Words by Alina Trabattoni
Imagine a corner of Tuscany tucked away from the beaten track, cocooned within rolling vineyards scattered around the medieval heritage town that presides over them. Envisage a geography dense with culture and tradition, a land called home by one of Italy’s most iconic wines, and a location that offers endless possibilities of sunshine, glorious moments and the creation of elegant memories even to the most discerning eyes. Welcome to Montalcino, Tuscany.
Over and above being the home of Brunello di Montalcino wine, the area is within the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Val d’Orcia, boasting one of the most attractive landscapes in the world with its cypress trees, medieval hamlets and abbeys, coupled with endless vineyards, rolling green hills and golden fields of grain.
Welcome to the heart of Tuscany – a playground for the select few that are in on the secret with the many lavish opportunities it offers to shop, fine dine and enjoy whilst staying at one of the area’s prestigious historical residences, an elegant countryside villa once the official residence of the Bishop of Montalcino. Today, Villa Le Prata has been reimagined to embody country luxury and more, and is perfectly suited to its new appointment as a top-end, intimate residential-style wine resort.
Hotel
Villa Le Prata can best be described as an extraordinary oasis of well-being. Built in 1862, it is steeped in prestigious local history. Originally the extravagant hunting lodge of Count De Vecchi, it later become the official country residence of the Bishop of Montalcino before sitting empty for some years. A few minutes’ drive from Montalcino, today it has been returned to its former glory by its current owners.
Once inside its stylish estate, the splendid grandeur of the building façade leads into Villa Le Prata’s interior antiqued-frescoed-chandeliered magnificence, where every detail is elegantly and always congruently paired with its ever-present, rich history.
Outside the historical residence, vineyards billow outwards into an endless green sea. Towards the end of the day, a pre-dinner aperitivo drink of the finest Villa Le Prata production Brunello may be had by the pool, or even while soaking in the sunset from inside the hot tub.
Villa Le Prata is in fact also a working wine estate, with its lines ranging from the structured to the explosive and powerful, with others still light and elegant, almost coral. At the end of the day the Brunello di Montalcino wine flows freely and generously amongst guests, even as its limited three hectares of vineyards dictate restricted annual production and translate into exclusivity.
Room
Its limited-edition eight guest bedrooms are regaled with luxurious details and – combined with the numerous offerings available for guests – permits them to live the local life by eating, drinking – and doing – as the locals do.
Each room is a story onto itself, unique and particular, combining tradition with the utmost care and detail, and refined authentic furnishings with attention, comfort and prestige. The Bishop’s room, for instance, was the original abode of the Bishop of Montalcino. Its red walls, the intermixing of religious furnishings and the domineering seventeenth century golden-leaf bed captures the splendour of times past while mixing the mediums of the sacred and the profane.
Food
Dinner at the Villa Le Prata boutique restaurant is a unique experience, based on the master chef’s alchemic re-interpretation of traditional home-spun recipes to be savoured at the limited-edition five tables of the main dining area or at the outside dining area, surrounded by swaying olive groves, vineyards and cypress trees under magnificent sunsets only Tuscany seems to have. In fact, the culinary offerings are so good and the experience so unique as to warrant never leaving Villa Le Prata for the much-lauded local restaurant scene.
A kitchen-prepared picnic basket, inclusive of a bottle of the finest limited-edition Brunello wine, is best eaten and savoured amongst the vineyards. Off-carte romantic dinners inclusive of silver cutlery and candlelight are also arranged on request amongst the Sangiovese vines, timed to combine with the setting of the sun over the nearby cypress-lined hills.
The delicacies the kitchen is renowned for are juicy servings that highlight the simple ingredients of the dishes that make the area of Montalcino so iconic, starting from the cold-pressed local artisan olive oil that can be tasted by dipping thick chunks of rustic home-made bread into it. Platters of olives, artichokes, cured meats and local cheeses, hand-rolled pinci pasta accompanied by wild boar sauce, and followed by Bistecca alla Fiorentina (steak Florentine.)
Throughout, a stream of Brunello di Montalcino wine so fine it will leave you beaming. Breakfast, instead, is a lavish feast served more often than not in the garden in the summer months.
Brunello, il magnifico
The town’s fortunes – of course – straddle the Brunello vineyards, for which the area is known far and wide, with one of the most appreciated Italian wines produced in the area. Already some five centuries ago Montalcino was well known for its magnificent wine extravaganzas, though the precious origins of the Brunello only date back to 1888 when Ferruccio Biondi Santi invented it by eschewing traditional grapes used for the production of Chianti locally, like the Colorino and Canaiolo varieties, in favour of the more robust Sangiovese kind.
For a Brunello vintage to be ready for consumption, it need have aged at least five years, of which a minimum of two in oak barrels. Its less noble, dark and jewel-toned cousin, the Rosso of Montalcino that is also very resolute and much sought-after, may instead be savoured after only one year of aging.
The Le Prata wine tasting experience makes for a unique introduction to the limited-edition Brunello vintages the estate is renowned for. The tasting highlights of the resort’s wine library include the exquisite Villa Le Prata Brunello di Montalcino 2013, 2014 and 2017 editions, years in which local micro-climate conditions resulted in unique vineyard output, as well as the estate’s exclusive reserve wines. A pleasant accompaniment comes in the form of the estate’s excellent organic olive oil, which seems to be the perfect match to the chunky homemade bread that is there to be dipped.
For wine afficionados, a variety of tasting courses, as well as tours in the cellars or even impromptu discovery of vineyards in the area via off-road vehicles are available. Those instead that want a more urban tasting experience, the central Enoteca La Fortezza in Montalcino organises carefully curated tasting experiences that span from special aged bottles of Biondi-Santi, the original father of Brunello as we know it today, to the Banfi and the Ciacci Piccolomini d’Aragona estates, amongst others.
Cooking classes
Beyond the Brunello, a firm favourite amongst guests are the local cooking classes held by the inhouse chef, a journey through traditional Tuscan recipes carefully-selected to include the added advantage of being easy to replicate once back home. This could, depending on the season, include pinci pasta (known as pici in every other area of Tuscany.) This long, rustic home-made spaghetti is almost as thick as a standard pencil, with its magnificent chewy texture coming from the combination of flour and semolina. Also of note in terms of quick and delicious when back home is the Panzanella salad, a bread salad so flavoured by the variety of autochthone vegetables that many locals swear by it as the essential summer recipe.
Last but not least in this sweet and savoury rendition is Villa Le Prata’s Ciambelline al Brunello, or dry miniature donut biscotti, and Cantucci biscuits, which legend has were first favoured by Etruscans in the area. Long, dry and garnished with nuts and spices, Villa Le Prata’s chef concocts both magical sweet versions as well as savoury once flavoured local pecorino cheese from Pienza. Fresh, light, and crunchy, they garner a lot of favours at any dinner party. The chef’s culinary teachings, of course, all come accompanied with a glass of the finest Brunello for each participant apprentice.
Truffle hunting and other experiences
When the vineyards lie fallow, stripped of their plump Sangiovese grapes, the distinctive clay soil of this area – the Crete Senesi – is bared to the world. This is the environment in which another traditional local crop is harvested – or better still, hunted.
Those fortunate enough have the opportunity to partake in an age-old tradition taking you down muddy slopes and through cool, shaded forests, all the whilst accompanied by pointer dogs. The discovery of an underground treasure is signalled when the hounds bound ahead and start furiously digging at patches of muddy ground. What remains to be seen is whether black or white gold is unearthed.
The black winter truffle is traditionally used for a variety of local recipes and may be sourced all year round. It is also is the less prestigious crop. The white variety, which comes with a fragrance that makes your head spin with culinary desire, only flourishes underground from October to early January, and may net as much as 1,000 euros per kilo in drier years.
Shaved to flavour pasta, fried eggs or olive oil, truffles have been a local delicacy as well as a much sought-after luxury for centuries now. Even so, unearthed, they can be easily mistaken for a lump of Tuscan clay, until their addictive smell permeates through the encasement of soil.
Similarly, a parallel excursion can be organised for those appreciative of saffron, the most expensive spice in existence at some 990 euros per kilo. Originating from the crocus flower, it is loved the world over for its flavour and remains the signature ingredient of many local Tuscan dishes.
All in all, with 12 Villa Le Prata employees to cater to the wine resort’s guests, which total 16 at the very most at any given point in time, local experiences are carefully curated and personalised to fit the most demanding requests. Electric off-road bicycle tours, horseback riding tours and Italian vintage Vespa tours of the local wine estates and local cultural sites, are amongst the many outdoor experiences available. One of the particular appeals of Villa Le Prata is its very combination of rich offerings and traditional activities, rare in this type of establishment.
Things to do
After fully savouring the blood-red Brunello di Montalcino and enjoying a few days of activities and relaxation at Villa Le Prata comes the time to delve deep into the area’s cultural heritage. In the fairy-tale hilltop town Montalcino, it’s easy to just visually admire and in doing so almost savour the local culture by exploring the labyrinth-like old town by foot.
Just a short drive south of Siena, Montalcino is embedded in a set of circular fortified walls with layers of centuries draped across them, and dominated over by a pristine-perfect medieval castle. To the west of Montalcino lies Pienza, the staggeringly beautiful cheese-making capital which can be reached by simply following the cypress-lined roads to the top of the hill it is perched on. Driving along the breath-taking Val d’Orcia natural parkland with its sweeping views opening up towards Monte Amiata and across through to the Maremma hills is a delight in itself.
Architecturally speaking, Montalcino, renowned the world over for the production of its precious Brunello wine, has changed very little since the 16th century. A town rich in artistic treasures, with a historical centre dominated by the Rocca or fortress built in 1361 is testament of the control that Siena started to wield over the area. Often the setting for classical concerts and historical representations, a feature of the season is the July Jazz and Wine festival that captures the imagination of those who enjoy a good vintage Brunello with accompaniment.
Another landmark is the prominent tower clock that adorns the town hall, Palazzo dei Priori, adjacent to the Piazza del Popolo square with its gothic loggia characteristics.
Where to eat
A local tavern run by the ever-affable Luciano that has been awarded a prestigious Michelin Guide award, the Grappolo Blu – or Blue Grape – is a quaint restaurant specialising in traditional Tuscan cuisine and, needless to say, excellent Brunello and other local wines. Expect simple and genuine local recipes, all home-made and using kitchen-garden grown greenery, inclusive of delicious homemade desserts as well as friendly and helpful staff. Breath-taking views accompany those enjoying a meal outside. If you want to dine whilst admiring the stunning Sienese hills, book ahead.
Il Pozzo: a small, classic trattoria with a terrace serving fabulous traditional local food. Its speciality is the Fiorentina steak cooked on a wood fire. Other dishes include Pinci pasta with white truffle, pappardelle pasta with wild boar sauce, and braised veal cooked with Brunello.
Shopping
If you manage to get past the numerous extraordinary wine boutiques shops in Montalcino including Enoteca La Fortezza di Montalcino, you would be advised to also look at exquisite local textile shop Montalcino 564, as well as design and gift items at La Sfinge. Saffron, also known as red gold to reflect its status of the most expensive spice, can be purchased at Pura Crocus, while the central via Mazzini hosts a unique variety of antique shops and art galleries including Galleria La Linea.
In a nutshell
A place with a powerful sense of history, yet gifting guests with all the detail and comforts required for a luxurious Tuscan experience, Villa Le Prata is a unique way of experiencing Montalcino. One of the finest and most elegant wine resorts in this area of Tuscany, its intimate, informal boutique atmosphere ensures that guests are welcome.
Factbox
Address: localita le prata 261, 53024 Montalcino SI, Italy
Phone: +39 0577 847130
Website: villaleprata.com
