New on Wine List Confidential: Ristorante Frescobaldi

Tucked away off Regent Street, this – despite the omnipresent garish frescos of Bacchus – refined restaurant, bar and terrace offers often rare formats from the Frescobaldi dynasty, sometimes sourced direct from the estates, such as the first bottle of 1985 Montesodi single cru Sangiovese, which may be seen in the glass fronted cellar.

Frescobaldi, London

The family’s presence through history is reinforced in the introduction to sommelier, Fabrizio de Fenzo’s 20-page list: ‘1,000 years of history, 11 estates, more than 80 importers, the Frescobaldi Family has been narrating the history of Tuscany for over 1,000 years. Their wines were welcomed into the prestigious Renaissance and Papal Courts and the English court of Henry VIII…’

Up-to 80% of wines are procured from under the Frescobaldi mantel, including Castelgiocondo, Luce della Vite, Castiglioni, Ornellaia and Masseto. Note the white wine born out of a collaboration between Frescobaldi and the prison on the Tuscan island of Gorgona, ‘teaching prisoners important skills which may be used at the end of their detention for an easier reintegration into society’ says de Fenzo.

Tuscan accented dishes by head chef, Roberto Reatini (formerly of Zafferano) may include red prawn tartare with green apple, roast turbot with new potatoes, artichokes and samphire, veal cheek pappardelle with rosemary croutons, and ossobuco with gremolata and white polenta, followed by apple crumble with salted caramel and vanilla panna cotta, perhaps with a glass of Vinsanto.

Downstairs, the softly-lit, clubby bar and tasting zone below with wine label art on the walls by the late, great Valentino Monticello, features a shiny cocktail list, including the ‘Amare’ (Amaretto, bourbon, camomile and lemon juice).

To see the WLC position and scores for this review click here

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Restaurants are graded on a 100-point scale based on five criteria: size, value, service, range and originality. For a full guide to London’s best wine lists visit winelistconfidential.com

the drinks business published the inaugural 2017 Wine List Confidential: One to Sixty-One guide last year. We are currently working on a new 2018 edition and are busy re-reviewing top-scoring restaurants and adding new entries to the database. Check back later in the year for final scoring and position of restaurants.