Borgo Scopeto: In Chianti, the "Dream Relais" with 5-Star Rooms and Local Cuisine

A medieval village converted into an elegant five-star resort where you breathe an air of austere beauty, offering outdoor activities, a wellness center, and the cuisine of talented chef Pietro Fortunati.

Photos: courtesy of Gabriele Maria Cucolo

The Relais

Just getting to Borgo Scopeto Wine and Country Relais puts you in a good mood: whether you're a nature and history lover or not – but in the latter case, the love affair will be final – it's very difficult not to fall in love with a place like this. It's indeed one of those places that, as they say, is worth the journey.

Located in Castelnuovo Berardenga, in the heart of Chianti Classico, the area is highly dedicated to producing excellent wines and great oils. So much so that this very elegant country relais, just a fifteen-minute shuttle ride from the center of Siena, is nestled amidst a farm that covers about five hundred hectares, seventy of which are vineyards where Sangiovese reigns supreme.

Moreover, the property also includes five thousand olive trees with cultivars such as Moraiolo, Leccino, and Frantoio, which produce remarkable DOP extra virgin olive oil, also from the Chianti Classico region. A long, fascinating, and typical cypress-lined avenue welcomes guests to the medieval village dominated by a large defense tower from the year one thousand, where Borgo Scopeto is located.

The name originates from the erica scopaia (broom heather), a shrub present in the area from which long, thin branches were used to make brooms. During the wars between the Tuscan cities, the fortified settlement was conquered by Florence. It was the Florentines who erected the Marzocco - a seated lion supporting and protecting the lily emblem - in the garden, which is still there today. Instead, it was the Sienese family of the Sozzini, between the fourteenth and nineteenth centuries, who transformed this place into a fortified villa-farm with the manor villa, stables, houses for tenants, chapel, and cellar.

 In 1997, thanks to the faithful restoration work by the Gnudi Angelini family, the new owners, the village was converted into the elegant five-star resort it is today. You breathe an air of austere beauty within these ancient walls: likewise, every detail, from the elegant and comfortable rooms, with period decorations and frescoes, is cared for with love. Starting from the superior rooms to the various magnificent suites and villas, totaling 52 accommodations. Among all, Villa La Torre stands out, with a private garden and a whirlpool tub capable of accommodating six people on two floors.

At Borgo Scopeto, there are many different ways to relax, whether you enjoy peaceful meditative peace by the pools, one inside a natural amphitheater of olive trees, the other right under the large garden, or if you prefer to move around by strolling through the vineyards, playing tennis, practicing yoga, or cycling through the hills. It goes without saying that there is a remarkable wellness center here, where a line of cosmetics made with products from the surrounding countryside such as grape pomace, olive oil, lavender, helichrysum, and honey.

The Cuisine

To complete a picture of high quality, the gastronomic offering is also excellent. The chef at Borgo Scopeto is Pietro Fortunati. Born in 1989, he left his economics studies for the kitchen and graduated from the Le Cordon Bleu School of High Cuisine in Florence before arriving at Il Palagio at the Four Seasons in the same city and staying there for a few years.

He then alternated between the kitchens of Le Jardin de Russie in Rome and the Dei Lorena restaurant in Bagni di Pisa. For four years, he has been the executive chef of the structure, which includes two dining options open to the public, both featuring selected ingredients from local producers and the internal farm. At Borgo Bistrot, you can enjoy simple lunch dishes such as traditional regional pasta, salads, tartare, and even gourmet sandwiches and classic Tuscan focaccias.

La Tinaia, a gourmet restaurant dedicated to contemporary cuisine with strong territorial bases and tasty deviations, is located in a particularly charming environment, as it is located in the ancient cellars of the estate with their beautiful vaulted ceilings.

Among the dishes we have had the pleasure of tasting, we appreciated the tongue, herring, celery mayonnaise, red shrimp, lamb's lettuce, and aglione, as well as the original 'ditali in ribollita' and - among desserts - the excellent goat cheese cake with a panforte cookie and pumpkin.

When weather and temperatures allow, it's worth dining outdoors, with a beautiful wisteria pergola and a wonderful panoramic view of Siena. Likewise, it's delightful to end the evening at the Il Castello cocktail bar, perhaps in the outdoor lounge around the warm fire of a brazier.