Day 6: Leaving Le Traverse in Pienza, Boscarelli in Montepulciano,& La Frateria in Cetona en route to Rome...
Leaving Pienza, we drove through Montepulciano to find Podere Boscarelli winery. We had an appointment, but they were very busy at the small winery so we had a very brief tour and tasting as no one there spoke English and communication was difficult. The wines were very good: 2002 De Farrari Sangiovese, aged in steel had black cherry, tobacco and spice- $9. 2001 DeFarrari Vino Nobile di Montepulciano- 90% Sangiovese, 5% Cabernet, was a bit more acidic, but had nice cherry fruit- $18. The 2001 Nocio Dei Boscarelli, a Sangiovese blend- $30. The 2001 Boscarelli dei Boscarelli , a Syrah blend- $40. I actually preferred the fruit of the less expensive wines. We bought a half bottle of the Vino Nobile for $9 and were on our way within ½ hour.
We then headed towards Cetona for lunch at La Frateria Padre Eligio Mondo X. It was chilly and raining, but we got to Cetona an hour before our lunch reservation, so we parked and walked around town. It was market day and there were at least a hundred booths selling everything from food to shoes and clothing at cheap prices. We did not have any room left to buy anything, but it was fun to look.
When we arrived at La Frateria di Padre Eligio/ Convento di San Francisco it was raining harder and a man greeted us outside with an umbrella and took us inside. As we were the only lunch reservation of the day, he had been waiting for us to arrive and he was our waiter and guide for the afternoon. This was the most special and fantastic food experience we have ever had- more than 7 courses of food made just for us- fixed price at $90 per person and worth every penny! (www.mondox.com)
We started with a complimentary glass of Spumante Brut L’ Annuncio di Monte Arioso Mondo X- made there by the Monks- it was delicious! Then we ordered a ½ bottle of Col D’Orcia Rosso Di Montalcino for $10- one of my favorite wines of the trip, and a winery on my list to visit next time! We were given a hand-printed 7 course menu and absolutely everything was fantastic! The simple but elegant dining room had just four tables and was almost too quiet, as it was open just for us- but it was very, very special- a place I would return to again in a second if our travels take us back to Italy (we hope)!
Our menu:
A platter of Proscuitto and Cured hams with Caper and Olive Pureed spreads and toasts.
Chicken Terrine with Spinach and a Crabapple Compote with Plum Toast and Honey
Smoked Salmon on Crunchy Fennel and X Virgin Olive Oil
Asst. Home Baked rolls from the Hearth Oven: (the best breads we have ever had)- the olive swirl and honey nut were my favorites
Timbale of Broccoli w/ Red Pepper Sauce, Quail Egg and Shaved Pecorino
Ravioli made with cocoa powder stripes, filled with Wild Boar and topped with a Red Wine Reduction
Filet Mignon w/ a brown Champagne sauce
Dessert: Chocolate Bavarian Mint Frozen Terrine with a Chocolate-Coffee Cream Sauce
A platter of Assorted Truffles, Cookies, Biscotti
Apertif: A Walnut Spirit made at Mondox
After our long, relaxing lunch, our waiter took us on a tour of the restored
medieval convent where more than 25 reside, including the kitchen, communal dining room, original wine cellar and historic chapels built in 1212. It was so beautiful and spiritual.
It was just 10 minutes to Chiusi by car to catch our 5 pm train to Rome. Again, the train was almost empty, so we got a private car and had room to spread out with our luggage, this time loaded and heavier with bottles of wine, olive oil and pecorino cheese. We sadly waved goodbye to Tuscany and promised to return as soon as we could and then fell asleep on our 1.5hr. train ride back to Rome.
(Stay tuned for my final trip report on Rome-- coming soon!) |