Three resorts in remote Tuscany

Three resorts in remote Tuscany

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Wed 12 Sep 2018 12:48 PM

If I could escape anywhere in the world with friends and family, it would be to remote Tuscany. Skewing the worn cobblestones of Siena and Lucca and the honeypot hives of Pisa and San Gimignano, my ideal getaway would be a hamlet on a hill where the wine is divine and the soundtrack is cicadas.

 

 

Channel your inner Michelangelo

 

A view of Nittardi’s verdant vines

 

The one and only Michelangelo gave Nittardi the ultimate seal of approval when he owned this sprawling estate in the 16th century. While he was occupied in Rome painting the Sistine Chapel, the Renaissance genius placed an order with his nephew Lionardo: “I’d prefer two casks of wine rather than eight shirts.” (He also got in with Pope Julius by sending the pontiff a couple of bottles.) Today, uber-elegant Chianti Classicos wrapped and labelled lovingly in original art by the likes of Hundertwasser, Yoko Ono and Mimmo Paladino await all those who endure the long dirt track up the hill. Channel your inner artist by staying with like-minded creatives in the refined apartments and strolling around the garden adorned with statues by contemporary sculptors.

Località Nittardi, 53011 Castellina in Chianti (Siena)

 

 

Go green near Volterra

 

The pool at Borgo Pignano was carved from an old limestone quarry

 

Organic, sustainable and totally Tuscan are the three tenets underlining the utterly lovely Borgo Pignano resort. Vaunting views of Volterra, the alabaster capital makes a beguiling appearance among the table details at Puglia-born chef Vincenzo Martella’s fine dining restaurant. A young chef of immense talent and profound ethics, expect curated dishes reliant on herbs and the here-and-now—the on-site farm produces its own organic flours for pasta and bread, honey and olive oil, as well as rearing chicken and pigs. Go foraging with the estate’s herbalist, learn how soap is made and enjoy a gallop on horseback before unwinding in the elegantly appointed apartments—and taking a dip in one of the most scenic infinity pools in Tuscany carved from an ancient limestone quarry.

Loc. Pignano, 6, 56048 Volterra (Pisa)

 

 

Sangiovese at sunset

 

The pool perched on Panzano’s Conca d’Oro (golden basin) winemaking area

 

The all-Sangiovese Le Bambole Gran Selezione from Il Palagio di Panzano stole many a heart at this year’s Chianti Classico Collection, so it follows that the idyllic winery perched on the rim of the Conca d’Oro will steal your soul. Row after row of happy, healthy organic vines unfurl beneath the dancing waters of the swimming pool, guests can pick-their-own from the vegetable plot and while away an afternoon chatting with owner Monia about wine, nearby Panzano and the world at large. Four-poster beds and antique furniture pair perfectly between the old stone vaults and terracotta floors in the charmingly rustic apartments. The entire country house can be rented out for family get-togethers.

Via Case Sparse, 38, 50020 Panzano In Chianti FI

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