Review: Castello Banfi - Il Borgo

Set amid 7,100 undulating acres of vineyards and olive groves near Montalcino, Castello Banfi, maker of some of the region’s best-known wines, has opened its doors to overnight guests. Former workers’ lodgings have been converted into sumptuous accommodations that embody Tuscan-style good living. The 14 rooms, housed in conjoined eighteenth-century stone buildings adjacent to the estate’s twelfth-century castello, have retained some atmospheric elements of the original structures, from wood-beam ceilings to deep-set windows to terra-cotta floors, and are done in a cheerful, elegant palette, including softly patterned silk draperies, plump couches, and absurdly comfortable beds with romantic baldachins. Special touches include a gratis bottle of Brunello, an LCD TV hidden in a false bookcase, and free high-speed Internet—a rarity in these parts. The large, well-lit bathrooms also come with comfort in mind, with heated towel racks, sizable glass-walled showers with rain showerheads, and toiletries made with Sangiovese grapes grown on the estate. The service throughout is warm and efficient, and the hearty breakfast (included in the room rate) exceeds the typical Continental-style dishes; La Taverna serves well-prepared Tuscan dishes and, naturally, a strong house wine list. An infinity pool overlooks the bucolic landscape of vineyards.