The Leopard at des Artistes, formerly known as the Cafe des Artistes, has a new menu and on a recent beautiful October day, Michele and I went to try it. The chef is Jonathan Frosolone and he has added some exciting new Italian dishes that we had never tried before. We started with glasses of sparkling wine from Benevento.
Benepop Vol.1”Benepop Ancestrale” Sparkling wine made from 50% Falanghina and 50% Fiano Terre di Briganti The two varietals are separately processed from the beginning. The hand harvested grapes are carried to the cellar in 18kg bins and then double sorted, destemmed and then pressed. The must clarifies itself with static gravity in stainless steel vats where it ferments with only the help of the indigenous yeast at controlled temperatures. The partially sweet wine is left to refine on its lees for about 6 months. At the beginning of the Spring the wine is bottled. The natural increase of the temperature favors the resumption of the fermentation inside the bottle and the yeast eats all the sugar in excess. It is recommended to suspend the natural sediment in the bottle before consuming it in order to fully enjoy this fun wine. Just gently turn the bottle upside down. The winery is certified organic and is biodynamic. This a a dry sparkling wine hints of citrus fruit, green tropical fruit, grapefruit and it is a very pleasant wine to drink.
Antipasti–We tried several
Pesce in Carpione- Marinated luccio (pike), white wine vinaigrette, fennel, crispy capers–A light and refreshing starter.
Quaglia Ripiena- Quail, pork sausage, and red wine poached figs. The quail was stuffed with sausage and figs and glazed in slightly sweet sauce. I could eat a plte of these.
Pallott Cacio e Uova- Pecorino and egg croquettes, garlic, basil. Cheesey balls of bread in a delicious tomato sauce. Our helpful waiter told us they are a specialty of his region of Abruzzo.
Sformato di Tartufo Nero — Black truffle custard with arugula and parmigiano reggiano cheese. These is a seasonal interpretation of a springtime favorite.
Terre Del Volturo IGT 2018 Nanni-Cope Made from 85% Fiano, 12% Asprinio and 3% Pallagrello Bianco. The wine is aged in 500 liter barrels for about 8 months. The wine has hints of eucalyptus, hazelnut, apricot and lemongrass with good acidity.
Primi
Agnolotti-Robiola, Parmigiano Reggiano and rosemary butter sauce. A lucious blend of cheeses, butter and tender pasta.
Struncatura–Multigrain spaghettoni, shrimp, neonata, lemon — A unique pasta from Southern Italy, made from several different types of grain including wheat and rye. It is thick and chewy, and it was complemented by the neonata and shrimp.
Raviolo Alla Piastra- Beets, poppy seeds, brown buttered sage sauce fill this unusual type of raviolo. After stuffing the pasta is grilled which gives it a toasty flavor that went well with the sweet flavor of the beets.
Secondi-main course
Taurasi “Radici” 1998 Mastroberardino made from 100% Aglianico. The vineyards for Taurasi “Radici” are located on two hills, Mirabella vineyard at 500 meters and the Montemarano vineyard at 550 meters. Because of its position on the hill and its altitude, the temperature at the Montemarano vineyard is much colder and the grapes are picked a little later. Harvest is from the end of October into the beginning of November. The vinification is the classic one for red wine, long maceration with skin contact at controlled temperatures. The wine is aged for 24 months in French barriques and Slovenian oak barrels and remains in the bottle for 24 months before release. The barriques were second and third passage. This is a wine with hints of black cherry, plum, spice and a touch of leather. It was fantastic.
Salmerino-Roasted sea trout, topped with charred scallions, trout roe, aged balsamic vinegar. The skin was crispy and the flesh moist and perfectly cooked. A great combination of flavors.
Anatra- Roasted duck breast, chestnuts, pears and spinach. The duck was perfectly cooked and crowned an assortment of seasonal ingredients.
Dolce
Zabaione- Zabaione al Ramandolo with seasonal fruits made tableside. A classic dessert that is always a treat.
Mousse di Ciocolato–Dark Chocolate mousse, white chocolate garnish and orange. The mousse was coated in dark chocolate. A little touch of chocolatey goodness to finish our meal.
Owner Gianfranco Sorrentino and Chef Jonathan Frosolone.
.We finished this wonderful meal with Digestivi. Congratulations to the chef, the staff and Gianfranco for another great meal. What a way to welcome the fall!
Barolo
Chinato
China
Beneventano Falanghina IGT 2017 Donnachiara made from 100% Falanghina. The vineyard is the Torre Cuso, the best location for Falanghina. The soil is volcanic, chalky clay, the vines are 16 years old, the training system is guyot and there are 2,500 vines per hectare. The grapes are not destemmed or crushed before pressing. Cold fermentation is in stainless steel and there is extended maceration. This is a crisp white wine with citrus fruit aromas and flavors, nice acidity and good minerality. It is one of my favorite white wines and my friend always has some chilled and ready to drink
Braising the lamb shanks
Mashed potatoes
On the plate, braised lamb shanks with mashed potatoes and sauteed escarole.
Here’s another picture because it looked so good and tasted so delicious.
Brunello di Montalcino 1999 Lisini made from 100% Sangiovese. The are 3,300 plants per hectare in the old vineyard and 5, 400 plants in the newer vineyard at 300 to 350 meters. The grapes are hand harvested and a selection takes place. Fermentation and maceration is in stainless steel with skin contact for 20 t0 26 days. Aging is in large Slavonian oak barrels of 20 to 50 ha for 42 months. The wine is aged another 6 to 8 months in bottle before release. This is a traditional Brunello with hints of red and black fruit, blueberries and rasperries and a touch of violet. It was drinking extremely well.
Taurasi “Radici” 1996 Mastroberardino made from 100% Aglianico. The vineyards for Taurasi “Radici” are located on two hills, Mirabella vineyard at 500 meters and the Montemarano vineyard at 550 meters. Because of its position on the hill and its altitude, the temperature at the Montemarano vineyard was much colder and the grapes are picked a little later. Harvest is from the end of October into the beginning of November. The vinification is the classic one for red wine, long maceration with skin contact at controlled temperatures. The wine is aged for 24 months in French barriques and Slovenian oak barrels and remains in the bottle for 24 months before release. The barriques were second and third passage. This is a wine with hints of black cherry, plum, spice and a touch of leather.
We finished the dinner with Single Malt Scotch Whiskey from Ardmore Distillery to keep us warm.
We started with Champagne Alfred Gratien Brut Rosè NV made from 45% Chardonnay, 40% Pinot Meunier and 15%. The Pinot Noir is added as a still wine. After 6 months of cellaring in 228 liter oak casks, the must is transformed into wine. Malolactic fermentation does not take place. The cuvee is bottled with sugar and yeast to allow for a secondary fermentation in the bottle and it remains in the cellar for 36 months. Then the disgorging takes place where the lees and sediment are removed from the bottle. It is topped up with more wine and some sugar and left to rest for a few more months in the cellar. It has good red fruit with hints of raspberry and strawberries and touch of roses.
To accompany the wine, we had Octopus and Potato Salad. It’s a favorite of ours that we always enjoy in Rome.
Sourdough Bread was a good accompaniment.
For our main course, Michele roasted two large branzini with artichokes.
With the roasted fish and artichokes, we had polenta with Parmigiano Reggiano.
Greco di Tufo “ Nova Serra” 2013 Mastroberadino made from 100% Greco di Tufo from the 33 acre Novaserra vineyard at 1,815 feet. The soil is clay and calcareous along the profile volcanic presence. There are 1,600 vines per hectare and the training system is guyot Espalier. The vineyard was replanted in 1999 and the exposure is southwest. The harvest is in October. Fermentation takes place in stainless steel tanks for 15 days. The wine remains on the lees for 5 months before it is bottled and in bottle for 3 months before release. This is a wine with rich ripe fruit and hints of pear, peach, apricot and a touch of citrus and sage.
Dessert was a Chocolate Ginger Cake with Confit Citrus and whipped Creme Fraiche brought by our friends. The cake turned out kind of messy, but absolutely delicious. I could have gotten a better picture, but was in too much of a hurry to dig in. Not wanting the crumbles to go to waste, I nibbled away at more than my share with a small grappa after the meal.
We started as usual with Champagne. Gosset Champagne Brut Excellence made from 24% Pinot Noir, 36% Chardonnay and 19% Pinot Meunier from Ay-Chapmpagne, Chigny-les-Roses, Courmas, Cumieres, Avize, Cuis and Trepail. There is 100% malolactic fermentation. The wine spends 30 months in the cellar before it is disgorged. Dosage for the Brut is11g/L. It has hints of apricots, peaches, dried fruit and a touch of brioche.
Fiano di Avellino “Vignadora 1986 Mastrobeardino made from 100% Fiano di Avellino I believe the wine was fermented in cement tanks and aged in large chestnut oak casks. The wine was showing its age and had lost most of its fruit. It was still drinkable with a note of almonds in the finish.
Polpettone, a large meatloaf made with beef, pork and veal, plus prosciutto, salami and provolone in the mixture, stuffed with hardcooked eggs. This was a special occasion dish when Michele was growing up.
The plate
Taurasi “Radici” 1997 Mastroberardino made from 100% Aglianico. The vineyards for Taurasi “Radici” are located on two hills, Mirabella vineyard at 500 meters and the Montemarano vineyard at 550 meters. Because of its position on the hill and its altitude, the temperature at the Montemarano vineyard was much colder and the grapes are picked a little later. Harvest is from the end of October into the beginning of November. The vinification is the classic one for red wine, long maceration with skin contact at controlled temperatures. The wine is aged for 24 months in French barriques and Slovenian oak barrels and remains in the bottle for 24 months before release. The barriques were second and third passage. This is a wine with hints of black cherry, plum, spice and a touch of leather.
Monte di Grazia Rosso 2011 The wine is made from 90% Tintore di Tramonti from very old ungrafted vines and 10% Piedirosso. The Tintore di Tramonti grows almost exclusively in the Monte Lattari Valley. The grape is harvested at the end of September, which makes it an early ripener for this area. This indigenous red grape variety belongs to the Tienturier family. Tienturier means dyed or stained in French. The flesh and the juice of these grapes are red in color. The anthocyanin pigments accumulate in the grape berry itself. The free run juice is therefore red.
For dessert, we had individual apple tarts with whipped cream. Michele served the tarts on plates from our collection from the Unione Ristoranti Buon Ricordo, a sort of dining club centered in Italy. Over the years, we have collected about a hundred of them. 
export his wines to Latin America, in particular Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina where there were large communities of Italian immigrants who were beginning to enjoy economic success. ‘’My grandfather used to tell me stories, sometimes amazing ones, about his long trips to South America by ship which took more than a month. He thought that some of rich passengers and the games they organized on deck were quite eccentric,’’ Piero said. ‘’He was a very upright person, of both peasant and middle-class stock, so you can just imagine how he felt hobnobbing with the rich nobility of the Belle Époque’’. Michele lived through some truly difficult times: the First Word War and then the phylloxera plague in Irpinia between 1920 and 1930 which destroyed all the vineyards. Then came the 1929 Great Depression which hit Italy in the early 1930s. Antonio Mastroberardino, Piero’s father, was born in 1928 and he was the true founder of the winery in a modern sense. He was only 17 when he took over the family business after his father died in 1945. And he remained at helm until 2005, revamping the whole line of production starting in 1952, replanting the vines destroyed by the phylloxera plague and promoting his family’s wines worldwide, wines that today represent the roots and tradition of Campania winemaking and perhaps even that of South America. Antonio passed away a few months ago, leaving behind him an immense void. He was not just a good Irpinia winemaker but also one of the fathers of modern winemaking in Italy. A scholar and university professor, Piero is now alone at the head of the estate but he knows what he is doing and has a clear idea of where he wants to go. He is well-aware of the meanings of tradition and roots and for this reason his best wines are called Radici (Roots), a name that is almost a commentary that goes beyond its official classification.
