protagonist; he’s got strong team work skills and considers «respect and attention to the kitchen, the place, that is to say, and to the products, the materials used» an essential thing.

The chef also proposes some extra dishes in addition to the menu, which will be well explained by Fabrizio Fiaschi, with the spirit of an original Tuscan man. Fiaschi (literally Flasks, nomen omen) is a sommelier but he’s most of all a true wine enthusiast and a host by vocation, a volcano of ideas. The wines illustrate the history of the Antinori farms: including the most prestigious wines, which are luckily also available by the glass, such as Tignanello, Solaia or Cervaro della Sala. However, should you order a bottle, Fiaschi will “mount” its cork in a special screw and will donate you the resulting key-ring, perhaps not unique in its kind, but certainly impressive. The restaurant was created so as to give continued references to wine, from the walls to all the windows overlooking the vineyards, (they’re now planting Canaiolo and other local varieties) to the water glass.

Rinuccio 1880
via Cassia per Siena, 133
Bargino
San Casciano Val di Pesa (Florence)
+39.055.2359720
rinuccio@antinorichianticlassico.it
open only at lunchtime (for now)
Average price: 30 euros excluding wines