<a target="_blank" href="http://www.ristorantereale.com/">Ristorante Reale</a>Piana Santa LiberataCastel di Sangro (AQ) Italy<a target="_blank">Tel: +39</a> 0864 69382&nbsp;The Food:Small sandwich of scampi (Panino
agli scampi)Almond and macerated wild herb
salad (Mandorla e misticanza alcolica)Beef tartare emulsion with
olive oil and raspberry mayonnaise (Emulsione
fredda di manzo e olio con maionese di lamponi)Roasted squid and lettuce (Calamaro,
pepe e lattuga)Cold linguini with oyster and
potato (Linguina fredda con ostrica e
patata)Semolina fettuccelle, red
shrimp and pink pepper (Fettuccelle di
semola, gamberi rossi e pepe rosa)Watermelon and tomato (Anguria
e pomodoro)Pigeon and pistacho (Piccione
fondente e pistacchio)Licorice granita, vinegar,
white chocolate and balsamic vinegar (Granita
di liquirizia e aceto di vino, cioccolata bianca e aceto balsamico) 
 
The Wines:<table>
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 <td>
 2014 I Borboni Asprinio d’Aversa Vite Maritata
 </td>
 <td>
 88
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2014 Agnanum Falanghina Campi Flegrei
 </td>
 <td>
 88
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2014 Tiberio Pecorino
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2002 Markus Molitor Alte Reben Riesling
 </td>
 <td>
 89
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2007 Duplessis Chablis Les Clos
 </td>
 <td>
 92
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 2010 Contrada Salandra Piedirosso Campi Flegrei&nbsp;
 </td>
 <td>
 93
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1985 Castell’in Villa Chianti Classico Riserva
 </td>
 <td>
 95
 </td>
 </tr>
 <tr>
 <td>
 1971 Moulin Touchais Coteaux du Layon
 </td>
 <td>
 91</td></tr></tbody></table>For a few years, Niko Romito
has been the veritable talk of the food town, with just about every foodie and
expert in Italy concurring about his talent and sublime three Michelin star cuisine.
Reale is a very bright, good looking and spacious restaurant, with tables
intelligently placed at a considerable distance from each other. Like the room,
Romito’s cuisine is also fresh and airy, inventive and very modernist. Even
“traditionalist” dishes are tweaked towards the future, not the past. Those
looking for a hearty meal full of rich flavors that trigger childhood memories need
to keep this in mind or risk coming away disappointed. Last but not least, wine
lovers will find the wine list well thought out, if not especially deep in old
vintages. Giovanni Sinesi, the young and likeable sommelier, is both modest and
competent. Cristiana, Niko’s sister, runs the front of the house.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1452314614322-reale+abruzzo+food+1.png"> Small sandwich of scampi and Beef tartare emulsion
with olive oil and raspberry mayonnaise On this day, three dishes
really stood out: beef tartare emulsion with olive oil and raspberry mayonnaise,
watermelon and tomato, and the fettuccelle with red shrimp and pink pepper. The
latter especially had me longing for seconds, and even thirds! By contrast, I
found a few other creations almost too intellectual. For example, the cold
linguini with oyster and potato is a good idea (in theory), that plays on memories
of Gualtiero Marchesi’s famous cold linguini and caviar, but I am not sure it
comes across as successfully as the original. I appreciate Romito’s great
dexterity and creativity at the stoves, but after having been to Reale three
times recently, I have come away with the impression that while some dishes are
absolutely marvelous, there are always others that miss the mark. This is
probably not a surprising state of affairs when pushing the creativity envelope;
after all, if you’re always blasting off to reach the stars, an occasional misfire
is to be expected.<img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1452314635425-reale+abruzzo+food+2.png"> Semolina
fettuccelle, red shrimp and pink pepper and&nbsp;Cold linguini with oyster and potatoHowever, the creative food
allows for some unusual wine and food combinations, so dining at Reale is always
stimulating and fun. I started out with two solid aperitif wines, the 2014 I Borboni Asprinio d’Aversa Vite
Maritata and the 2014 Agnanum
Falanghina Campi Flegrei: the former is one of the best Asprinio wines made
(Asprinio is a native Campanian variety that gives very tart and light-bodied
wines); the latter an up and coming Falanghina producer of the Campi Flegrei. A
delicious wine, the Agnannum is marked by menthol and balsamic notes that are
true-to type flavors of this variety and not the ridiculous intense papaya and
pineapple of other Falanghinas. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1452314658802-vini+2.JPG"> While the 2002 Markus Molitor Alte Reben Riesling was pleasantly dieselly
but a little on the lean side and lacking in fruit, there was no such problem
with the gorgeous 2014 Tiberio Pecorino
Colline Pescaresi. Along with the Pecorinos of Cocci Grifoni and Cataldi
Madonna, this is by far Italy’s best Pecorino wine, and it proved its mettle
yet again on this occasion. Lemony and herbal, but with sneaky concentration
and mouthfilling texture, it is a textbook example of what Pecorino can be when
older biotypes are used and grown in higher hillside locations. Unfortunately, Pecorino
has become a victim of its own success; too many bottles labeled Pecorino
nowadays are made from high yielding newer “clones” planted in flatland
vineyards where the variety does not show its best. Tiberio’s Pecorino and the
outstanding&nbsp; 2007 Duplessis Chablis Les Clos stood up very well to the two pasta
dishes, lifting them both to another, more complex, place. Duplessis, arguably an
underrated producer, makes a textbook example Chablis from this grand cru
vineyard. The 2007 is lovely to drink right now, offering delicate honeyed
mineral nuances. <img alt="" src="https://allgrapes.s3.amazonaws.com/uploads%2F1452314682693-vini+3.JPG"> The 2010 Contrada Salandra Piedirosso Campi Flegrei once again proved
this estate is second to none in making wines from this difficult variety. Smooth,
rich and long, it showcased impeccable balance and none of the green notes that
are all too common with Piedirosso. The wine worked very well with the pigeon
dish, as did the sublime 1985 Castell’in
Villa Chianti Classico Riserva, a wonderful wine from one of my favorite
Tuscan producers. Still youthful and riper than usual in its red fruit profile,
the 1985 is still relatively young, without the drying tannins that are
starting to show up in some other memorable vintages such as the 1971 or 1978.
Last but not least, we finished off the evening with the 1971 Moulin Touchais, Coteaux du Layon, which was long
and concentrated, as it usually is, with a pleasant rustic note to its honeyed
quince and herbal aromas and flavors. At eight generations and counting, Moulin
Touchais is to be commended for its traditionally-made Chenin Blancs, which
remain some of the Loire’s most reasonably priced and consistent sweet wines.





















































-- Ian D’Agata

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