The sun is shining as the vine leaves turn gold in Chianti Classico. Autumn brings out all the latent beauty in this winemaking region par excellence as I drive the long and winding road to Rocca delle Macìe, a family-run winery deep in the countryside southwest of Castellina in Chianti.
Boxer-turned-movie producer Italo Zingarelli (C’eravamo tanto amati and the Trinity films starring Bud Spencer and Terence Hill) purchased the property in 1973, originally for the sole purpose of rearing cattle to obtain steaks (by all accounts, he was a man with a healthy appetite), with wine production naturally following suit. Archival photos and documents in the one-room museum display the romagnolo’s farsightedness and creativity. Across the cobblestone courtyard stands the wine shop, which provides a host of tasting experiences year round.
Today, Rocca delle Macìe extends across six estates in Tuscany, including two in Maremma, covering 500 hectares in total, 200 of which under vine. Italo’s son, Sergio, has been managing the company and its expansion since 1985, while his Sergio’s son, Andrea, assists on the winery side and daughter, Giulia, helms the newly opened Oltre Osteria.
Oltre Osteria
The fine dining restaurant is the latest addition to the company’s activities, having opened in September under the creative baton of chef Maurizio Bardotti, who also helms the more traditional Tuscan Passo Dopo Passo Osteria on the nearby Fizzano estate with its 22 holiday apartments. The modern open-view kitchen holds the attention of diners ensconced in sage armchairs at the circular tables, the stone-clad walls bringing Tuscany inside. Outside a spacious terrace looks out over the lush vineyards giving rise to Sergio Zingarelli, the owner’s namesake Gran Selezione top-tier wine.
“We believed in this project from the moment Maurizio arrived in 2020,” says Giulia Zingarelli. “We began our first gastronomic journey together then. The timeline inevitably stretched, but today we’re here and we know we can offer real emotions centred on flavour, hospitality and identity.”
Lunch begins with a benvenuto. A quail’s egg with a grating of black truffle and a celeriac-coffee cannolo are among two of the standout morsels, which are cleared away for a solo “cherry“, the chef’s signature dish complete with stalk that reveals itself as chicken liver pate glazed with a mulled wine jus. Next up are acts one and two of a play on the humble carrot, used every which way in a timbale that features an earthy carrot leaf puree alongside a carrot, orange and lemon granita, varying the temperatures.
Equally fun is the full crunch of an entire carrot piped with balsamic vinegar and salted caramel, which pairs with the 2021 vintage of the Chianti Classico from Tenuta Sant’Alfonso 2021, another of the Zingarelli family’s close-by estates with views across the valley. Pigeon rules the roost in the meat course, served as a taco and as legs and wings across the plate accentuated by vinsanto onion sauce and saffron. The breast and fillet come separately, preceded by the choice of a knife handcrafted with different handles, including wood from used wine barrels. A deceptively simple dessert of caramel semifreddo and celery leaf ice brings the meal to a close, while refreshing the palate. Every ingredient—100 per cent Tuscan—is carefully selected, with preference given to proximity, seasonality and the rural culture of resourcefulness.
“I believe a good cook today must use everything that nature gives us,” explains chef Maurizio Bardotti. “Sometimes just changing a cooking method or a cut is enough to enhance the true essence of an ingredient.”
Three tasting menus (75-95 euro) are available at Oltre, as well as a la carte options.
Osteria Oltre
Località Le Macie 49, Castellina in Chianti (SI)
+39 0577 732233
www.oltrereosteria.it
