If you ever find yourself needing to defend your wine collection from a medieval siege, the Sesti - Castello di Argiano estate is the place to be. Located at the southern tip of the Montalcino plateau, this stunning property centers around a UNESCO-protected 13th-century watchtower that used to communicate with neighboring fortresses via drum and fire. Fast forward to the mid-1970s, and the estate was completely reclaimed by nature until astronomer Giugi Sesti and his English wife Sarah lovingly rescued it from the overgrown wilderness. Today, their daughter Elisa Sesti spearheads the operation, crafting world-class wines with a quirky family heritage that somehow stretches all the way to a great-great-grandmother who was the mayor of Shrewsbury! True to Giugi’s passion, you will find stars on the labels, but the real magic is on the ground: only 9 of their 102 hectares are planted with vines, leaving the rest to wild woodlands and olive groves.