The sommelier at Cut at 45 Park Lane, the London restaurant of Austrian star chef Wolfgang Puck, is Italian. His name is Davide Bottoni and he has had strategic experiences in the British capital, from Gordon Ramsay's Maze to Claridge's. Today he administers a unique cellar for verticals of great Bordeaux and an original repertoire of American references. “An ongoing discovery.”
The sommelier
A census should be taken of the Italian talents that are conquering the world. For example, Davide Bottoni, a dashing sommelier born in Rome, in a family that had nothing to do with métiers de la bouche. His mother a saleswoman for a luxury brand, his father a telecommunications employee, he has managed to make his way on the competitive London scene, where he has become a darling of wine lovers, racking up strategic experience for an excellent and abundant decade.
The lightning bolt fell at Maze by Gordon Ramsay, where he gained his first sommelier experience as commis and then as assistant to Arnaud Bardary, a mentor who shaped his mindset. There followed a move to Sky Garden and then Hide, where his responsibilities grew, to Claridge's, a legendary hotel where he says he poured Burgundy like there was no tomorrow.
He currently officiates at Cut at 45 Park Lane, also in London, a restaurant owned by Austrian celebrity chef Wolfgang Puck, whose cellar boasts prestigious verticals of Château Mouton Rothschild and Château Lafite-Rothschild, but also an extraordinary selection of American wines. “A continuous exploration.” All the references are available in the hotel's various outlets and also in room service, with the exception of the sushi corner, where they are available on request. Then there's the Coravin taproom, with sirens such as Sassicaia 2014 and Chambolle-Musigny 2019. And the pairings are no joke: see the A5 wagyu rib-eye steak with 1996 Barolo Riserva Rocche dell'Annunziata.
“Wolfgang Puck comes by a lot, ‘ the sommelier tells thedrinkbusiness.com. "There'sa great atmosphere when he's around. And I'm always surprised by his level of wine knowledge, something rare among chefs." As for executive chef Elliott Grover, however, the choice falls mostly on Martinis and Champagne.
But Bottoni also has his idiosyncrasies. For example, he confesses that he can do without pét-nat, while he would like to bring Jura white wines to the fore. Ingredients chapter, he loves artichokes, chicory, asparagus, lamb, oysters and basil; but he prefers to avoid liver, capers and mint. And having to point to a good colleague, he names Federica Patania, who has just opened Il Bulbo restaurant in Avellino with her husband chef Alessandro Piantedosi.
