Day Eight: Monday, June 28 Montalcino

Day Eight: Monday, June 28 Montalcino

Dirt Roads and Brunello: A Tour Through the Hills of Montalcino
Up super early again but I used the time to get caught up on the blog. Whatever happens I will make it work. Who needs to sleep at normal times anyway?

I went back to sleep at 6:30 or so and it's nearly 9. Feeling better already. We got ready and made it down to breakfast by a little after 10. I love just letting things come together how ever they do. The breakfast was great. Many Tuscan pastries, meats and cheeses, great bread, juice, yogurt and granola. There were at least four different cakes. I had one with orange and another had cream of some kind in it.

First breakfast at Il Giglio





It seemed logical that this would be the day we would try to get to two or three Brunello producers and we eventually spoke with the father to help us come up with a plan. He first called Poggio Antico and set up a tour for 3:30 and we built our day around that. I suggest that we might try Mastrojanni who had made that Rossi di Montalcino that we liked so well yesterday at dinner. He called and finally they called back and we could go out there straight away. Where they were located meant we could head straight to Mastrojannni and then stop and St. Antimo before going to Poggio Antico.

We drove straight to the town where St. Antimo was called Castelnuovo Dell'abate, but made a wrong turn on the way to Mastrojanni and went way down the hill to Monte Amiata Scalo, another small town before we realized we had gone the wrong way. We back tracked and found the right road, a dirt road. Gary would love it. We drove for quite a while and finally found it. The guy in the office apparently was telling us to park down the hill but we finally realized that the production area was down the hill. A guy came down to hang with us who only spoke italian, so we got out if him as much info a we could until our tour guide Andrea arrived. The view across the vineyard was stunning. Our tour guide finally came down and he spoke very good English and gave us a great tour. We found out that several years ago the winery had been bought out by Illy the huge coffee conglomerate. But the current CEO was the cousin of the owner of Il Giglio. We got to do barrell tasting of some of the early version of what will become Brunellos. WE never actually tasted a finished and bottled version. We had a little communication problem, but we actually bought eight bottles I think. Some to drink while we are here and others to haul home.

One of the Mastrojanni vineyards on the very edge of the Brunello growing area.
















Gary we wanted you to be sure and see the dirt roads we traveled on today






Back to Antimo
We stopped at St. Antimo to hear the famous monks, but there would be no service until 2:45 and we decided that it didn't make any sense to wait.







After leaving St. Antimo we headed via the dirt road to Pogggia Antico and then decided to stop at for lunch in a tiny hill town, S. Angelo in Colle. We took a quick nap in the parking lot and then walked up the hill to explore the town and find Christine a little food. We found a restaurant called Trattoria Il Pozzo and had some amazing bruschetta and pinci with funghi. We later saw cards advertizing it at a shop in Montalcino

Bruschetta with garlic infused olive oil and salt


Handmade Pinci and Funghi inS. Angelo in Colle


Second Brunello Tour of the day at Poggio Antico We had an appointment for 3:30 and made it exactly on time. Our guide Stine Jensen was from Denmark with flawless English. Another couple was supposed to be arriving but never did in time for the tour. Poggio Antico is a medium size producer that is run by a family. Apparently at the moment tne family is off on vacation.









The woman who is pouring her got her green card and is moving to Santa Rosa. The downside to this tasting room is that you have to pay for tastes even if you purchased something.


We had fun tasting with David and Naomi from Campbell, California. He has some kind of a unique bunch of wine friends so he was taking detailed notes on all the tastings

David and Naomi from Campbell


Dinner Number Two at Il Giglio
The restraunt is closed on Tuesdays so we decided to get another reservatio for tonight. I asked this morning if we might have the "power table" at 7:30 and we got it. Gary I know you'd love that.





Affettatie e verdure sottt'olio. I think this was the verdure, an assortment of cured meats


An assortment of pickle veg, green beans, artichoke, caulliflower, in oil



Tortellini di cinta senese su crema di asparagi. The best tortellini I have ever had. Sl light and delicate with an asperagus creme sauce


Scottiglia di Chinghiale con polenta. More chinghiale prepared in a local style


Insalata Mista. We knew what this was.


Pecorino grigliato al miele. Grilled pecorino with honey. Now this was a revelation.