Parco Palladiano II: Cipresso Bottega Veneta 2016
29
Top Review
Impressions of the Light Mediterranean Buffet
Mild-spicy green, miles away from the nose-stinging local false cypress. A hint of nuttiness that pairs well with pink pepper. A fresh, watery impression of... cucumber? Indeed, after a few minutes, it smells like an extravagantly spiced oriental cucumber salad with coriander and a tiny, non-sweaty hint of cumin. I can only manage with pink pepper and juniper in terms of spices.
Oh, and: A little salt is, after all, also essential in such a salad. It’s also conceivable, in relation to cucumber and salt, that: When preparing tzatziki, the grated cucumber must be drained; otherwise, it turns into slush. The water can be removed either by vigorously squeezing it in a dish towel or by sprinkling it generously with salt. Naturally, I prefer the former. It’s more thorough, as only with sheer force can nearly dried cucumber pieces draw out enough liquid from the creamy yogurt, resulting in a beautifully creamy-thick tzatziki. But today, one can sense the option of dehydrating with salt, if desired.
As the morning progresses, I end up with a bulgur salad. Its aroma, as is well known, practically depends solely on what has been added to the durum wheat mash. In this case, I stick with coriander, rounded off with a bit of lemongrass and perhaps a pinch of sweet paprika.
Just to be clear: Bottega Veneta is certainly not delivering a gourmand here, especially not in the conventional sense. And a dish arrangement of such provenance smells exquisite!
However, by lunchtime, all associations with a Mediterranean buffet fade away. Of course, that’s slowly being eaten up now. So we leave the food thoughts behind. The scent becomes creamier, the spice milder and more perfumed. The green gradually reveals its balsamic sides, supported by a mossy-foamy base. Very refined, without becoming classically soapy. In the end, a gently herbaceous, yet primarily creamy green remains directly on the skin, with which the number two gently bids farewell after eight or nine hours, without any compromises to its noble appearance.
I thank Gerdi for the sample.
Oh, and: A little salt is, after all, also essential in such a salad. It’s also conceivable, in relation to cucumber and salt, that: When preparing tzatziki, the grated cucumber must be drained; otherwise, it turns into slush. The water can be removed either by vigorously squeezing it in a dish towel or by sprinkling it generously with salt. Naturally, I prefer the former. It’s more thorough, as only with sheer force can nearly dried cucumber pieces draw out enough liquid from the creamy yogurt, resulting in a beautifully creamy-thick tzatziki. But today, one can sense the option of dehydrating with salt, if desired.
As the morning progresses, I end up with a bulgur salad. Its aroma, as is well known, practically depends solely on what has been added to the durum wheat mash. In this case, I stick with coriander, rounded off with a bit of lemongrass and perhaps a pinch of sweet paprika.
Just to be clear: Bottega Veneta is certainly not delivering a gourmand here, especially not in the conventional sense. And a dish arrangement of such provenance smells exquisite!
However, by lunchtime, all associations with a Mediterranean buffet fade away. Of course, that’s slowly being eaten up now. So we leave the food thoughts behind. The scent becomes creamier, the spice milder and more perfumed. The green gradually reveals its balsamic sides, supported by a mossy-foamy base. Very refined, without becoming classically soapy. In the end, a gently herbaceous, yet primarily creamy green remains directly on the skin, with which the number two gently bids farewell after eight or nine hours, without any compromises to its noble appearance.
I thank Gerdi for the sample.
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18 Comments
Thanks - even though the upcoming trip to the kitchen wasn't part of the plan!