Il Silene

Località Pescina

Strada Provinciale Altoe 9

58038 Pescina (GR) Italy

Tel. +39.0564.950.805

info@ilsilene.it

BY ANTONIO GALLONI | JUNE 27, 2019

The Food:

Pumpkin soup with white truffles

Knife-chopped raw beef with salt, Silene olive oil and white truffle

Fluffy Silene tortello stuffed with ricotta and spinach, garnished with white truffle

Ravioli stuffed with pigeon paté and toasted black pepper

Rabbit ‘in Porchetta’ with sautéed black cabbage and white truffle

Il Silene’s panettone; candied apricot, vanilla ice cream infused with sage

This season, I wanted it like this….Frangipane tartlet; caramelized apple, rosemary ice cream

It looks like a giandiutto, but it’s not…milk chocolate, passionfruit, tonka beans

Tortelli; mascarpone, candied orange, fruit and vegetables

The Wine:

2010 Stella di Campalto Brunello di Montalcino Riserva       97

I have wanted to eat at Il Silene for many years but had always been put off by its location (about 40 minutes south of Montalcino), which is not especially convenient to the tasting circuit. What a mistake that turned out to be. This spectacular lunch proved Il Silene is very much worth a special trip.

Knife-chopped raw beef with salt, Silene olive oil and white truffle

Located in the Pescina, a tiny hamlet on Mount Amiata known mostly for the cultivation of olives, Il Silene is a fabulous place to enjoy a leisurely lunch or dinner. Not that there is much else to do in the immediate environs, anyway. It is best to arrive with no schedule and just enjoy the bounty of Roberto Rossi‘s kitchen served in a spacious, open dining room that is immediately relaxing. Although the menu changes seasonally, I wouldn’t even bother looking at it. In most countries, letting the chef prepare a customized meal is considered a privilege, here it is just the way things are done. My suggestion is to just let Rossi guide you through the highlights. You’ll know from the gleam in his eye what to order. Most of the dishes are more modern and inventive than traditional Tuscan fare, which also makes for a very nice break from the tried and true. On this fall day, Umbrian white truffles were in abundance, so they were the star of the show.

Fluffy Silene tortello stuffed with ricotta and spinach, garnished with white truffle

The carne cruda was a showcase for pristine ingredients prepared with the ultimate care. Both pastas were off the charts and worth the trip alone. The tortello with spinach and ricotta was clearly the more traditional of the two, while the ravioli stuffed with pigeon paté and toasted black pepper was a bit more creative, but also perfect for the fall. The main courses I tasted, including the rabbit, were very good but the pastas set a very high bar. I am not usually a sweets person, but I could not resist the desserts, so we ordered a number of them to share. A gorgeous and delicious creation, the tortelli with mascarpone, candied orange, fruit and vegetables is ideal for guests who want something that is only slightly sweet. And then came the home-made panettone with sage infused vanilla ice cream. Impossible to resist.

Ravioli stuffed with pigeon paté and toasted black pepper

For wine, we kept it simple. No one was in the mood to drink too much at lunch, and quite frankly, I really enjoyed focusing on a single wine rather than going through the more usual parade of bottles I often see, where pretty special wine don’t always get the time or attention they deserve. I saw Stella di Campalto’s 2010 Brunello di Montalcino Riserva and knew we had to have it. I absolutely adore the 2010 for its transparent yet deep expression of Sangiovese grown in the wild, southern reaches of Montalcino. The pure Sangiovese flavors, bright acids and mid-weight structure worked beautifully with the various dishes. Readers lucky enough to own the 2010 are in for a real treat. I certainly will treasure the bottles I have in my cellar. Guests will find a nice range of wines on Il Silene’s list, although most of the vintages are younger, with the exception of some older Soldera Brunellos that will delight visitors who want to splurge.

Il Silene’s panettone; candied apricot, vanilla ice cream infused with sage

I can’t recommend a visit to Il Silene highly enough. Readers arriving from Montalcino who want to make a day out of it should consider stopping by the Abbazia di Sant’Antimo in Castelnuovo dell’Abata (which is on the way travelling south) and is one of the most beautifully preserved Benedictine monasteries in all of Italy. The mountain roads are perhaps a bit trickier at night, but well worth the effort.

Tortelli: mascarpone, candied orange, fruit and vegetables