My husband and I met George and his wonderful staff a few years ago when we were driving through Tuscany. We wanted to stop and admire this amazing location, as we had visited for lunch many years before. George and Linda took over the hotel and restaurant in 2018, so we were very interested to hear his plans. They were eyeballs deep in renovating and bringing this wonderful place up to their very highest standards, including much work on the property itself. After a lovely glass of wine on the terrace (which overlooks the beautiful valley between their location and Montepulciano) with George discussing his many plans for the hotel and restaurant, we sadly left this wonderful oasis. Fast forward to now, and we again visited one of our most favorite places in Tuscany. And WOW! What George and Linda have done is nothing short of breathtaking! A new pool, stunning grounds surrounding the entrance and terrace in back, new lavender field and olive groves/vineyard brought back to life. Not to mention renovated rooms and continued updating of centuries old plumbing to support new bathrooms. We were truly gobsmacked! Then we had lunch... holy buckets! The flavors and true mastery of blending Tuscan flavors with innovative ideas blew our minds. I'm still day dreaming about the cinghiale and homemade, rolled pasta as my primi, followed by the low heat cooked artichoke flowers in a slight sauce that created magic in my mouth. My husband had the cacio e pepe tortello pasta with black cabbage cream and then crispy pork belly..... all he could do was close his eyes and continue to say.... wow. Of course we followed with a dolce..... again, holy buckets. Light almond mousse with white chocolate and olive leaf accompanied by a crunchy olive oil waffle and a small dash of George's olive oil to top (more on that below). Don't even get me started on the wine list. The staff was so knowledgeable about the food and wine that whether you are novice or expert, they will be able to suggest the right accompaniment to your meal. Another wonderful surprise is that George and Linda have bottled their own olive oil (I do know a good olive oil when I taste it, this is very good) and George has worked with a small producer of balsamic vinegar from Modena, to create a taste that is both slightly sweet and perfect for ice cream (yup.. trust me, you have to try it) yet perfect to also compliment a bit of heavy cheese. Both are available for sale; needless to say, I walked away with both and plan to order more for Christmas gifts. But with all the wonderful food, wine and STUNNING views, the thing that most makes us want to come back time and time again, is George and Linda and their team. They have taken this wonderful property and made it a dream place in this sometimes crazy world. Their warmth and that of their staff impart what Italy is truly about... friends, family, food, wine and connection. In my opinion... it doesn't get any better than that.
Çevir