Tenuta Senese

Wine: A spectacular new winery was built in 2013 and in 2015 the estate converted to organic farming. The favorable microclimate, the exposure of the vineyards, and the clay and limestone soil combine to produce a full-bodied yet supple and elegant wine. In 2016 their Riserva was awarded «   bicchieri » the highest award by the Gambero Rosso, Italy’s most prestigious wine guide. The careful management of the estate has improved the quality year by year, through a drastic reduction of the yields (now only 35-40 hl/ha), and the purchase of new French oak casks for the aging of the wine. The cellars can be visited by guests by appointment and different vintages of Vino Nobile and Rosso di Montepulciano can be purchased here. The family’s own olive oil, produced in small quantities for family and friends, is also for sale.

The near surroundings: The house is surrounded by 3 villages at a distance of 1 to 3 km. Here you will find shops, cafés, newsstands, banks and simple restaurants. The hospital of Montepulciano is 5 km away. All you can see from the property are fields, olive groves and vineyards. Not a house in sight. In the house you will find a detailed list of restaurants we recommend in the surroundings. 

Sports: There are tennis courts in the next village at 1 km, while bikes can be hired in the same village. Guides are available to take you round the area. Hiking is wonderful here, especially in the nearby Orcia Valley.

Airports and transports: The closest train station is Chiusi, on the main line from Florence to Rome. We can arrange for a chauffeur driven car to pick you up at the airport and leave you off again on departure, as well as arranging for a rented car to await you at the house (please request those services when booking).

Florence and Siena, Tuscany’s most important cultural milestones, are easy to reach from Tenuta Senese. They can be reached by train in one and a half hours from the nearby station Chiusi (20 km).

Montepulciano is only 7 km distant. It is a graceful Tuscan hill town, best known for its Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, which was being praised by connoisseurs over 200 years ago and can certainly contend with Italy’s best today. The many churches and handsome palazzi, the steep cobbled alleys and vine-trailing stone bastions are essential viewing for anyone venturing south of Siena. On a clear day from the top of the town you have tremendous panoramic views across the countryside, stretching towards Assisi’s Monte Subasio, Monte Amiata, the Val d’Orcia, Pienza, and even the towers of Siena.

Montalcino is beautifully situated on a hill inhabited since Etruscan times, swathed in vineyards and olive groves. It is a quiet, affluent, attractive town with pretty buildings and flower-filled squares, and many shops selling the Brunello di Montalcino.

Pienza, the unfinished “utopian” city, was commissioned by Pope Pius II in 1459. In just three years the cathedral, the papal and bishop’s palaces and the central part of the town were completed, but the extensive project ended abruptly when Pius died only two years after the consacration of the cathedral.

Città della Pieve is 35 km away, Arezzo with its antique market and the world-famous fresco cycle of Piero della Francesca 50 km away.

The Val d’Orcia is a wide valley south of Siena through which the old Via Francigena (the chief route linking Rome with the north) used to lead, passing castles and fortified towns, some of them dating back as far as the eighth century. In San Quirico make sure you see the Horti Leonini, an early Renaissance garden, as well as the western door in the city wall and the Collegiata (main church).

Monte Oliveto Maggiore: This abbey was founded by three Sienese noblemen who left the city to live a life dedicated to prayer, religion, etc. and who founded the Olivetan order – an off-shoot of the Benedictines. The most important thing to see at this still active and working Monastery is the cycle of frescoes that decorate the monumental cloister. They describe the live of Saint Benedict and were painted by Signorelli and Sodoma. There are also some beautiful marquetry stalls in the church itself.  It is a very magical and serene place set in the midst of exceptionally beautiful countryside. It is home to a dozen monks who specialize in restoring old books, and make wine, honey and olive oil.

San Casciano dei Bagni with its luxurious spa in a Medici villa, 35 km.

Outlet: Fashion addicts can splurge out at the famous Prada factory outlet, which lies on to road to Florence.