16 Elevated European Summer Sojourns
The new adventures, properties and places to indulge across the continent this season.
An unsurpassed insight into what’s new and exciting on the continent this summer: exclusive Greek moments, gilded Paris experiences, Denmark’s cool charms, train travel dripping in Belle Époque splendour, and so much more.
From Europe, With Love
Whether you’re a James Bond fan or not, few would pass up the chance to live like the famed British spy for a day—or a couple of weeks. Now you can do just that thanks to a new partnership between EON Productions, makers of the James Bond empire, and upscale travel company Black Tomato—the first, and only, official 007 travel partner. It begins in March 2023 with 60 limited-edition private trips, each paying homage to Bond’s memorable adventures through a host of immersive experiences, beginning in London, Bond’s home base, before moving to Paris, Monaco, Lake Como and Venice. At each stop, expect high-octane experiences—whether in cars, yachts, helicopters or on trains.
Pull out your bow tie for VIP access to Monaco’s Casino de Monte-Carlo, which starred in Bond films GoldenEye (1995) and Never Say Never Again (1983). Get set to waterski along the shore of Moltrasio and soar in a seaplane over Bellagio at Lake Como (Daniel Craig did the same during 2006’s Casino Royale). Then, north of Paris, Château De Chantilly—the sumptuous lair of evil industrialist Max Zorin in A View to A Kill—becomes exclusively yours for an equestrian adventure through enchanting Chantilly Forest.
Denmark’s Capital Of Cool
Danes have long inspired design and architectural enthusiasts. Small wonder, then, that Copenhagen has been designated the UNESCO World Capital of Architecture in 2023. This year, the city will host a series of events exploring how architecture and urban planning can contribute to achieving the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Case in point: the new Opera Park along Copenhagen’s waterfront, drawing inspiration from romantic 19th-century gardens and featuring systems that reuse rainwater and recyclable materials.
Lauded Danish chef René Redzepi also has his eye on sustainability at his three-Michelin-starred restaurant noma, with a culinary ethos dedicated to low food miles: don’t miss out before the restaurant closes for good in 2024. After eating, you don’t have to travel far to reach soon-to-open seaside resort, Gilleje Sø- og Havbad, just 50 kilometres from Copenhagen. The dreamy retreat occupies a restored heritage building on the Danish Riviera, transformed with 40 rooms, an outdoor pool, rooftop terrace and spa.
uia2023cph.org; noma.dk; khr.dk
All Eyes On Evrima
Having sailed her maiden voyage in October 2022, the Ritz-Carlton Yacht Collection’s inaugural ship, Evrima, is doing what every savvy traveller seeking sunshine does over the Northern Hemisphere’s warmer months—making a beeline for the Mediterranean.
You’re sharing the yacht with just 297 other guests (there are almost as many crew), checked in to suites that come with floor-to-ceiling windows and private balconies—the Owner’s Suite’s alfresco whirlpool is a nice touch. More bubbles await on the pool deck and marina, the latter of which provides easy access to the ocean and water toys when the ship anchors.
On-board indulgence can be found at six restaurants and bars, including specialty dining room S.E.A, conceptualised by chef Sven Elverfeld of Aqua, the three Michelin-starred restaurant at The Ritz-Carlton in Wolfsburg.
ritzcarltonyachtcollection.com
Greece Is The Word
The global jet-set have been visiting the Athenian Riviera for decades, drawn by aromatic pine forests that fringe thermal springs and opaline water. The glamorous Astir Palace Hotel has been an A-list favourite since the 1960s, with everyone from Frank Sinatra to Lady Gaga spending the night. More recently, Four Seasons gave the property a chic makeover, adding beach clubs, restaurants and a spa.
Its reputation will be elevated when the One&Only Aesthesis opens here this year, set over 21 waterside hectares. Design takes inspiration from local culture, heroing woven leather, muted tones and accent patterns. The Chenot Spa, courtesy of the Swiss wellness brand, will be a highlight.The hotel is within easy reach of the new Ellinikon Experience Park, built on the site of Athens’ former airport. It’s a stunning example of re-greening, and home to a Zen garden, interactive water maze, fitness equipment and forest playground.
fourseasons.com; oneandonlyresorts.com; experiencepark.theellinikon.com.gr
Loving Lake Como
In Northern Italy’s Lombardy region, Lake Como has seduced painters, philosophers, musicians and poets for time immemorial. More recently, its dramatic beauty in the foothills of the Alps has drawn the fashionable and famous, who come here to explore atmospheric waterside resort towns by day, and sip spritz in seriously sexy hotels by night. Arguably the prettiest perch of them all is Villa Passalacqua.
The historic 1787 property seems made for romantic trysts, from its manicured garden nooks of olive trees and mimosa to the 24 deliciously detailed rooms, each individual in design and with heart-stopping lake views. The piece de resistance is the former music room with Giocondo Albertolli frescoes, now the Bellini Suite, where the maestro composed. The Casa Al Lago is a sleek private house, and there are additional accommodations in the Palazz, which also has an intimate spa. Order an Aperol spritz to be delivered poolside, where a 200-year-old greenhouse has been repurposed as a casual restaurant with JJ Martin-designed floral furnishings. Or in the dining room, snack on Italian sweets or discuss dinner with the chef.
Le Grand Tour
Whether murder mysteries or love affairs, there’s something about long-distance rail travel that inspires drama. The team behind historic French theme park Puy du Fou will add to the spectacle when they launch Le Grand Tour in June. This six-day, 4,000-kilometre journey traverses Champagne, Burgundy and Lake Annecy, pausing to visit Avignon’s Palace of the Popes and some of the 300 châteaux of the Loire Valley—while you’re here, sit under the stars for a performance of Puy du Fou’s famous show, the Cinéscénie. After days of exploring, meals and music are enjoyed in swanky dining carriages. And with space for just 36 passengers, every experience is sure to be exclusive.
Mallorca’s Moment
Sir Richard Branson once famously quipped that he’s not a fan of hotels … unless they are his own. It’s perhaps understandable once you’ve glimpsed the British billionaire’s latest lodging on the Spanish isle of Mallorca. Son Bunyola will skyrocket Branson’s Virgin Limited Edition portfolio to new luxury heights when it reveals 26 new suites on August 1. Joining Branson’s three existing villas (Sa Punta de S’Aguila, Son Balagueret and Sa Terra Rotja) on a 325-hectare estate—the centre of which is an historic finca (manor house)—the new hotel includes two suites located in former defence towers, each with ravishing vineyard views.
While Mallorca and its Balearic sisters have traditionally enjoyed a wild party vibe, this pocket of the island—part of a World Heritage Site—exudes nothing but class, from the hotel’s drop-dead-gorgeous GRAS Reynés Architecture Studio-designed interiors to its two restaurants, each paying homage to this produce-blessed region of Europe.
If you tire of the pool, stroll through olive groves fringing the estate to reach pebbly Son Bunyola beach—it’s so off the beaten track, you may well have it all to yourself.
Ahpo For All Seasons
Don’t expect much change from $4.4 million when you charter new superyacht Ahpo for a week, exploring the Mediterranean. But for the price tag, you’re given access to a long list of indulgences, from a helipad to a beach club, pool and cinema, spread over the yacht’s 115 metres.
While there’s space for just 16 guests on board, Ahpo comes with a crew of 36 to manage your every whim, whether that’s dropping anchor to shop in Saint-Tropez or picnic in Portofino, or jumping in a tender for an afternoon of fishing. The owner’s requirement for the yacht was that it be refined yet family friendly, which means there’s room for water toys for kids of all ages—think WaveRunners, waterskis, seabobs, kayaks and windsurfers—as well as a dancefloor, best enjoyed when your crew fire up the yacht’s underwater lights and plug in the karaoke machine. After a night of partying, be sure to make the most of the spa, hammam and sauna, and huge fitness centre with floor-to-ceiling windows.
For all her style, Ahpo is also sustainable with high eco-credentials, including an innovative heat recovery system and dynamic positioning.
French Tryst
There’s a reason why the Loire Valley has been the chosen retreat of the French elite for centuries—it’s the perfect backdrop for aristocracy and royalty to erect fairy-tale châteaux. From Renaissance-era mansions to fortified castles, there are more than 300 sprinkled across the countryside. Check in to freshly minted Château Louise de La Vallière, an opulent 20-room Relais & Châteaux hotel where the staff dress in period wear, deer roam between centuries-old oak and cedar trees, and you can dine on dishes King Louis XIV once ordered.
The spirit of the King’s era has been brought back to life, with meticulous attention to detail at the hands of French designer Jacques Garcia. Rooms are named after historical figures, each individually designed with swathes of marble, textured wallpaper, wood panelling and antiques.
There’s another royal (and Relais & Châteaux) connection at nearby Fleur de Loire, a palace conceived by Gaston d’Orléans (son of King Henry IV), reimagined as an enchanting hotel mid-2022. There are plenty of reasons to linger, from the duplex suites with views of the Loire River to the Sisley Spa. Tasting menus are prepared at double-Michelin-starred Christopher Hay’s eponymous on-site restaurant, heroing wagyu from the estate’s own farm and black bass from Solonge.
fleurdeloire.com; chateaulouise.com
Linger In Venice
For those here on an extended stay, the recent introduction of an entry fee of between three and 11 euros means you’ll likely glimpse a calmer side to Venice’s canals, cathedrals and architecturally significant buildings. And if visiting for the La Biennale di Venezia (11 February-26 November) you’ll definitely want to linger. This is one of the world’s oldest and largest creative celebrations, a whirlwind of events, performances and exhibitions.
Stay somewhere stylish—might we suggest The Langham, Venice. The brand’s first Italian property sits on the island of Murano with direct frontage to the Venetian Lagoon in the former Casino Mocenigo, an architectural grande dame from the 1600s.
Otherwise, there’s the Rosewood Venice, housed in the beautiful Palazzo Donà Giovannelli, a 15th-century building created by famed architect Filippo Calendario. The canal-side setting grants easy access to some of those sites you’ll (hopefully) no longer have to queue to visit.
labiennale.org; langhamhospitalitygroup.com; rosewoodhotels.com
Rail’s New Heights
Riding the Venice Simplon-Orient-Express has always been a glamorous affair. In June, it will become even more exclusive with the unveiling of eight new suites on the Belmond-owned train. French craftsmen restored two original ’20s and ’30s carriages, accommodating four suites each.
Design is inspired by the dramatic landscapes unfolding outside the train’s windows, capturing four regions—la campagne (countryside), les montagnes (mountains), les lacs (lakes) and la forêt (forest). Book your journey from December 2023 to enjoy a new route into the French Alps, between Paris and three stations in the heart of the mountains: Albertville, Moûtiers and Bourg-Saint-Maurice.
Tuscany’s Time To Shine
The walled hamlet of Magliano in Toscana dates to Etruscan times. Life here is slow, sweet and blissfully simple, particularly if you’re checked in to the town’s namesake 8,000-square-metre villa, set on a hillside estate surrounded by olive groves and historic vineyards.
Local Italian architects and artists were called in to transform the former monastery into this striking abode—a jaw-dropping union of stone, brick, glass and wood. Décor is pared-back yet polished, with no luxury spared across the seven bedrooms, formal dining room and professional kitchen.
This part of Tuscany, close to the Maremma coast, is known for its bountiful produce, and you can sample the wares without leaving the estate—the 80-hectare grounds come with an organic vegetable garden, lemon grove and orangery to explore and pluck at your leisure. The cellar, meanwhile, is stocked with wine and olive oils made by the villa’s own vintners and farmers. If you venture into town, atmospheric lanes are home to restaurants specialising in fish soup, wild boar pasta and (in season) truffled everything.
Scottish High
Draw up a list of 40 of your favourite people (and single malts) and ride the Scottish rails in style when chartering Belmond’s entire Royal Scotsman train. The stations you choose to pause at and activities you do on this journey through the bucolic Scottish Highlands is completely customisable, although the train’s concierge will likely have a few ideas. Perhaps an exclusive visit to the neo-gothic Mount Stuart mansion on the Isle of Bute? A private whisky tasting in your distillery of choice?
There’s plenty of liquid-gold inspiration in the train’s bar carriage, which has more than 60 whisky varieties. Across the train’s 10 vintage-inspired cars there’s also an open-air veranda and cabins designed in dark polished wood and brass, with Scottish wools, tartans and antique prints. There’s even a spa on board.
Red Marks The Spot
Arguably the world’s most famous shoe designer, Christian Louboutin’s distinctive red-soled stilettos are the stuff fashion dreams are made of. Now, the guru is turning his craftsmanship to hotels. When it opens in mid-2023, 13-room Vermelho will be “Simple outside; impactful inside,” says Louboutin modestly. The goal being, he adds, to let the surrounding countryside of Portugal’s seaside Alentejo region, 130 kilometres south of Lisbon, do the talking.
The bucolic setting attracts some of the country’s most applauded artisans, whom Louboutin intends to hero across Vermelho’s individually designed rooms and public spaces. He’s committed to hand-selecting the furniture, ceramics, fabrics and art that will star throughout; think feature walls of Portugal’s famed glazed blue ceramic tiles, delicate plates commissioned from local potters, and produce sourced from the fields that surround, to be served in on-site restaurant Xtain. And expect accents of Louboutin’s shade. Vermelho means “red” in Portuguese, after all.
Capital Assets
The English capital has its fair share of hotels with landmark addresses. But The Peninsula London may well steal the scene when it welcomes guests in early 2023. In the heart of Belgravia, the 190 rooms here feature covetable views over Hyde Park Corner and the Wellington Arch, which means you’re mere steps from Buckingham Palace—and just a few more from the iconic River Thames.
The design throughout the restored former office building reflects this prestigious position, from the grand colonnaded courtyard to the luxe destination spa and no-expense-spared rooms, which come courtesy of architect and interiors whiz Peter Marino, who counts Chanel, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Bulgari among his clients. While the hotel is keeping quiet on the specifics of its forthcoming dining offerings, we’re told there will be four marquee restaurants to choose from, with an emphasis on British culinary traditions.
Island Idyll
The 230 islands of the Greek archipelago host millions of tourists annually, most of them flocking to Santorini and Mykonos—for good reason. If you want to sidestep the crowds but still enjoy the colour of the Cyclades, set sail for dreamy Sifnos and set your sights on Villa Calder.
Wake up in this out-of-town aerie with just 13 of your closest friends, your horizon-bending outlook melting over a private infinity pool before carving through groves of fragrant olive and fig trees that tier to the sea. Everything feels remote, yet you’re just a short walk from village squares where grandmothers gossip on polished marble steps lined with geraniums, the aroma of orange-and-anise biscuits drifting down narrow lanes.
You may wish to call on the services of a private chef to prepare Sifniot specialties while you watch the day disappear. At other times, arrange for the Villa Calder concierge to host hikes through wind-chiselled valleys perfumed with sage and oregano; prepare beach chairs overlooking fishing boats bobbing far offshore like rainbow pelicans; plan for a photographer to guide you to the island’s most postcard-worthy sights, whether whitewashed, blue-domed churches or crumbling monasteries in the clouds. Time stands still here, in the best possible way.
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Omega Just Unveiled 9 Watches in Its New Constellation Observatory Collection
The line-up shows up a bevy of metals and colours, too, as well as two new calibres.
Omega’s latest watch is in a universe of its own.
The Swiss watchmaker just unveiled its new Constellation Observatory Collection today, the next step in its Constellation lineage and the first two-hand hour and minute timepieces to ever earn Master Chronometer certification. And if you were paying attention to any of the dazzling watches spotted at the Oscars this year, you would’ve caught a glimpse of the new line already: Sinners star Delroy Lindo rocked one of the models on the Academy Awards red carpet, giving us a pre-release preview of the collection.
Developed at Omega’s new Laboratoire de Précision (its chronometer testing lab open to all brands), the collection houses a set of nine 39.4 mm watches. The watches underwent 25 days of scrutiny there, analysed via a new acoustic testing method that recorded every sound emitted from the timepiece to track irregularities, temperature sensitivities, and more in the name of all things precision. (Details such as water resistance and power reserve are also thoroughly examined.) This meticulous process is all in the name of snagging that Master Chronometer label, meaning that the timepiece is highly accurate and surpasses the threshold for ultra-high performance. The Constellation Observatory Collection has now changed the game, though, thanks to its lack of a seconds hand.
“Until now, precision certification has required a seconds hand,” Raynald Aeschlimann, president and CEO of OMEGA, said in a press statement. “The development of a new acoustic testing methodology has made that requirement obsolete. It is this breakthrough that has enabled us to present the Constellation Observatory, the first two-hand watch to achieve Master Chronometer certification.”
In addition to notching its place in history, the collection also debuted a new pair of movements: the Calibre 8915 and the Calibre 8914, each perched on a skeletonised rotor base. The former’s Grand Luxe iteration will appear on the 950 Platinum-Gold model in the collection, which offers up that base in 18-karat Sedna Gold alongside a Constellation medallion in 18-karat white gold with an Observatory dome done in white opal enamel surrounded by stars. The second Calibre 8915, the Luxe, will find its home on the other precious-metal models in the line, either made with the brand’s 18-karat Sedna, Moonshine, or Canopus gold seen across the case, the hand-guilloché dial, and, of course, the movement itself. (Lindo chose to rock the Moonshine Gold on Moonshine Gold iteration, priced at approximately $86,000, for Sinners‘s big night at the Oscars.) As for the Calibre 8914, it can be found in the collection’s four steel models.
Each model is a callback to myriad design features on past Omega models. That two-hand dial, for one, comes from the 1948 Centenary (the brand’s first chronometer-certified automatic wristwatch), while the pie-pan dial (seen in various blue, green, and golden hues throughout the line) and that Constellation medallion caseback both appear on watches from 1952. The star adorning the space above 6 o’clock also harks back to 1950s timepieces from Omega. And to finish off the look, you can opt for alligator straps in a variety of colours, or perhaps a gold iteration to match the precious-metal models; the brick-like pattern on the 18-karat Moonshine bracelet was also inspired by Omega watches from the ’50s.
We’ll have to keep our eyes peeled for any other Constellation Observatory timepieces (or any other unreleased models from the brand) at the rest of the star-studded events headed our way this year—perhaps the Met Gala?
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In Search of White Gold
Colorado’s barely known San Juan Mountains do a fine line in bespoke skiing experiences, luring alpine-sports cognoscenti and billionaire thrill-seekers alike.
“Though no one currently on staff is at liberty to say, billionaire actor Tom Cruise is a very average heli-snowboarder. But although no one currently on staff is at liberty to say, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos—the world’s second richest human—makes up for Cruise’s inability with his off-piste prowess. The pair have been clients of Telluride Helitrax, a heli-skiing outfit operating in the backcountry behind Telluride Mountain Resort, in remote south-west Colorado, since 1982. My source, a former guide who prefers to remain anonymous, admits he’s entertained a host of household-name One Percenters over the years.”
“Power billionaires aren’t going to the popular resorts any more,” he reveals over a happy-hour drink at a Telluride bar. “Luxury skiing these days, it’s all about exclusivity. No one with any clout shares snow, and at every resort, no matter how fancy, you have to share the slopes. But nowhere is more exclusive than the backcountry. That’s your billionaire’s playground. And no backcountry is more exclusive than San Juan backcountry.”
Which is precisely why I am here. Australia’s considerable brigade of free-spending, snow-crazed executives may jet off to Vail and Aspen each northern winter for thrills, but it turns out some of the world’s most choicest ski experiences have been right under their noses—only a short helicopter ride, car journey or private jet flight from said resorts.
Packed into the ultra-rugged southern end of the Rocky Mountains, the San Juans are a little chunk of the Swiss Alps in the US—young, ridiculously spectacular formations known for their steep slopes, deep powder snow and Disney-esque triangular peaks, all bathed in 300-plus days of sunshine a year. And the region is augmented by unique, and select, backcountry options that rival anything currently in the upscale ski orbit.
Case in point: North America’s highest skiing setting, Silverton Mountain. Located in the heart of the San Juans, outside the tiny town of Silverton, the 4,111 m peak boasts 736 hectares of chair-accessible terrain set among what is reputedly the deepest, steepest snow in the nation. It also offers a further 10,000 hectares of private terrain, serviced by heli-ski operation Heli Adventures. This is the Shangri-La of skiing: every slope connoisseur has heard of it, though most wonder if it actually exists.
We arrive via the treacherous Million Dollar Highway, where a disturbing lack of guard rails sometimes causes travellers to plummet into the valley floor (the death toll, grimly, averages eight people per year). Silverton Mountain was bought in 2023 by Heli Adventures’ young co-founders Andy Culp and Brock Strasbourger. While private punters can book the hill in its entirety, starting from around $14,000 per day, plus extra for single heli-skiing runs, the destination is also open to the public from Thursdays to Saturdays through winter.
“Silverton is a bastion for the pure ski experience,” Culp says. “All that corporate consolidation that happened when ski resorts all over the world developed condos and real estate and got super-busy… well, it never happened here. You’re able to access Alaska-like terrain from an old rickety chairlift, but you’re an hour’s drive from a pretty major airport [Montrose]. And you can access snow that’s even better than most heli-skiing straight off your lift.”
There’s no radio-frequency lift passes when I arrive. In fact, I don’t get a lift pass at all. A discarded school bus doubles as the “second chairlift”; it picks me up and returns me to a yurt which serves as a restaurant and bar. “There’s a time and a place to hang out at The Little Nell [Aspen’s legendary après-ski bar] and the world doesn’t need more of that,” Culp says. “This is the new luxury. We also run a heli-ski business out of Aspen [Aspen Heli-Skiing] but this is where we come. You can’t put a price tag on what we have here.”
I drive away from the mountain, back along the perilous Million Dollar Highway, park my car and disappear into the San Juan National Forest with guide Kaylee Walden. This white-coated outback between Silverton and Ouray, dubbed “the Switzerland of America”, offers swathes of primo backcountry skiing terrain. The ski touring here is often likened to Europe’s iconic Haute Route—an emblematic trail between Mont Blanc and the Matterhorn.
The operator Mountain Trip offers a Colorado version of that feted circuit, on a multi-day traverse between secluded huts. All in all, there’s nearly 8,000 km² of national forest and 2,500 hectares of wilderness to explore, frequented only by the occasional intrepid enthusiast.
A wood-burning sauna is being prepared as I arrive at Thelma Hut, 4,500 m above sea level. Traditionally, US Forest Service huts were humble affairs, with rudimentary bunks, self-service kitchens, and food supplies brought in by skiers. This evening, however, a chef is preparing local bison across from an open fireplace as the sun sets through a floor-to-ceiling window against a horizon of white mountains. As he works, I walk out into the snow to study the twilight sky; beaming planets shine down on me, necklaces of tiny stars sparkle.
Back down to earth, upon my return to “civilisation”, we take a two-hour car ride to Telluride, probing through the San Juans. The small town is picture-postcard pretty, wedged at the end of a box canyon surrounded by Colorado’s tallest waterfalls, and hosts the highest concentration of 4,000-m-plus peaks in the state. Most of its buildings are on the National Register of Historic Places, including a bank that was robbed in 1889 by the outlaw Butch Cassidy.
While the locale offers everything from luxurious on-mountain dining options to 7-km-long runs, it’s the heli-ski enterprise that’s lured me. Telluride Helitrax holds sole rights to over 500 km² of completely deserted ski terrain, a few minutes’ flying time from town. The company runs a range of Eurocopters which guests can charter into Colorado’s best alpine basins, cirques and couloirs. “The range mightn’t be as expansive as Alaska,” says Telluride Helitrax program director Joseph Shults. “But the views, the terrain, the snow depth and quality is as good.”
I’m staying in a privately owned three-bedroom penthouse apartment, where a helicopter takes off each morning for convenience (when I’m done carving clouds, I move a kilometre up the mountain to the seven-bedroom, three-storey mountain retreat Hood Park Haven, valued at around $42 million). Telluride Helitrax uses an abundance of drop-off locations, all above the tree line, meaning everyone from intermediates to experts can be catered for.
During my three-day odyssey, I don’t cross a single other ski track, but it’s the peace that is most startling. In this pocket of montane paradise, there is, literally, not a single sound—a stark contrast to the whirling fury of the chopper that transports me. My experienced guide Bill Allen won’t reveal who’s come before Robb Report. “You’d know their names,” he says, grinning.
And so the San Juans remain a secret to all but a fortunate few. Of all the luxuries the ultra-wealthy enjoy in the skiing ecosphere, the promise of untouched snow is by far the most enviable. Here in Colorado is where the white gold truly lies.
Photography: Kane Scheidegger (heli-skiing); Patrick Coulie (hut); Courtesy of Colorado Tourism Office (Hood Park Haven).
This article appears in the Autumn issue 2026 of Robb Report Australia New-Zealand. Click here to subscribe.
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Best Combustion Supercar: Ferrari 12Cilindri Spider
A modern classic in the making, combining naturally aspirated power with elegant restraint to deliver performance that feels as refined as it is visceral.
In a year when carmakers of all persuasions sheepishly extended hyperbolic electric targets, it’s fitting that the monastic puritans of Maranello—who, lest we forget, won’t finally yield to the sin of battery power until October with the Elettrica—opted to make combustion their major power play.
As an uncertain future of AI omnipresence barrels towards us, the 12Cilindri—an analogue, open-topped tribute to Ferrari’s late-’60s/early-’70s grand tourer, the Daytona—represents a defiant fade into the past, a pause for breath, a fleeting return to The Good Times when nascent technology provoked excitement rather than existential dread.
Guiding this automotive nostalgia trip is, as the nomenclature suggests, a naturally aspirated 6.5-litre V12 engine, generating an unceasing wave of power as it sears towards the 9,500 rpm redline with relative nonchalance. That’s because the 12Cilindri is not a mouth-foaming attack-dog. It scales performance heights with the refinement of the finest Italian works of art; its “Bumpy Road” mode facilitates comfy al fresco GT cruising, and even the imperious powerplant is mannerly at most speeds.
For all the yesteryear romance, progressive technologies and engineering, such as a world-class 8-speed transmission, advanced electronic aids and independent four-wheel steering, are baked into the deal. The 12Cilindri’s clean, stark design somehow toggles between retro and modern; and while vaguely polarising, one can’t ignore its magnetic road presence.
In terms of aesthetics, Ferrari describes the 12Cilindri as being “ready for space”; in many ways, a fantasy vehicle that transports users to another dimension is probably what the world needs right now.
The Numbers
Engine: 6.5-litre V12
Power: 610kW
Torque: 678 Nm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
0-100 km/h: 2.95 seconds
Top speed: 340 km/h
Price: From $886,800
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High and Low
At Le Bernardin, Aldo Sohm oversees one of the most formidable cellars in fine dining. But on the beach, he’ll happily drink a cheap rosé. The world-class sommelier explains why taste—and humility—matter more than price.
Aldo Sohm is one of the most accomplished sommeliers in the world. The 54-year-old Austrian heads up an oenophile’s empire on New York City’s West 51st Street, where he both serves as wine director at Michelin three-star Le Bernardin and leads his namesake wine bar, just across the road from the fine-dining institution. (He spends his time literally running back and forth between the two.) So it may come as a surprise that this man, who sips prized varietals all day, admits to the joys of a glass of Whispering Angel, a ubiquitous rosé that retails at stateside Target stores for US$22.99 (around $30) a bottle.
The context here is important; the aptly named Sohm is quick to clarify that he’s not about to start serving Whispering Angel as one of the pairings with chef Eric Ripert’s US$530 (around $750) eight-course tasting menu. But during a trip to the Caribbean for the Cayman Cookout food festival, Sohm’s wife requested a glass of rosé on the beach. When he went to fetch it, she specified that she wanted a cheap drop, not the fancy stuff that he likely would have grabbed. “I felt kind of gobsmacked, right?”
Sohm says as we’re sitting in the tasting room at Aldo Sohm Wine Bar. “Now, rather than just criticising, I have to admit: I got out of the water, and I tried Whispering Angel, too. It was delicious.”
Unlikely as it may be, this humility is perhaps the key to Sohm’s success. His lack of self-seriousness makes him an anomaly in the oftentimes highfalutin world of fine wine. Rather than shaming you for your preferences, Sohm will indulge your desires. Maybe, as in the case of his wife, you’re going to be right. More likely than not, you’re going to be wrong. He won’t simply tell you that, though; he’ll use his encyclopedic knowledge of wine to subtly steer you in the right direction, allowing you to come to that conclusion on your own. “You just wake up from your dream—and mistake—and realise that, ‘Oh yeah, he’s right,’” says Ripert, who has worked with Sohm for almost two decades.
Sohm intended to move to New York for only 18 months. Growing up in Innsbruck, in the Austrian Alps, he wanted to be a helicopter pilot. Like many childhood fantasies, that didn’t come to fruition, and he settled on something more practical, becoming a teacher at a hospitality school. Having overcorrected—“That was way too boring for me,” he admits—he switched to the more public-facing side of the industry, getting a job as a restaurant server. It was then, when he was about 21, that Sohm fell in love with wine. (Prior to that, he was a self-proclaimed Bacardi and coke guy.)
After studying wine on his own time, he began his formal sommelier education in 1998. He rose quickly through the ranks and was named the best sommelier in Austria in 2002, a title he defended the following two years and reclaimed in 2006. Amid that stretch, he sojourned to New York in 2004 with the goal of improving his English to compete in international competitions. It paid off: four years later, he won the top prize from the World Sommelier Association. But more than the accolades, Sohm had discovered a career. By then, he had joined Le Bernardin after stints at Wallsé, Café Sabarsky and Blaue Gans—all Austrian restaurants in Manhattan.
“Back then we had a very strong French sommelier community, and they controlled everything,” he says. “And it was an uproar because how come an Austrian sommelier came to one of the most French restaurants?” He proved his bona fides, and in 2013 Ripert and Maguy Le Coze, the co-owners of Le Bernardin, approached him with the idea of partnering with them in a wine bar. It was Ripert who suggested putting the connoisseur’s name on it.
Aldo Sohm Wine Bar debuted the following year, with a team that Sohm handpicked. Sarah Thomas was part of that opening crew, after meeting Sohm during a fateful dinner at Le Bernardin with her cousins. When her relatives divulged to him that she was a sommelier in Pittsburgh, he proceeded to serve a blind tasting to Thomas. “He didn’t say what I got right or wrong. He didn’t care about that,” she tells me. “He just wanted to hear me talk about wine, I guess. So I did.”
When he offered her a job at the end of the meal, she laughed. Sohm didn’t. Thomas promptly packed up and moved to New York. After she spent about nine months at the wine bar, Sohm promoted her to Le Bernardin, where she worked for another five years. When she decided to start her own business—Kalamata’s Kitchen, which aims to teach kids about other cultures through food—Sohm was one of her earliest investors. He may have found full-time teaching to be too banal, but it’s still a huge part of what he does now, identifying the next generation of stars and giving them the guidance to grow into their own—whether that takes them into the upper echelons of fine dining or beyond the white tablecloths altogether.
Overseeing two teams, at two very different spaces, feeds Sohm’s prodigious ambition. He’s on a mission to completely reshape the world of wine, from what’s in your glass to the glass itself to what you enjoy it with—say, Champagne with eggs. Along with his day jobs, he has partnered with the Austrian brand Zalto to create his own wineglasses. “As a sommelier, you criticise only, but you make nothing,” Sohm says. So, he also now wears the winemaker hat, producing a Grüner Veltliner under the Sohm & Kracher label, a relatively accessible quaff that’s a collaboration with his fellow countryman Gerhard Kracher. And in 2019 he added author to his résumé, releasing Wine Simple, a “totally approachable guide”, as the book’s subtitle puts it. He followed that up with Wine Simple: Perfect Pairings, to help you pick the right bottle for the right meal and the right moment.
“In wine pairings, you have three possible combinations,” Sohm says. “There’s the perfect pairing. Then sometimes you have flavours just going along… it’s like humans—they talk, they interact, but they never connect. And then there’s conflict.” It’s that first one he’s after every time.
“Sohm fell in love with wine when he was about 21. Prior to that, he was a self-proclaimed Bacardi and coke guy.”
Outside of the restaurant, the wine bar and the cellar, Sohm is an avid cyclist who owns six bikes, a number he admits is excessive—especially in New York City. Riding is what he credits with keeping him healthy, when so much of his time is spent eating and drinking—and drinking some more.
Still, despite the 18-year career at one of the world’s best restaurants, despite the top honours from his peers, despite the wine and the wineglasses and the wine books, Sohm doesn’t consider himself successful. Every day, he’s trying to figure out how he can self-correct. “I like what I do, so I go back home that night, think of things which I can improve,” he says. “I get annoyed when I make a mistake, but I improve the next day.”
His quest for perfection may never be over, but Sohm does concede that he’s happy—its own type of success. Sometimes he finds that happiness while sipping a glass of 1980 Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche, a bottle now so rare and coveted that he calls it “unattainable”. And sometimes, if to his chagrin, he finds it while drinking a mass-produced rosé on the beach.
Photography by Tori Latham
This article appears in the Autumn issue 2026 of Robb Report Australia New-Zealand. Click here to subscribe.
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Above: Awakening 02, Sebastien Durelli Designed exclusively for StudioTwentySeven, Sebastien Durelli’s Awakening 02 floor lamp is available in a limited run of eight examples. Handcrafted in Italy from cast patinaed bronze, the striking piece takes inspiration from the naturally sculpted landscapes of Iceland, specifically the country’s glacial lagoons. The organic boulder-esque shade is rugged and elemental—like an exploded rock wrenched apart by seismic activity—while the base is sleek and symmetrical, providing visual balance in a deep bronze finish. From around $65,300
Above: Orion, De La Espada When it comes to the Orion dining table, the draw is in the details. Designed by Anthony Guerrée for De La Espada, this piece features a central base crafted from a series of overlapping wood slats—a textured moment that creates visual equilibrium with its smooth, curved-brass counterpart. A bona fide visual anchor, the Orion can be paired with thin-framed chairs for a sneak-peek view or heftier seats that provide a surprising reveal when guests sit down to dinner. From around $20,870
Above: LS35A, Luca Stefano This showstopper by Milan-based designer Luca Stefano is all curves. A sexy lounge sofa, seen here upholstered in Pierre Frey mohair with canaletto walnut details, the LS35A is available for customisation, but we think that this mossy-gold hue is incredibly chic, evoking the muted desert tones popular during the ’60s and ’70s. Around $66,280, as shown
Above: Jazz, Tom Bensari Part of master woodworker Tom Bensari’s Manhattan collection for StudioTwentySeven, the Jazz bookcase is an ode to the designer’s love of music. With edges that curve like brass instruments and shelves that skip like riffs, this unit is meticulously hand-built in Poland from oak and olive wood, with custom veneered interiors according to the client’s preference and a glowing finish that takes on a golden tint in just the right light. Around $29,320
Above: Sleeper, Lucas Simões Last September at Christie’s in Los Angeles, Brazilian artist Lucas Simões unveiled his first furniture collection, Colendra. Presented in Lightness & Tension, an exhibition curated by roving gallerist Ulysses de Santi, Simões’s work is rooted in material exploration, as seen in the Sleeper chair, a curving steel form that suggests Brazilian midcentury modernism. A unique patina—which imparts the shimmery, rainbow-esque look of an oil slick—gives the piece a contemporary, artistic feel. Around $22,440
This article appears in the Autumn issue 2026 of Robb Report Australia New-Zealand. Click here to subscribe.
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