Relais Fattoria Vignale

A comfortable, very well-appointed hotel at the edge of one of Chianti’s loveliest villages, with glorious Tuscan views

This is a hotel that grows on you. Don’t be put off by first impressions: an austere stone façade onto the road. Persevere past the enoteca to the courtyard, where wrought iron tables cluster around an old, oak-shaded well. Leading off this is a series of elegant drawing rooms, with massive stone hearths, soft sofas and wall paintings. Further down is the loggia, with its stupendous view over vine- and olive-lined valleys. But don’t stop there. One level lower lies the swimming pool, calm and panoramic and totally unexpected. As you gaze back you realise the hotel is a fusion of several buildings spilling down the hillside. Nearly all the bedrooms face the valley.

On your doorstep is Radda, with fortress walls and churches to explore, and several restaurants to choose from, including the hotel’s acclaimed Vignale and its simpler, subterranean Osteria. Sitting on a forest-ringed hilltop midway between Greve, Castellina and Gaiole, Radda is a stunning base from which to discover Chianti.

Highs

• Most rooms have a classic Tuscan view
• It’s well-run, clean, friendly and charming
• It has its own excellent restaurant, and more rustic sister restaurant 4km away
• A tranquil, grown-up kind of atmosphere
• Radda is brilliantly placed in the heart of Chiantishire - and there’s a wine-tasting cantina every 500m!

Lows

• Avoid the road-facing rooms
• Not an especially intimate hotel, with over 40 rooms
• Small bar
• Tricky parking down hill
• If you're after 21st century boutique, be aware that the style is Tuscan classic not contemporary