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Anyone who loves wine has heard of Lamole, home of the famed Lamole di Lamole Chianti Classico. As you drive the narrow winding road from Radda in Chianti to Panzano, you won't doubt that this square of the Tuscan patchwork produces fine vintages. Hill after hill wears a coverlet of grapes that tint the seasons with their beautiful leaves. Especially magnificent is the autumn, when the vines turn flame red, yellow and orange. Add a hint of early morning mist and the dark green silhouettes of the cypress trees and, well, isn't that what Tuscany's supposed to be about? As you continue along this quiet road, you'll pass the immense estates of families who have been making wine for centuries. You'll come to a tiny square - virtually all there is to mark the actual township of Lamole - and within yards the road will seem to be about to come to an end. But we invite you to venture onwards, because here, in the midst of terraced vineyards created using the ageold dry stonewalls, you will find one of our favorite Italian B&Bs, Chianti Classico.
Your lively host, Paolo, comes from one of those old wine-growing families of Lamole. He and his German wife Juliane live just down the road in a rambling home, where she often prepares delicious homemade pastries and breads to serve her guests at breakfast along with local cheese and salamis. A highlight is fettunta, a Tuscan specialty of toasted crusty bread slathered with olive oil. The oil comes from fruit pressed without heat in Paolo's own olive mill. You'll meet your fellow guests in the morning as you linger over a second cappuccino, perhaps by the fireplace in the cozy breakfast room or in the panoramic garden during warmer months.
Not that you're liable to run into too many guests here, for the property is divided into four distinct areas offering maximum privacy and tranquility. In the main B&B house, there are only four pretty rooms, each with private bathroom. One double room on the ground floor is wheelchair-accessible and has an anteroom with an extra single bed; the remaining three double rooms are all upstairs. About 600 yards away in Paolo's home (which has been in the family for several hundred years, by the way), there are two more lovely rooms with wrought-iron queen beds. All the rooms have modern en suite bathrooms, terra cotta floors and wood-beamed ceilings. Fresh flowers, antique furniture, local farm accessories and pretty homemade touches liven the atmosphere. Because this is a secondary road, you'll fall asleep to silence and wake up to the sounds of the birds.
Back at the B&B property, a small renovated barn is set about 150 yards from the main house. It has its own private patio outside. Inside, the ground floor is occupied by a spacious living room with fireplace, kitchenette (cooktop, oven, full fridge and dishwasher), double sofa bed, and wooden dining table with chairs. Upstairs is a room with glorious views across the Greve Valley from its queen bed, and a bathroom with stall shower.
About half way between Paolo's house and the B&B is a minuscule 14th-century hamlet that consists of three ancient stone houses. Two of these are inhabited by farmers whose families have served Paolo's for 600 years. The present generation still raises pheasants on the property, which is ablaze with roses and geraniums most of the year. The third house offers two unique apartments, which look much as they must have when the dwelling was first built (except for the modern bathrooms and kitchens, that is!). Apartment One is on the first floor and has a tiny patio, a big dining room with table and chairs, a spacious kitchen with full fridge, oven, cooktop and dishwasher, a queen bedroom with big wardrobe and window overlooking the vineyards, a bedroom with two twin beds or one king bed, and two bathrooms with round stall showers. Apartment Two is a real surprise, because it appears to be in the basement but is actually on top of the house! From the original front door, you climb 27 steps to a small living room with couch, table and chairs, and kitchenette (mini fridge, cooktop, oven and dishwasher). A long hall leads to a queen bedroom facing the valley, a bathroom with stall shower, and a lovely panoramic terrace with table and chairs. Guests at these apartments have a shared washing machine, and are welcome to have breakfast at the main B&B, and also to use its small but refreshing swimming pool.
Although you will feel as though you are a million miles from anywhere, this is actually a perfect location for day trips. It's great fun to walk across the vineyards to Panzano, an authentic Tuscan town with excellent food shops and not too many tourists. Or you can drive just down the road to Radda in Chianti or Greve in Chianti. Wineries to visit abound, and in November Paolo is always delighted to show you how olive oil is made in his own spotless frantoio. Half an hour away is Siena; San Gimignano, Cortona, Arezzo and Florence are all within an hour's drive.
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OPEN MARCH 19-DECEMBER 23, 2008
These exclusive low 2008 rates are valid only for In Italy Online guests!
| 2008 Nightly Rates for the B&B (per room/apartment) Two-Night Minimum Stay |
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| Includes taxes, services & breakfast | ||
| Low Season March 25-April 11 Oct. 15-Dec. 23 |
High Season March 19-24 April 12-Oct. 14 |
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| Double Room for Single Use B&B | 80.00 EURO | 100.00 EURO |
| Double Room B&B | 90.00 EURO | 110.00 EURO |
| Triple Room B&B | 110.00 EURO | 130.00 EURO |
| B&B Apartment (2 people) | 120.00 EURO | 140.00 EURO |
| B&B Apartment (3 people) | 140.00 EURO | 160.00 EURO |
| B&B Apartment (4 people) | 160.00 EURO | 180.00 EURO |
| 2008 Rates for the Hamlet Apartments (per apartment) Two-Night Minimum Stay |
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| Includes taxes & services | ||
| Low Season March 25-April 11 Oct. 15-Dec. 23 |
High Season March 19-24 April 12-Oct. 14 |
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| Daily | ||
| Apartment One (4 people) | 145.00 EURO | 175.00 EURO |
| Apartment Two (2 people) | 130.00 EURO | 160.00 EURO |
| Weekly | ||
| Apartment One (4 people) | 930.00 EURO | 1130.00 EURO |
| Apartment Two (2 people) | 830.00 EURO | 1030.00 EURO |
At the B&B, children 0-2 years old sleep free in their parents' room.
Hamlet apartment prices include: taxes, services, electricity, water, gas, heating, and one set of linens per person. Final cleaning is included for stays of three nights or less; for longer stays, it costs 50 Euros extra, paid at check-out. Breakfast is not included, but you are welcome to have breakfast at the B&B for 10 Euro/person. There is a washing machine for the guests' use: it costs 10 Euro/wash.
Click here for information about private transfers to the property.
Please note that you need a car to stay here.
