Ristorante Lucca
Jersey's Italian wine room nobody saw coming
Bordentown · Bordentown · Italian · Visit Website ↗
Reviewed April 8, 2026
Wingman Metrics
First Impression
You're on Route 130 in Bordentown, New Jersey — not exactly the address you'd expect to find a Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence list anchored by Barolo, Brunello, and Sassicaia. But here we are, and the list lands with a confidence that says this program is the real deal, not a decoration.
Selection Deep Dive
Sommelier Daniel Bossi has built a 200-350 bottle list that reads like a love letter to the Italian peninsula — Piedmont and Tuscany get the most ink, and they earn it. You've got serious Barolo producers sitting alongside Brunello di Montalcino, Super Tuscans like Sassicaia and Tignanello, Amarone della Valpolicella, and Chianti Classico Riserva rounding out the middle tier. This isn't a list that just checks Italian boxes; it's curated with actual conviction. The depth skews old world exclusively, so if you need a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc as a security blanket, you're in the wrong room.
By the Glass
With 20-35 pours by the glass, there's enough rotation to keep regulars from drinking the same Chianti every visit. A program this Italy-focused at this level typically means the glass options go well beyond the basic house pour territory — you'd expect at least a Brunello or an Amarone to show up somewhere on that list. The by-the-glass range is a genuine strength here, not an afterthought.
Chianti Classico Riserva — $55
At the lower end of the bottle range, a well-sourced Chianti Classico Riserva in a program like this routinely punches above its price point. With Bossi selecting, you're not getting a grocery store pick — you're getting something that would cost you significantly more at a Manhattan Italian spot.
Amarone della Valpolicella
Most tables here gravitate straight to the Barolos and Super Tuscans, which means the Amarone gets overlooked. That's a mistake. A proper Amarone — dense, dried-fruit-forward, built for the long haul — is an extraordinary match for the kind of rich, slow-braised dishes Lucca puts on the table.
Sassicaia
Sassicaia is one of Italy's great wines and Bossi is right to stock it — but at this price tier it's also one of the most marked-up bottles on any Italian restaurant list in the country. You're paying a fame tax here. The wine is excellent; the value is not. Explore the Brunello or Barolo side of the list first.
Brunello di Montalcino + Osso buco
Brunello's Sangiovese backbone — high acid, firm tannins, earthy depth — is exactly what cuts through the richness of braised veal shank and holds up to the marrow. It's a classic Italian combination for a reason, and in Bossi's hands, the Brunello he's pouring is built for exactly this moment.
🎲 The Bottom Line
Ristorante Lucca is the kind of Italian wine program that makes you genuinely surprised by its zip code — a sommelier-driven, Italy-deep list earning its Wine Spectator credentials honestly. If you're anywhere near central Jersey and serious about Italian wine, this is not a detour, it's the destination.
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