Location: Pignano
The billionaire owner (Cardiff via Silicon Valley) and charming GM Luciano Lusardi (ex Borgo Egnazia and Verdura) have created an almost-too-good-to-be-true country estate within 750 acres of organic farmland (olive groves, vineyards, fields, and woods) where butterflies swarm on sprawling lavender and the soundtrack is birdsong. This biodynamic retreat has 14 rooms plus cottages for 20 and a farmhouse. But they book so strategically that you’ll feel like you almost own the place.
The produce comes from the farm itself. There is a garden kitchen bursting with herbs and vegetables, as well as a bakery on site (which uses flour that they mill). Olive oil and organic lavender bathroom soaps and potions are all made in-house, too—and you can buy them to take away. The Al Fresco restaurant is great for a wood-fired pizza and zingy fresh salad, but on the other end of the scale, Villa Pignano whips up epic tasting menus fusing all sorts of unexpected combinations—there’s ravioli with blue cheese and white chocolate, and a surprisingly successful lamb with lavender and almonds. It is impressive that the entire wine list, including all biodynamic and Tuscan wines, is available. Francisco, a handsome, bearded mixologist, with his terrace overlooking the hills is the most attractive attraction before you even eat. He is famouser than the entire estate.
Daytime activities include horse-riding and yoga, as well as mountain biking and truffle hunting. You’ll find a library, a billiards hall, and a ballroom. The Royal Drawing School offers painting classes. They visit each summer as part their curriculum. The spa is brand new and, like everything else, deeply tasteful—exposed stone, handmade oils, properly authentic, switch-off-style treatments. There’s also the pool. The pool is arguably the most chic in Tuscany. The pool is infinity in a Slim Aarons kind of way. It was carved into a limestone quarry. The staff is always available to assist, but not in a claustrophobic manner. The rooms are kept in pristine condition. The rooms are also stunning and take sleep seriously. There are original frescos and four-poster bed, as well as grand pianos in many of the rooms.
