Conti di San Bonifacio, Gavorrano
The lowdown
Perched on a Tuscan hilltop, with jaw-dropping views of its vineyards below, this boutique winery hotel is a restored stone farmhouse with a chic, designer finish.
Rustic yet luxurious, it’s a stunning retreat for wine-lovers and luxe hunters alike. This is real Tuscany, with added indulgence.
What makes it special?
It only has seven bedrooms. It’s large enough to have all you need (restaurant – with wine straight from the vineyards below, stunning swimming pool, acres of gorgeously green lands to walk in) but small enough to feel intimate, ultra-exclusive and like you have the whole hotel to yourself, even when full.
Wining and dining
You’ll most likely drive to Conti di San Bonifacio but, even though heading out to explore local Italian eateries makes for an excellent evening, it’s really the hotel’s own restaurant you’ll want a table at. In fact, when there’s room, the locals come here. For the hotel’s steep hilltop makes for perfect sunset vistas over dinner, with the restaurant’s tables set-up underneath twinkling garden lights on the grassy lawn outside. It’s magical.
Of course, the restaurant has a menu packed with beautiful food to boot, to go with that enchanting view. It’s ever-changing with the seasons, naturally, with ingredients sourced straight from Bonifacio’s very own vegetable garden, herb patches and the local farms. The duck ravioli nestled with cherry tomatoes in a yellow pepper sauce, the summer salad with the freshest beef carpaccio, the chef’s homemade tiramisu with added ‘biscuit crumble’; some of these dishes may not be available when you stay (except the tiramisu, that’s a favourite) but all were marvellous. The pasta, as expected, is irresistibly fresh and the meat, from fiorentine steak to wild boar, follows Tuscan tradition for being superbly cooked with the rustic flavours of the countryside.
There is a terrace seating area around the other side of the hotel too, for lunches, with the same chef behind it and the food is just as mouth-watering. Try the wild board pappardelle, it’s the best pasta dish I’ve ever eaten.
Things to do
From renting a Ferrari to horseback riding and helicopter touring, almost no activity is off-limits. Dream up your favourite thing to do and Bonifacio’s front desk will probably be able to sort it. Closer to home, there is a cookery course with the hotel’s amazingly talented Italian chef (learning to make pasta the Italian way is an absolute must), wine tasting classes (this is a winery estate after all) and acres upon acres of the hotel’s estate to explore on long, hazy evening walks.
Anything else?
Remember to try and taste the estate’s own wine, prosecco and olive oil – it’s all homemade. You can buy it all at the front desk and take a little piece of Tuscany home with you.
Conti di San Bonifacio, Società Agricola Poggio Divino, Location Casteani 1, 58023 Gavorrano (GR), Italy
W: www.contidisanbonifacio.com
T: +39 0566 80006
E: info@disanbonifcaio.com
Click here for the next property, Borgo Pignano, Volterra