Jonas B.
Yelp
I was trying to decide between four and five stars, but the wine eventually made me consider this a five-star experience. I was there alone, at the tail end of a vacation where the wifey had to get back to work sooner than I. Pity as this would have been a great shared experience. I was recommended the restaurant by Carmen, the hostess of the agriturismo where I was staying (again). (Message me for her contact information if you may want a nice and affordable agriturismo smack in wine country [Trezzo Tinella].)
I spent quite some time with the considerably large wine list and had eventually picked a Barbaresco wine from a maker and year that looked promising, when I was told they were out of that. The waitress suggested a similar wine and I accepted. Boy, am I glad I did. That was a fantastic wine, definitely one of the more memorable wine-drinking experiences I have had. (See the picture for details.)
I decided to go for the tasting menu as I was in the mood for a tour of the traditional delicacies of this season in the Alba region of Piemonte. I got that, though each served with some finesse (and actually no truffles). Very tasty.
Earlier in the day I had learned that technically Barolo Chinato is really a vermouth, just a special one (in particular made from Barolo wine). So of course there are some made from other wine, and the Mancini Vermouth was indeed very much like the Barolo Chinato, just a bit more of what I thought of a vermouth character. I guess this explain China Martini, which I encountered long before Barolo Chinato, and also is in this style. Anyway, that Mancini Vermouth was a nice end to the meal along with great coffee.
A fantastic dining experience, even though I didn't get to see much of the reputably great view due to high wind and eventually a rain shower.