A Milanese Lunch at Horto: Sustainability Meets Fine Dining

On our last full day at Villa D'Este on lake Como, my wife Dio wanted to head into Milan for some shopping. Since we were making the drive anyway, I suggested we find a proper lunch spot to complete the experience, and after some quick research on Michelin-starred restaurants that were open and offering wine pairings, we landed on Horto. What we discovered was far more than just a meal - this Green Star restaurant on the seventh floor of a renovated palazzo delivered one of those spontaneous dining experiences that ends up becoming a trip highlight. We opted for the five-course L'Ora Etica menu with four wine pairings, and the chef's table seating put us right in front of the kitchen where we could watch the entire team at work. Just when we thought the experience couldn't get better, they moved us to a table overlooking the Duomo for the dessert courses.

Stay tuned for a full blog post with pictures and videos at heavypourwine.com.

• 2018 Berlucchi Guido Franciacorta '61 Nature 91 Points

  Italy, Lombardia, Franciacorta DOCG

  First visit to Horto in Milan. Franciacorta Brut Nature, chosen specifically because the first course would be quite sweet - the somm wanted to balance the dish's fudge-like quality. Bright melon nose, but the palate was slightly heavy and bitter, very different from the nose with nutty characteristics. Served with an amazing salad featuring leaves and flowers with black cabbage sauce and grape reduction, plus their signature fermented and grilled beetroot filled with borlotti bean hummus, topped with unripe grape sauce and tarragon. The sparkling wine was great with the salad and good with the beet, but the pairing really shined by removing the wine's heaviness - it became a great pairing with the food. The hand-stretched breadstick was wonderful.
  
  Brad - heavypourwine.com

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• 2024 Gianni Gagliardo Fallegro 92 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  First visit to Horto in Milan. Made with favorita grapes (similar to vermentino) cultivated in Piedmont from La Morra. The somm chose this wine because the dish was marinated with elderflower vinegar and featured raw meat - the wine's floral nose transitions to a clean, long taste on the palate. Very expressive lemon and citrus nose with white flowers. Medium tart lemon on the palate, served cold. Really nice wine that didn't need food - scored 92 on its own. Paired with Carpaccio di Cervo (venison) marinated in house-made elderflower vinegar with lavender, red radish, and elderberries, finished with grilled sunflower seed sauce and served with house-made Crescentina bread in the style of Bologna. The pairing was mixed for me - without the sauce it was great with the venison, but the sunflower seed sauce conflicted with the wine, though I'm admittedly picky about sauces and others may have loved it. The hollow, perfectly salted bread was actually better than the beef, which was very tender.
  
  Brad - heavypourwine.com

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• 2024 Thomas Pichler Chardonnay 31/69 93 Points

  Italy, Trentino-Alto Adige, Alto Adige, Alto Adige - Südtirol

  First visit to Horto in Milan. From Südtirol. The somm specifically chose a dry, mineral wine because he wanted us to taste the white truffle without the wine changing its flavor - his goal was to let the truffle shine while the dry palate complemented rather than competed. Chenin Blanc-like nose, still some lemon but more precise than the previous white. Served cold, very dry on the palate. Paired with risotto made from Carnaroli Reserva San Massimo rice cooked in Jerusalem artichoke water with wild hare ragu at the bottom, mixed with acidic butter, topped with meat reduction and basil oil, finished with generous white truffle shavings. Really great pairing - the food was chewy in a good way. The wine was more complex and serious than the first wine, with slightly perceptible alcohol.
  
  Brad - heavypourwine.com

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• 2022 Gianni Gagliardo Langhe Nebbiolo Da Batiè 93 Points

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Langhe DOC

  First visit to Horto in Milan. Same producer as the earlier white wine. The somm chose this Nebbiolo because of its long-lasting character, knowing we'd have duck in pasta for this course and grilled wild duck for the next course. Opened 2 hours before tasting. Rustic nose with dark red fruit that smells like it has much more age - hypnotic nose. Served at room temperature with dark cherry notes on the palate, really nice on its own. First paired with their supplement dish of bottoni (fresh pasta) filled with germano duck, served over bitter cheese fondu, topped with duck reduction and red currant sauce and powder, accompanied by duck consommé seasoned with juniper (recommended to alternate one bottoni with a small sip of consommé). The dish was amazing, though I wasn't feeling the consommé. Also paired with the grilled wild duck served with grilled pumpkin, cherries in acidic solution, and black cabbage sauce - great pairing, the duck was so good with the perfect amount of gaminess.
  
  Brad - heavypourwine.com

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• 2022 Hauner Malvasia delle Lipari Passito 93 Points

  Italy, Sicily, Malvasia delle Lipari

  First visit to Horto in Milan. The somm, who is from Sicily and has been at Horto for two years, offered this complimentary pour from the small island of Lipari featuring typical Sicilian grapes. He explained these particular grapes receive abundant sunlight during the day, which means the fermentation process doesn't create much alcohol - a characteristic I appreciated since many sweet wines are quite high in alcohol. This reminded me more of Tokaji than Sauternes, which was a positive. Herbal and mint nose with a slight alcohol note on the finish. Paired with "Prugne e Caramello" - ricotta cake with caramel soft cream and plum ice cream topped with fresh plum carpaccio. Wonderful pairing with the dessert - the best pairing of the meal. Enjoying this wine and dish with views of the Duomo was the perfect ending to our lunch, and we even got to meet Chef Alessandro Pinton before leaving the restaurant.
  
  Brad - heavypourwine.com

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Horto delivered an exceptional lunch experience that perfectly balanced sustainability with fine dining creativity. The highlights were the thoughtful wine pairings by Manlio (particularly that complimentary dessert wine), Chef Alessandro Pinton's inventive dishes, and experiencing firsthand how the restaurant's "ethical hour" philosophy translates into ingredients sourced entirely from within an hour of Milan. Our server Chiara deserves special mention - she was such a good sport about letting us record audio and video for the blog, even getting a bit nervous and restarting some of her descriptions to make sure I was able to capture everything perfectly. Her genuine interest in our wine and food travels, combined with Manlio's wine expertise, made this experience truly memorable. Sometimes the best meals are the ones you don't plan months in advance.