Netjets EU Spring 2024

Spring 2024 

NORTHERN LIGHTS 

The best of the 

Nordics explored 

FAMILY TIES 

Preserving memories 

with Legacy Literature 

ISLAND IDYLLS 

Upates on the Azores 

and Balearics 

IN THE CLUB 

Florida’s latest 

golfing community 

KEEP IT SWEET 

The sublime wines 

of Sauternes

- A n Is land Sanc t u ary like no oth e r 

cd: ROBB AARON GORDON

LOVELANAI.COM

TAKING OFF 

THE WARMER WEATHER OFTEN BRINGS FAMILIES TOGETHER — 

AND THAT’S WHERE NETJETS COMES IN. 

One of the many privileges of our business is creating special memories. 

Spring tends to be our busiest season for the US, followed by the summer 

for Europe. Our goal is to always prioritise safety and service, 

but beyond that, we want to ensure our Owners have an exceptional experience. 

As shared within these pages, we recently visited a golf resort, a château and the Nordics 

– diverse destinations all guaranteed to bring wonderful family memories. 

So, as the seasons change, winter fades, and signs of new growth emerge, we encourage 

you to take the vacation. Make the memories. Choose the unique destination. 

Now and always, we look forward to serving you and your family. 

Only NetJets! 

Adam Johnson 

Chairman and CEO 

CONTRIBUTORS 

DAVID DE 

VLEESCHAUWER 

A fascinating 

destination 

throughout the 

year, Europe’s 

Nordic region – 

and its lodges – is 

captured in all 

its glories by the 

Belgium-based 

photographer for 

Postcards from the 

North (page 54). 

DEVORAH 

LEV-TOV 

The food writer 

from New York 

visited Castile-La 

Mancha, the fabled 

Spanish region, 

for Turning the 

Tables (page 78), 

where a new twist 

is being given to old 

gourmet methods 

– and the rewards 

are plentiful. 

CHRIS HALL 

In Time for Change 

(page 68), the 

British watch 

expert heads 

across the Channel 

– and goes further 

afield – to look at 

a growing success 

of independent 

watchmakers and 

their remarkable 

one-of-kindcreations. 

EMMA VENTURA 

NetJets, The 

Magazine’s Chief 

Copy Editor gets 

the lowdown 

on the work of 

Legacy Literature 

and its attempts 

to chronicle the 

histories of some 

of America’s most 

prominent families 

in Day’s of their 

Lives (page 64) 

JEFFREY T. 

IVERSON 

From his Parisian 

home, the 

acclaimed wine 

scribe is expertly 

placed to assess 

the Sweet Success 

(page 84) of 

the Sauternes 

appellation and 

its new generation 

of superlative 

dessert wines. 

This symbol throughout the magazine denotes the nearest airport served by NetJets to the 

story’s subject, with approximate distances in miles and kilometres where applicable. 

8 NetJets

CONTENTS 

10 NetJets

ARCH TRIUMPH 

Santa Ponsa, 

Menorca, page 20 

12 28 84 

IN THE NEWS 

Developments in the 

Azores and Balearics, the 

finest spirits, and more 

pages 14-34 

NORTHERN LIGHTS 

Enchanting lodges and 

one-of-a-kind experiences 

from the roof of Europe 

pages 54-63 

HEART OF SPAIN 

Idyllic Castile-La Mancha 

is alive with five-star 

dining options 

pages 78-83 

NETJETS UPDATE 

Staff in profile and 

the numbers behind 

2024 at a glance 

pages 38-42 

STORIES TO TELL 

Legacy Literature is 

rewriting the book on 

family biographies 

pages 64-67 

KEEP IT SWEET 

The French appellation of 

Sauternes is regenerating 

dessert wines 

pages 84-89 

FLORIDA CALLING 

Panther National is 

the Sunshine State’s 

latest golfing nirvana 

pages 44-49 

INDEPENDENTS’ TIME 

Grand in design, smallproduction 

watchmakers 

are on the rise 

pages 68-72 

ART CENTRAL 

Damien Hirst’s eclectic 

work finds a fitting home 

at Château La Coste 

pages 90-97 

CÉLINE HAMELIN, FRANCISCO NOGUEIRA, JENSEN LARSON, MICHAËL BOUDOT 

A QUESTION OF DIET 

Eating well while travelling 

can be hard – but Mayo 

Clinic has a plan for it 

pages 50-52 

GREEN DREAM 

This season’s jewels 

glisten more brightly 

with an emerald hue 

pages 74-77 

THE LAST WORD 

Formula 1 driver Pierre 

Gasly on life away 

from the fast lane 

page 98 

NetJets 

11

NETJETS, THE MAGAZINE 

FRONT COVER 

Europe in Bloom: A striped 

tulip field, North Holland, 

Netherlands 

(From the Nordics to the 

Balearics, the continent in 

spring features throughout 

this issue) 

Image by Abstract Aerial 

Art / Getty Images 

SPRING 2024 

EDITOR IN CHIEF 

Thomas Midulla 

EDITOR 

Farhad Heydari 

CREATIVE DIRECTOR 

Anne Plamann 

PHOTO DIRECTOR 

Martin Kreuzer 

ART DIRECTOR 

Anja Eichinger 

MANAGING EDITOR 

John McNamara 

CHIEF COPY EDITOR 

Emma Ventura 

STAFF WRITER 

Claudia Whiteus 

CHIEF SUB-EDITOR 

Vicki Reeve 

PRODUCTION DIRECTOR 

Albert Keller 

SEPARATION 

Delnaz Loftimaragh 

WRITERS, CONTRIBUTORS, 

PHOTOGRAPHERS AND 

ILLUSTRATORS 

Oleg Borodin, Ivan Carvalho, 

David De Vleeschauwer, Chris 

Hall, Jeffrey T. Iverson, Jörn 

Kaspuhl, Devorah Lev-Tov, 

Larry Olmsted, Debbie Pappyn, 

Julian Rentzsch, Tomás 

Simões, Elisa Vallata, 

Xavier Young 

Published by JI Experience 

GmbH Thomas-Dehler-Str. 2, 

81737 Munich, Germany 

GROUP PUBLISHER 

Christian Schwalbach 

Michael Klotz (Associate) 

ADVERTISING SALES 

Katherine Galligan 

katherine@metropolist.co.uk 

Vishal Raguvanshi 

vishal@metropolist.co.uk 

NetJets, The Magazine is the 

official title for Owners of NetJets 

in Europe. NetJets, The Magazine 

is published quarterly by 

JI Experience GmbH on behalf 

of NetJets Management Ltd. 

NetJets Management Ltd 

5 Young Street 

London, W8 5EH England, 

United Kingdom 

netjets.com 

+44 (0)20 7361 9600 

Copyright © 2024 

by JI Experience GmbH. All rights 

reserved. Reproduction in whole or 

in part without the express written 

permission of the publisher is 

strictly prohibited. The publisher, 

NetJets Inc., and its subsidiaries 

or affiliated companies assume 

no responsibility for errors and 

omissions and are not responsible 

for unsolicited manuscripts, 

photographs, or artwork. Views 

expressed are not necessarily those 

of the publisher or NetJets Inc. 

Information is correct at time of 

going to press. 

12 NetJets

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THE SMART GUIDE 

Our collection of the latest, the 

brightest, and the best begins with 

developments in the Atlantic 

SPLENDID ISOLATION 

Defined by its wild volcanic beauty, elegant minimalist hotels and vinous 

riches, the Azores is the far-flung Portuguese destination worth crossing 

an ocean to explore // By Ivan Carvalho 

FRANCISCO NOGUEIRA 

FEW PLACES ON Earth 

possess as much natural 

allure as the Azores. Born 

from volcanic eruptions 

dating back at least six 

million years, this nine-island 

Portuguese archipelago in the 

North Atlantic is dotted with 

stunning calderas now filled 

in with lakes and lagoons. 

Anchored in the middle of 

the ocean, its climate is 

tempered by the Gulf Stream 

and boasts lush vegetation, 

tea plantations and vineyards 

producing some of Iberia’s 

most distinctive wines. 

Once a way station between 

continents, the islands are 

today being discovered by 

discerning travellers as a 

destination in their own right. 

Looking down from above, 

arriving visitors are quickly 

drawn to the landscape 

on the largest and most 

populous island, São Miguel, 

which is marked by swathes 

of temperate rainforest, 

and vivid blue and green 

lakes. Fumaroles and hot 

springs signal the volcanic 

make-up of the Azores, and 

wellness aficionados flock 

to Furnas Valley, located on 

PEAK PERFECTION 

The Azores Wine Company 

on Pico Island 

14 NetJets

The Emory 

Like No Other 

Brought to you by Maybourne, 

The Emory is a modern 

masterwork by Richard Rogers and 

Ivan Harbour. 

WWW.THE-EMORY.CO.UK 

MAYBOURNE 

Claridge’s | The Connaught | The Berkeley 

The Maybourne Beverly Hills | The Maybourne Riviera


the island’s eastern half – a 

veritable thermal hydropolis 

with dozens of hot springs. 

Here you find orange-tinged, 

iron-rich waters hovering 

around 104F, which can be 

exclusively accessed in the 

mornings by guests indulging 

in the outdoor pool of the 

Terra Nostra Garden Hotel 

(bensaudehotels.com), an 

Art Deco-inspired property 

dating back to the 1930s. 

vegetable stew that’s cooked 

underground by volcanic 

heat for eight hours. 

Should the call of the 

sea beckon, venture to the 

island’s north shore, to the 

Santa Bárbara Eco-Beach 

Resort (santabarbaraazores. 

com), en route calling at 

Chá Gorreana (gorreana.pt), 

Europe’s oldest operating tea 

plantation, to try its greenand 

black-leaf varieties. 

A dip in the mineral- 

At Santa Bárbara hotel, 

infused thermal water has 

activities include kayaking, 

benefits for the skin and 

surfing, sailing and swimming 

has helped spur the launch 

with dolphins. Founded by 

of Azorean-based clean 

an entrepreneurial-minded 

beauty brand Ignae (ignae. 

surfer next to a beach of 

com), which includes a range 

black sand sharing the same 

of serums and cleansers 

name, it offers 30 suites and 

sourced from volcanic 

villas built from native wood 

thermal water and skin- 

and cork for those seeking a 

friendly local ingredients 

rustic-meets-luxe escape. 

such as algae and Camellia 

japonica – a product line 

that has made it Stateside, 

to Bergdorf Goodman. After 

Heading south-west from 

here takes you to Ponta 

Delgada, the archipelago’s 

largest city (and home to 

PAULO GOULART 

an Ignae spa treatment 

João Paulo II Airport). This 

at Terra Nostra, be sure 

is where you’ll find the bijou 

to get acquainted with the 

ensconced in what was once 

to visit the neighbouring 

hotel White (whiteazores. 

ocean, complemented by 

a farm. Sip a sundowner 

Octant Furnas (furnas. 

com), a sister property of 

a heated saltwater infinity 

at the rooftop bar before 

octanthotels.com) to savour 

the Santa Bárbara. Perched 

pool, dramatic terrace 

sitting down in its Magma 

the culinary delights of chef 

overlooking the waves 

and minimalist interior. 

restaurant, which features 

Henrique Mouro. A must 

and black-stone cliffs, its 

For dinner, head inland 

a menu of island-influenced 

is the traditional cozido 

nine suites and two villas 

to the Senhora da Rosa 

dishes – think tuna belly and 

das Furnas, a meat-and- 

provide an intimate setting 

Hotel (senhoradarosa.com), 

octopus, and desserts made 

with Azorean pineapples. 

The wine list at Magma 

places emphasis on varietals 

grown on Pico Island, part of 

the central island group of the 

Azores and home to vineyards 

recognised as a Unesco World 

Heritage Site. Newcomers to 

Pico are easily seduced by 

the profile of Mount Pico, 

a dormant stratovolcano 

often ringed by mist and 

Portugal’s highest point. At 

boutique hotel Adega do Fogo 

(adegadofogo.com), consisting 

of six rooms carved out of 

what was once a communal 


NATURAL BEAUTY 

From top: outdoor dining at 

Senhora da Rosa; an infinity 

pool at White 

16 NetJets


AZORES AESTHETICS 

Clockwise from near left: 

roasted pork belly at 

Octant Furnas; a room at 

the Azores Wine Company; 

bottom: Adega do Fogo, 

with Mount Pico in the 

background 

distillery, one can admire the 

impressive mountain peak of 

this viticulture-rich isle from 

the comfort of a sun lounger. 

Enophiles can venture 

out to see the impressive 

network of weather-worn 

black basalt walls built 

to protect the thousands 

of small, contiguous, 

rectangular vineyard plots 

(“currais”) from wind and 

© OCTANT FURNAS 

seawater – if placed in a 

line, these walls would lap 

oceanfront tasting 

by Fortunato Garcia, the 

a 50-year tawny port and 

the Equator twice. Award- 

room and Scandi-style 

company makes a late- 

are sought after by wine 

winning wines are made here 

accommodations. In a 

harvest dessert wine 

collectors from New York to 

from white varietals arinto, 

blind tasting, Maçanita’s 

from old vines in Criação 

London – the 1999 vintage 

verdelho and terrantez, and 

Vinha dos Utras 2019 beat 

Velha next to the coast. 

now sells for €7,500. It’s 

have been spearheaded by 

out older whites from 

Unfortified, this licoroso 

testament to the unique 

enologist António Maçanita 

prestigious producers in 

wine naturally achieves 

appeal and authenticity 

from Azores Wine Company 

Burgundy and Alsace. 

upwards of 18% alcohol. 

that Pico, and the Azores in 

(antoniomacanita.com), 

Another standout 

Produced in small batches, 

general, now offers. 

whose low-slung winery 

producer is Czar Winery 

vintages from a decade ago 

João Paulo II Airport on 

boasts a spectacular 

(czarwinery.com). Owned 

have a taste profile akin to 

São Miguel 

FABRICE DEMOULIN 


18 NetJets

BY APPOINTMENT TO 

HRH THE PRINCE OF WALES 

MANUFACTURER AND SUPPLIER OF FOOTWEAR 

CROCKETT & JONES LIMITED, NORTHAMPTON 

MADE IN ENGLAND | SINCE 1879 

Bibury 

Snuff & Earth Green Suede 

Our relaxed adaptation 

of a summer classic, The Chukka 

featuring our new Wedge Rubber Sole 

CROCKETTANDJONES.COM


BALEARICS BEAUTY 

A raft of outstanding new properties in the Mediterranean isles 

is catering to regal and rustic tastes alike // By Tomás Simões 

MARIA MISSAGLIA 

RUSTIC CHARM 

From top: the farmhouse 

at Son Blanc; cliffsidedrinks 

near Torre Vella 

ONCE CONSIDERED a 

summer-only sojourn, 

Spain’s Balearic Islands 

have become an attractive 

holiday-home hunters in 

need of a place to rest their 

head, recent high-profile 

investments have been 

is Son Sabater by Zafiro 

(zafirohotels.com), part of 

the upscale, family-run hotel 

group. Opened this spring in 

year-round option for those 

splashed out across the 

a quaint town on a northern 

seeking ample amounts 

archipelago. In Palma, the 

patch of the isle, the 15-room 

of sunshine minus the 

island chain’s main hub, city 

rustic-chic property occupies 

high-season crowds. To 

streets are being altered 

a renovated finca, or farm 

lure visitors, and potential 

with new projects, including 

estate, built out of stone 

the mixed-use development 

and in close proximity to the 

in Plaza Gomila with 

scenic Serra de Tramuntana 

restaurant, café and Jasper 

mountain range, with its 

Morrison-designed bakery, 

impressive coastal vistas and 

or the renovated townhouses 

terraced agricultural plots 

from luxury developer 

that form a Unesco World 

Besuto Homes. 

Heritage Site. 

For eye-catching getaways, 

For those interested 

you need to venture beyond 

in more opulent digs, the 

Palma to discover new 

recently renovated Grand 

CÉLINE HAMELIN 

openings ready to entice 

travellers. On the big island 

of Mallorca, the latest arrival 

to the hospitality scene 

Hotel Son Net (sonnet.es), 

just west of Palma, offers 

31 suites, each individually 

decorated in a style 

20 NetJets

WHEN THEY ASK WHERE YOU’RE FROM. 

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of its kind. Scan the QR code to learn more. 

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Moving to neighbouring 

Menorca, Son Vell 

(vestigecollection.com) sits on 

the island’s western end and 

presents an idyllic escape for 

discerning travellers. Part of 

the Vestige Collection, run by 

a Spanish family that carefully 

restores at-risk properties 

and converts them into stylish 

accommodations, Son Vell 

capers and lemon grown 

on the grounds. Vestige 

Collection’s portfolio on the 

island also includes Santa 

Ana, a spacious six-bedroom 

villa that features stateof-the-art 

amenities in a 

classical setting. 

For a more artsyinspired 

holiday, 

Menorca Experimental 

debuted last year with 34 

(menorcaexperimental.com) 

rooms and an interior design 

delivers the goods with its 

that evokes a sophisticated 

19th-century farmhouse 

rural vibe. The property uses 

turned lodging. Thanks to the 

repurposed local sandstone, 

curatorial eye of prominent 

a neutral palette dominated 

French interior designer 

by shades of beige and cream, 

Dorothée Meilichzon, 

and a selection of furnishings 

the hotel features 43 

and rugs derived from natural 

whitewashed rooms, nine of 

fibres such as linen, jute 

which have their own private 

and cotton. 

pools, with just the right 

The hotel’s Vermell 

dose of colourful decorative 

restaurant works with local 

accents – terracotta tiles, 

fishmongers and butchers 

brightly painted vases and 

CÉLINE HAMELIN 

and incorporates produce 

from its vegetable and 

herb garden on its menu. 

For starters, try the scarlet 

doors. Pluses include the 

property’s proximity to 

a secluded beach below 

scenic cliffs and the scents 

that pays homage to the 

residence’s past glory as a 

17th-century palatial home 

for local aristocrats. 

Bringing things bang 

up to date, meanwhile, is 

Sir Richard Branson’s Son 

Bunyola Hotel & Villas 

rooms, a spacious outdoor 

pool and a trio of villas 

dotted across the extensive 

grounds (526ha in total) 

for those seeking private 

lodgings for big family 

retreats. 

shrimp cocktail with diced 

pineapple in syrup and 

candied orange peel or a 

main course such as the 

steak tartare made from 

45-day-aged beef with Foyot 

sauce, bread soufflé and 

Menorcan jam made from 

one picks up from the 

surrounding shrubs and 

trees, from fragrant juniper 

to pine. 

Heading away from 

the coast, Son Blanc 

(sonblancmenorca.com) is a 

Menorcan eco-retreat set on 

(virginlimitededition.com). 

Opened in June 2023, 

the property is built in an 

old manor house perched 

high atop a cliff, with 

commanding views of the 

sea and surrounding estate 

that boasts vineyards, citrus 

and almond trees, and olive 

groves. Thanks to investment 

by the British billionaire, Son 

Bunyola now sports 27 guest 

OUTSIDE PLEASURE 

From top: a view from 

Santa Ponsa; an alfresco 

Son Blanc dinner 

MARIA MISSAGLIA 

22 NetJets

LIKE NO OTHER 

A PERFECT SETTING FOR 

EXCLUSIVE LIVING 

Perched dramatically on a Houlakia cliff, The Cape is an exquisite 

Mykonos residence with breathtaking Aegean Sea views. Every 

detail harmonises with the island’s culture, landscape, and 

architecture, creating a tranquil sanctuary of relaxed luxury. 

Offers in the region of Euro 33,500,000 

To learn more about The Cape, Mykonos, please visit: 

thecapemykonos.com 

VIEWING BY APPOINTMENT ONLY 

SAVILLS 

Fani Dritsa 

M: +30 693 615 7564 

E: f.dritsa@savills.gr 

BEAUCHAMP ESTATES 

Roi Deldimou 

M: +30 693 276 9000 

E: roi@beauchamp.com 

SCAN HERE TO 

FIND OUT MORE

© VESTIGE COLLECTION 


an unspoiled swathe of land, 

(lesdomainesdefontenille. 

on rattan furnishings and 

experience of Menorcan rural 

designed to be a soothing 

com) offers a more refined 

airy, sunlit rooms. Among 

life at Torre Vella, a 17-key 

back-to-nature experience 

atmosphere at Santa Ponsa, 

the dining options are an 

finca, where the bohemian 

for guests. Decorated in 

with 22 rooms and suites 

outdoor Sunday barbecue in 

décor melds perfectly with 

monochromatic tones using 

ensconced in a former 17th- 

the garden and a delicious 

the natural surrounds, and 

reclaimed wood, stone, clay 

century palace adorned 

local version of caldereta de 

the resident goats, horses 

and natural textiles, its mood 

with palms, giant fig trees 

langosta (lobster stew). The 

and donkeys are as much a 

is decidedly understated. The 

and exotic flora. Its slightly 

same French hotel group 

part of the experience as the 

zen-like farmstead practises 

colonial interior design relies 

also provides an immersive 

sumptuous accommodation. 

regenerative agriculture, 

growing a rich selection of 

produce that is reflected 

in the seasonal menu, with 

spring vegetable salads, 

grilled carrots and maitake 

mushrooms sharing space 

next to plates of homemade 

focaccia, local ricotta and 

Menorcan lamb. 

To experience island 

hospitality through 

a different lens, Les 

Domaines de Fontenille 

SUNNY SIDE UP 

Clockwise from top: 

the crystal clear 

Menorcan waters; 

Son Net; inside 

Torre Vella 

YANN DERET 

© GRAND HOTEL SON NET 

24 NetJets

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TIP OF THE HAT 

From top: Menorca 

Experimental’s design features; 

the exterior of Son Vell 

For a change of pace, 

there is the Menorcan 

capital of Mahón and the 

boutique hotel Can Alberti 

1740 (hotelcanalberti.com), 

an ideal base camp from 

which to explore the city. For 

culturally minded travellers, 

Mahón offers one of Spain’s 

Compared to its hyped-up 

neighbour Ibiza, Formentera 

has a more relaxed feel and 

an abundance of pristine 

beaches where sunseekers 

can wet their feet in the 

waves while taking a leisurely 

stroll. Here, the brandnew 

Dunas de Formentera 

oldest opera houses – which 

(dunasdeformentera.com) 

also hosts concerts – as 

pampers guests with 45 

well as galleries organising 

rooms and suites dressed 

contemporary art and 

up in a look best described 

photography exhibitions. The 

as modernist cabana and 

14-room property occupies 

with a prime location that is 

a 18th-century building 

steps away from the island’s 

in the heart of downtown. 

longest strip of sand. As 

Its elegant surroundings 

you nibble on grilled fish 

were once the home of the 

from the hotel’s wood-fired 

Alberti clan, one of the 

oven, with the waves lapping 

island’s prominent families 

rhythmically nearby, you’ll 

and whose coat of arms still 

begin to entertain thoughts 

adorns the building’s façade. 

of making the Balearics a 

Should you feel the urge 

regular port of call. 

for sand between your toes, 

Palma de Mallorca Airport; 

KAREL BALAS 

a quick hop over to the 

island of Formentera will 

provide the perfect therapy. 

Mahón Menorca Airport; Ibiza 

Airport, then boat transfer to 

Formentera 

GABRIELE MEROLLI 

26 NetJets

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RAISING THE BAR 

What to savour and where best to sample it 

– a guide to the spirit (and wine) world 

Safe Space 

For whisky lovers, Speyside in Scotland is a must-visit – 

the home of fabled distilleries producing some of the most 

desired bottlings of the “water of life”. It’s an experience 

now enhanced by Chivas Brothers unlocking The Vault, 

its inspired tasting room dedicated to 14 casks of its 

high-class Scottish whiskies. Housed in the Strathisla 

distillery, The Vault is a sensory journey par excellence into 

the world of whisky, beginning with a tour of the iconic 

establishment and ending with a bespoke tasting of some 

of the most remarkable drams that the region has to offer. 

chivasbrothersvault.com 

JOHN PAUL 

Taste Sensation 

BRAVE NEW WORLD 

Founded in 1749, Justerini & Brooks is Britain’s oldest continuous fine wine and spirits merchants, yet one 

that belies its old age to keep up with the times. Its latest venture, which also marks its 275th anniversary, 

is to open a boutique and tasting room in London’s famed Burlington Arcade. Set over three floors, the 

venue is a testimony to the dedication the firm has shown to celebrating the finest elixirs the grape and the 

grain have to offer. The tour de force is the sumptuous first-floor lounge where a fine wine selection by the 

glass allows guests the optimum tasting experience. justerinis.com 

28 NetJets

© 2024 Corcoran Group LLC. All rights reserved. Corcoran® and the Corcoran Logo are registered service marks owned by Corcoran Group LLC. 

Corcoran Group LLC fully supports the principles of the Fair Housing Act and the Equal Opportunity Act. Each franchise is independently owned and operated. 

be swoony 

be dusky 

be spellbound 

be home. 

FIND YOUR HOME AT CORCORAN.COM


States of Mind 

Sustainable Excellence 

Known for its additive-free tequilas from the 

highlands of Jalisco, Mexican brand Mijenta has 

produced two new expressions to tantalise the 

taste buds: The Cristalino (left) and the Añejo 

Gran Reserva (above). The latter, aged in four 

bespoke casks – American white oak, French 

oak, acacia and cherry – is its premium product. 

mijenta-tequila.com 

The third mezcal in the Clase Azul 

collection stays true to its roots 

and is named after the region the 

green agave from which it is made 

originates – the Mexican state of 

San Luis Potosí (or more exactly the 

small village of Estación Ipiña.) 

claseazul.com 

Fine Vintage 

Located on the banks of 

the Tay, Aberfeldy is a 

distillery of distinction, and 

one that is embellished by 

its keeness to innovate. 

Never has this been more 

apparent than in the 21- 

Year Malbec Cask Finish, 

a whisky finished in wine 

casks from Argentina. 

aberfeldy.com 

Global Power 

For its spring release the 

wine and spirits merchant 

Berry Bros. & Rudd is 

championing whiskies from 

such disparate places 

as Sweden and Guyana, 

alongside bottles from 

the spiritual homeland, 

like this single malt from 

Craigellachie, the Speyside 

distillery. bbrspirits.com 

Whisky Reboot 

Also a Speyside regular of renown, Longmorn is enhancing its 

reputation with a makeover of its familiar bottlings. Encased 

in a new-look design, these releases of 18-Year-Old and 

22-Year-Old single batch whiskies are both matured primarily 

in American oak casks. longmorn.com 

ALL IMAGES COURTESY THE COMPANIES 

30 NetJets

MONACO: A DESTINATION LIKE NOWHERE ELSE 

Iconic venues and unforgettable experiences offer alluring opportunities in the Principality 

IMAGINE A LIMOUSINE WAITING FOR YOU as soon 

as you get off your plane, ready to start your neverto-be-forgotten 

time in Monaco. 

Select from timeless luxury suites and live your 

life to the fullest. Treat yourself at the iconic Hôtel 

de Paris Monte-Carlo, where the two-level Princess 

Grace’s suite awaits you. It’s an extraordinary 

setting with a manicured garden, a heated infinity 

pool and 180-degree sea views. 

Discover a fine example of Haute Couture in 

one of the Diamond Suites Collection at the Belle 

Époque Hermitage Monte-Carlo. A perfect setting to 

create your unique story. 

Or maybe switch off at the Suite Sunshine on the 

top floor of the Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel, where 

you can relax fully on your private roof terrace with 

unparalleled views of Monaco. 

You can also indulge yourself in the Suite Carré d‘Or 

at Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo, which features a 

sprawling roof terrace, a place to enjoy some muchneeded 

downtime. The Principality always goes above 

and beyond to create special moments to share. 

Top image: Hotel Metropole Monte-Carlo, photo credit Will Pryce; bottom images from left to right: Monte-Carlo Beach Hotel, Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo, Hôtel Hermitage Monte-Carlo, photo credit Monte-Carlo Société des Bains de Mer.


THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT 

At home or away, the show will always go on 

Wooden Heart 

Utilising Japanese craftsmanship – and kurogaki, 

or persimmon, wood – Audio-Technica’s ATH-AWKG 

headphones combine the latest technology with 

a material revered for its unique black pattern and 

hard-wearing properties. The superlative design 

showcases Audio-Technica’s excellent sound 

engineering, with the set complemented by a sleek 

storage box also made with kurogaki detail. 

audio-technica.com 

Live in the Valley 

The beautiful Hudson Valley town of 

Chatham is home to The Garage, a venue 

where classical music, jazz, theatre, 

dance and more can be found in an 

atmosphere that aims to recreate a 19thcentury 

salon. For the summer season 

this eclectic array includes The Waste 

Land project – a reading of TS Eliot’s 

poems with original music by Thomas Bo, 

a show by Grammy-nominated foursome 

PUBLIQuartet (above), and pianist Taka 

Kigawa performing Olivier Messiaen’s 

rarely heard masterpiece Quartet for the 

End of Time. thegarageatchatham.com 

Aural Style 

Fashion and functionality merge 

superbly in the latest limitededition 

product from Bose. The 

US company has teamed up with 

New York fashion brand Kith, 

for the Kith for Bose Ultra Open 

Earbuds, which feature a cuffshaped 

design and the Kith name 

replicated in the iconic style of 

the audio manufacturer’s logo. 

bose.com 

Audio Dynamite 

The advancement in home entertainment systems 

takes a great step forward with Denon’s AVC- 

X6800H, a receiver that raises the in-home audio 

experience to another level thanks to immersive 

Dolby Atmos, DTS:X, IMAX Enhanced and Auro 3D. 

For video, it offers seven HDMI inputs supporting 

8K video. denon.com 


32 NetJets


Sound Spectacle 

High-end Danish audio goods firm Bang & 

Olufsen has long associated sound with 

art, so a collaboration with Grammy Awardwinning 

bassist MonoNeon is spot on. The 

artist and musician is renowned for his 

colourful outfits, fittingly reflected in the 

astonishing Beosound A9, that draws on 

MonoNeon’s trademark costumes, which 

incorporate patchwork embroidery in their 

intricate design. The Memphis-born musician 

interprets art as music – this speaker 

attempts the reverse. bang-olufsen.com 

Art of Writing 

Water Sport 

Austrian artist Gustav Klimt was one of the 

leading pioneers of avant-garde movement 

and as such a perfect subject for Montblanc’s 

latest Masters of Art Homage limited-edition 

pens. With particular emphasis on Klimt’s 

gold-infused paintings, the piece pairs 

translucent blue lacquer and yellow goldcoated 

hammered metal references, while 

a green spinnel evokes a sense of spring. 

montblanc.com 

The height of speed and sophistication on the 

oceans, the Nano 720 Xtreme from iAqua is 

a gamechanger. Weighing a remarkable 22kg, 

it is capable of going from 0-100kph in just 

3.8 seconds. Made from carbon fibre, which 

adds strength to its impressive speed, the 

Nano also has a certain sense of style with its 

uber-modern design created to catch the eye. 

iaquawatercraft.com 

The Right Notes 

Delving into the lives and times of three generations of 

musicians Deep Inside the Blues: Photographs and Interviews 

is a comprehensive history of a fascinating period in music. The 

photographer and oral historian Margo Cooper captures the spirit 

of an age through 160 images and interviews with 34 major figures, 

including Bo Diddley, Honeyboy Edwards, B. B. King and Pinetop 

Perkins. margocopper.com 


34 NetJets

DON’T JUST OWN IT, LIVE IT 

For more than six decades Sotogrande has exemplified understated luxury in the 

stunning countryside that sits on the Andalucian coastline. With some of Europe’s finest 

golf courses, an internationally renowned polo club and an exceptional international 

school on hand, there is everything here for the ultimate family life. 

Discover more 

Take your place in La Reserva, Sotogrande’s exclusive, secure community and choose 

from a range of properties from stylish apartments and penthouses to outstanding 

villas and plots. 

sotogrande.com · +34 856 560 922 · #Ownitliveit 

Sotogrande. Extraordinary by nature.

Private Paradise 

in Greece 

Nested on a gorgeous private sandy beach, Porto Zante Villas 

& Spa on the Greek Island of Zakynthos is a resort of worldclass 

villas, voted one of the World’s Best Hotels & Resorts 

for 2024 by Condé Nast Traveller among other awards, and 

considered to be the most private beach resort in Europe, 

offering unique experiences for families and couples alike.

Advertisement 

Porto Zante Villas & Spa 

For the finest personal services, exclusive open-air facilities, exquisite dining, and bespoke activities, escape to 

Porto Zante Villas & Spa, a member of the Small Luxury Hotels of the World and one of the 25 Ultraluxe resorts in 

the World by Virtuoso. Its nine world-class beachfront villas are each built amphitheatrically over a secluded sandy 

beach and boast private heated pools and stunning views of the Ionian Sea. Inside these super-luxe havens, selected 

Armani/Casa and Kettal/Gervasoni furniture add to the laidback glamorous aesthetic; the divine marble bathrooms 

are equipped with Bulgari guest amenities. There are five different dining experiences including a 24-hour in-villa 

dining service, the Club House Greek & Mediterranean Restaurant with live pianist and singer every evening and 

the Maya Contemporary Asian Restaurant. The fresh catch of the day is at the heart of delicious seafood dishes. 

Emerge from this private cocoon and an array of luxury experiences and activities for adults and children awaits. 

Private training in the resorts’ Gym by Technogym, yoga sessions on the tip of the water, both motorized and nonmotorized 

water sports for all ages, private yacht excursions to the famed Navagio beach, Marathonisi protected area for 

the caretta sea turtles, or local landscapes like Ancient Olympia, birthplace of Olympic Games, sample fine wines at the 

local vineyard, or try a signature zen spa treatment. Awarded Greece’s Leading Hotel Spa, the Waterfront Spa is situated 

in front of the cobalt waters of the Ionian Sea and excels in over 20 therapies inspired by Greek nature. For parents 

wishing to escape and recharge, the resort is currently considered as one of the world’s best family resorts where they can 

rest assured that the staff at the Kids’ Club oversees children’s entertainment and organizes fun activities. 

For further information about Porto Zante Villas & Spa in Greece, 

call +30 210 8218640, visit portozante.com or contact reservations@portozante.com

NOTES FROM NETJETS 

Latest happenings, onboard updates, 

companywide news and profiles 

JULIAN RENTZSCH 

INSIDE TRACK 

PETE RICHARDS 

EVP, Chief Financial Officer 

WHEN DID YOU START AT NETJETS? 

I just celebrated my 25-year anniversary 

with NetJets. I spent my first seven years 

out of college at a public accounting firm. 

NetJets was one of my clients and offered 

me a job, which I started in October of 

1998. At the time I was hired as Corporate 

Controller, NetJets had only approximately 

140 aircraft under management, compared 

to the 1,000 we have now. 

WHAT DOES YOUR NORMAL DAY 

CONSIST OF? Normal days don’t really 

exist, but I do have months that can be 

more predictable based on the time of 

year. I oversee the financial affairs of 

the global organisation, which includes 

teams in Lisbon, Portugal, Cincinnati, 

Ohio, and our headquarters in Columbus. 

My responsibilities include monthly, 

quarterly and annual reporting of financial 

results to our shareholders and our 

Board of Directors, financial forecasting, 

hosting a financial business review 

each week with our global leaders, and 

managing the budget and 10-year plan 

for the company. In addition to these 

financial responsibilities, as a member 

of the Executive Leadership Team, I am 

also involved in the overall strategy and 

leadership of the business. 

WHAT IS THE BIGGEST CHALLENGE 

YOU FACE IN YOUR ROLE? How to 

balance opportunity with appropriate risk 

management. Growing in a fiscally prudent 

and responsible way is challenging because 

we only grow with safety and service 

prioritised. We must be compliant and 

controlled so we can continue building a 

business for all economic conditions. 

38 NetJets


NETJETS BY THE NUMBERS 

2024 AT-A-GLANCE 

60+ YEARS LEADING PRIVATE AVIATION 

NETJETS IS THE LONGEST-STANDING PRIVATE AVIATION PROVIDER, 

WITH A PROVEN BUSINESS MODEL AND RESOLUTE FINANCIAL STRENGTH 

THAT CONTINUE TO PROPEL US TO THE FOREFRONT OF THE INDUSTRY 

1,000 AIRCRAFT WORLDWIDE 

WE OWN AND OPERATE THE WORLD’S LARGEST, 

MOST DIVERSE PRIVATE JET FLEET 

OVER 95% OF OWNERS STAY WITH NETJETS YEAR AFTER YEAR 

AND OVER 20% HAVE FLOWN WITH US FOR MORE THAN 10 YEARS. 

100+ EXCEPTIONAL EVENTS ANNUALLY 

WE INVEST IN EXPERIENCES THAT ELEVATE OUR OWNERS’ LIFESTYLE AND 

ENHANCE THEIR PASSION FOR TRAVEL, FOOD AND WINE, MUSIC AND PREMIER 

SPORTS, SUCH AS GOLF, EQUESTRIAN SPORTS, TENNIS AND MOTORSPORTS 

12+ NETJETS SERVICE HUBS 

STRATEGICALLY LOCATED FACILITIES ENABLE PROACTIVE MAINTENANCE, 

DETAILING AND STOCKING OF EACH AIRCRAFT EVERY THREE TO FOUR DAYS 

25,000+ FLIGHTS WITH PETS 

WE CARED FOR THOUSANDS OF PET PASSENGERS, 

INCLUDING NEARLY 7,000 DOGS, IN 2023 

© NETJETS 

40 NetJets

ESTATE LIVING 

IN THE SKY 

Iconic waterfront condominiums in West Palm Beach designed by globally renowned 

Robert A.M. Stern Architects and presented by Related Companies. Enjoy homes of expansive 

scale with spectacular views, offering amenities akin to exclusive private members’ clubs, 

in South Florida’s most pedigreed location. 

Two- to five-bedroom residences available. Pricing upon request. 

southflaglerhouse.com • 561.867.9580 

Exclusive sales by Suzanne Frisbie of Frisbie Palm Beach at Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group. 

WE ARE PLEDGED TO THE LETTER AND SPIRIT OF THE U.S. POLICY FOR ACHIEVEMENT OF EQUAL HOUSING OPPORTUNITY THROUGHOUT THE NATION. WE ENCOURAGE AND SUPPORT AN AFFIRMATIVE ADVERTISING AND MARKETING PROGRAM IN WHICH THERE ARE NO BARRIERS TO OBTAINING 

HOUSING BECAUSE OF RACE, COLOR, RELIGION, SEX, HANDICAP, FAMILIAL STATUS OR NATIONAL ORIGIN. This is not an offer to sell, or solicitation of offers to buy, the condominium units in jurisdictions where such offer or solicitation cannot be made or are otherwise prohibited by law, and your 

eligibility for purchase will depend upon your state of residency. This offering is made only by the offering documents for the condominium and no statement should be relied upon if not made in the offering documents. The features, amenities, designs, design professionals, finishes and specifications 

are proposed only, and the Developer reserves the right to modify, substitute, revise or withdraw any or all of same in its sole discretion and without prior notice. This Condominium is being developed by SFH Owner LLC (“Developer”). Any and all statements, disclosures and/or representations shall 

be deemed made by Developer and not Related Companies or any principal of the Related Companies and any purchaser agrees to look solely to Developer (and not to Related Companies and/or any of its affiliates or principals) with respect to any and all matters relating to the marketing and/or 

development of the Condominium and with respect to the sales of units in the Condominium. 

ORAL REPRESENTATIONS CANNOT BE RELIED UPON AS CORRECTLY STATING THE REPRESENTATIONS OF THE DEVELOPER. FOR CORRECT REPRESENTATIONS, MAKE REFERENCE TO THIS BROCHURE AND TO THE DOCUMENTS REQUIRED BY SECTION 718.503, FLORIDA STATUTES, TO BE 

FURNISHED BY A DEVELOPER TO A BUYER OR LESSEE.



management Pilot (chief Pilot). Great to 

experience and I gained knowledge very 

quickly. 

THE ONE DAY AT NETJETS I WON’T 

FORGET WAS… the first day of “INDOC” in 

the Lisbon office, the people all very friendly 

and professional. I felt at home from day one. 

Now after almost six years in the company, I 

feel part of this “family”. 

ONE THING OWNERS PROBABLY 

WOULDN’T GUESS ABOUT ME IS… when I 

was 18 years old (just had my driver’s licence) 

I was living in South Carolina for just over six 

months for flight training. When i came back 

to the Netherlands I met my wife and we are 

still strong together after 24 years. 

IN SERVICE 

RUTGER DE BRUIN 

Pilot, Phenom 300 

MY FIRST EXPOSURE TO FLYING WAS… 

when I was still a young boy. My parents 

took me to Schiphol Amsterdam Airport 

to look at planes taking off and landing. I 

found this a fascinating sight that started 

my interest in aviation. Later my parents 

arranged a “first” flight in a single engine 

aircraft, I was sold on flying. 

ON MY DAYS OFF I… enjoy spending time 

with my wife, Linda, and my two lovely kids, 

Fleur and Xavier. Going outdoors, taking my 

family to the zoo and museums. My family 

and I love to travel in our time off – beach 

walks and going to France. The USA is also a 

favourite. To see a lot of the world and teach 

our kids about the cultures. I enjoy making 

memories with my family. 

WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR I WOULD LIKE 

TO… cross the 10,000 flight hours in my 

logbook and continue enjoying life at 

NetJets and at home. I’m currently training to 

be a line training captain on the Phenom. 

THE BEST PART OF FLYING IS… being 

able to control a very complex and modern 

machine through the sky, seeing the 

world below you passing by together with 

professional and nice colleagues next to you. 

The best office view in the world! 

BEFORE JOINING THE NETJETS TEAM, 

I WAS… flying professionally already for 

14 years – flying aircraft like the Fokker 50 

and BAe AVRO RJ 85 for regional airlines. 

I became an instructor in the Simulator 

for some years together with a role as a 

WITHIN THE NEXT 10 YEARS, I WOULD 

LIKE TO... keep on pushing myself to 

develop my own skills further and contribute 

more towards the training environment – this 

is a very rewarding role. 

AS A CREWMEMBER I’M VERY PROUD 

OF… being part of the NetJets team, with 

high safety standards and a passion for 

flying. All the safe and efficient flights I 

have performed together with all my 

colleagues over the years and hopefully 

years to come. 

42 NetJets

TEEING OFF 

MAKING WAVES 

44 NetJets

The Palm Beaches, a newly opened golfing 

community in Florida designed to please pros and part-timers alike, 

has benchmark luxury down to a tee // By Larry Olmsted 

EVAN SCHILLER 

NetJets 

45

TEEING OFF 

GREEN DEAL 

The Big Cat offers 

much for pros and 

amateurs alike 

THE PALM BEACHES has long been a draw for professional 

athletes, especially golfers, many of whom make their homes 

in gated golf communities here. But surprisingly, considering 

the area’s popularity, favourable weather, tax advantages 

and easy access to airports, there has not been a notable 

new luxury golf and lifestyle community opened in nearly two 

decades. That all changed last autumn with the high-profile 

debut of Panther National, which puts a modern and European 

spin on the concept, thanks to developer Dominik Senn. 

While certainly a golf lover, Senn, who hails from Switzerland, 

has a considerably different athletic background. A former 

professional alpine ski racer, he is now the CEO and chairman 

of 4sports & Entertainment AG, which represents pro athletes 

in skiing, tennis, hockey, soccer and golf, with his clients 

including numerous PGA TOUR players and Major champions. 

When it came time to design a new golf course as the anchor 

amenity for Panther National, Senn didn’t pull any punches. 

The result is The Big Cat, a world-first co-designed by the 

46 NetJets

“ experience 

The course can host the best players in the world while 

at the same time offering a very playable, enjoyable 

for all members – families included 

biggest Major winner in history, legendary longtime Palm Beach 

resident Jack Nicklaus, and NetJets Brand Ambassador, former 

World No 1, PGA TOUR star (and two-time PGA Championship 

winner) Justin Thomas. 

Given that some of the Panther National members will be pros, 

it makes sense that the layout stretches to 7,300m from the 

tips, and it appears to now be the longest golf course in Florida. 

For mere mortals, multiple tees go all the way down to just over 

4,000m, with choices for all abilities. This level of options is 

rare and means that the course can host the best players in the 

world while at the same time offering a very playable, enjoyable 

experience for all members – families included. 

But while Panther National also has a short course and 

world-class practice facilities, the 180ha community is 

about more than just golf. It abuts a 970ha natural preserve 

and has over 16 kilometres of trails running through the 

property. The Panther National Clubhouse, meanwhile, will 

house four distinctly varied dining venues catering to all 

tastes and occasions, with a European culinary influence, and 

include a health-conscious option juice bar and coffee shop, 

sophisticated café and fine-dining restaurant with wine bar 

and a large cellar collection. 

The Racquet Center is top notch, with tournament-quality 

clay tennis courts, as well as indoor and outdoor courts for 

JENSEN LARSON 

NetJets 

47

TEEING OFF 

“ 

indoor 

The high-tech Panther National Golf Performance 

Training Center has three bays featuring shot tracing 

and video technologies, a custom club fitting centre, 

putting lab, and a café 

ultra-popular pickleball and padel, the fast-growing downsized 

tennis alternative. The Panther National Lifestyle Club and 

Wellness Center (opening 2027) will include a community pool 

with pool bar and cabanas, a fitness lap pool, state-of-theart 

training gym, and spa with treatment rooms, sauna and 

steam baths. Additionally, the golf clubhouse has its own spa 

facilities and large men’s and women’s locker rooms with sauna 

and steam room. 

The golf course is, naturally, the star attraction, and it 

debuted in November 2023 with an appropriately star-studded 

match befitting Senn’s professional golf connections, including 

Rickie Fowler, Xander Schauffele, Morgan Hoffmann, Erik van 

Rooyen and Lexi Thompson alongside co-designer Thomas. 

Given his alpine background, Senn was unimpressed with the 

flat courses all around him after moving to Palm Beach Gardens, 

and envisioned something with hills and elevation changes, 

something distinctly un-Floridan. Thanks to the use of a lot of 

heavy equipment, the course has significant elevation changes 

and rolling terrain, especially by Florida standards, in addition 

to its widely varied tee lengths. 

“As a former skier, I think very much in landforms,” says 

Senn. “With Panther National, I wanted to create something 

very special with Jack and Justin. So, we have moved almost 

three million cubic yards of earth to shape a championship 

course with a links style. We blended dramatic holes with lakes 

and the look of the neighbouring nature preserve.” 

SAND, SUN AND FUN 

Bunkers at the Big Cat 

offer a different challenge 

to usual Nicklaus courses 

JENSEN LARSON 

48 NetJets

HOME FROM HOME 

The clubhouse at 

Panther National 

© PANTHER NATIONAL 

Thomas’s well-known admiration for bump-and-run shots 

factors in the links-like way the routing plays, and while 

Nicklaus has a penchant for elaborate, shapely bunkering, 

these play more on the sides here, while many approach shots 

into the green were left open in front, as in the British and Irish 

courses, but an aesthetic uncommon in this region. “From the 

start, the vision was clear – to create a golf experience unlike 

any other found in South Florida,” says 18-time Major champion 

Nicklaus. “Every opportunity to design a golf course brings 

challenges, but in the case of Panther National, uniqueness 

triumphs. You won’t find any golf course remotely close to it 

in South Florida.” 

There is also a nine-hole par-3 short course, PANTHER9, 

with holes ranging from 90 to 150 yards and featuring the 

same style of approach shots players will encounter on the 

championship course. It also includes an island green homage 

to Florida’s most famous hole, the par-3 17th at TPC Sawgrass. 

Inspired by the famed Himalayas Putting Course at Scotland’s 

St Andrews, the Panther National Putting Course uses greenquality 

real grass and was also designed by Nicklaus. 

There is also the high-tech Panther National Golf 

Performance Training Center, with three bays featuring shot 

tracing and video technologies, a custom club fitting centre, 

indoor putting lab and a café. The Center anchors an extensive 

practice area that also includes a range with target greens of 

course-quality Zoysia grass, so players can see how their wedge 

shots actually bounce, spin and stop upon landing. This setup 

creates the feeling of having different length “par threes” to 

aim at on the range, each sized to match PGA Tour average 

shot distances, to make practice more realistic. A U.S. Open 

width fairway, just 27 yards wide, runs through the centre of 

the range, offering players the opportunity to build confidence 

for taking on the Big Cat. The adjacent Short Game Practice 

Area includes greens and bunkers for pitches, chips and bunker 

shots. Finally, there is The AimPoint Putting Green, the first 

in Florida, with AimPoint’s precise green-reading system to 

improve putting accuracy. 

Panther National is a residential community, and ownership 

opportunities include 218 properties, a mix of Signature 

Estates designed by acclaimed Florida architect Max Strang 

and owner-built Custom Estates. Strang is known for both 

his modernist, sleek style and his approach to sustainability 

and stewardship, which fits the sensitive natural environment 

surrounding the property. The Signature Estates are offered 

in several semi-custom models, from three- to five-bedrooms. 

All have private pools, outdoor kitchens and two to four car 

garages with golf-cart parking and electric car charging 

units. The Custom Estate lots either have golf course views or 

overlook the nature preserve panthernational.com 

North Palm Beach County Airport: 14 miles 

NetJets 

49

LIVING WELL 

50 NetJets

YES, 

YOU 

CAN! 

Travelling can offer up temptations 

for changing food choices, but 

sticking to a healthy diet can reap 

long-term benefits, according to 

the experts at Mayo Clinic 

JÖRN KASPUHL 

WHILE IT MAY not always seem like it, busy people – like 

NetJets Owners – do have time to eat a healthy diet. 

“Don’t underestimate your ability to make changes,” 

says Donald Hensrud, MD, internal medicine physician who 

specialises in healthy living and nutrition with the Mayo Clinic 

Executive Health Program. 

When Dr Hensrud and his colleague Warren Thompson, MD, 

also an internal medicine physician within the Mayo Clinic 

Executive Health Program, lay out the facts to support healthier 

food choices, participants in the Mayo Clinic Executive Health 

Program have paid attention and made changes. 

“People who eat a healthy diet are more likely to live longer 

lives and be free of heart disease, cancer and diabetes than 

people who do not,” says Dr Thompson, whose practice focuses 

on preventive medicine. 

And here’s more motivation. People who follow a healthy 

diet, along with good physical activity, sufficient sleep, use of 

alcohol in moderation (one drink a day or less), not smoking, 

and keeping weight within normal limits, can expect to live 12 

to 15 years longer than those who do none of these things. 

And understandably, this isn’t new information. The benefits 

of making healthy food choices have been well studied and well 

reported for decades. But when you’re travelling and don’t have 

NetJets 

51

LIVING WELL 

“ people 

People who eat a healthy diet are 

more likely to live longer lives than 

who do not 

Warren Thompson, MD, internal medicine physician with the Mayo 

Clinic Executive Health Program 

JULIAN RENTZSCH (2) 

access to a kitchen or to your favourite healthy restaurant, 

how can one stay in step with a healthy lifestyle? 

As a frequent traveller, you may have some challenges – a 

packed schedule and eating out frequently – to consider as 

you make changes in your food choices. Start by making small, 

sustainable changes and build from there. 

HERE ARE SOME STARTER TIPS: 

- Begin in the morning: Breakfast can be the easiest meal 

of the day to change. Switching from bacon and eggs to a 

whole-grain cereal with non-fat or low-fat milk and a piece of 

whole- grain toast is a great start. 

- On the go: Keep fruit or nuts in your bag so you always have 

healthy snacks available. 

- Eating out: Eat a healthy snack before going to a restaurant, 

where it can be very difficult to select healthy options. 

- Limit alcohol: Enjoying carbonated or flavoured water can 

decrease alcohol consumption. 

- Eat what you enjoy: Eat more of the healthy foods that you 

like, rather than trying to eat healthy foods that aren’t your 

favourites. 

“Please remember that while weight is a good indicator, it’s 

not the most important one,” says Dr Thompson. “Health is the 

most important goal. Often when people decide to start moving 

more and eating better, they get frustrated when they don’t 

see immediate results, or they aren’t losing weight rapidly. I’d 

encourage those people to not focus as much on weight. Even 

if one is not losing weight, eating well and exercising make a 

big difference. 

“Even when people are overweight or mildly obese but eat 

well and exercise, they live longer than people who are thin and 

eat a poor diet and are not fit,” he continues. 

“Living a healthy lifestyle, including eating a healthy diet, is 

among the most important things we all can do for long-term 

health,” says Dr Hensrud. “Grab an apple instead of a candy 

bar. Skip the red meat entrée. Don’t order dessert. We all have 

time to make these changes.” 

“ things 

Living a healthy lifestyle, including eating 

a healthy diet, is among the most important 

we all can do for long-term health 

Donald Hensrud, MD, internal medicine physician with the 

Mayo Clinic Executive Health Program 

MAYO CLINIC AND NETJETS 

NetJets is excited to partner with the Mayo Clinic Executive Health Program to bring expert 

medical, health, and wellness content that matters to you. With a focus on preventive health 

and wellness with timely, coordinated access to multidisciplinary care, including advanced 

diagnostics, state-of-the-art prevention strategies, and therapeutics, the Mayo Clinic Executive 

Health Program provides individualszed, comprehensive care to meet the unique needs of 

business leaders in the demanding stages of their careers. The QR code will lead you to more 

thorough information about this world-class program, and your Mayo Clinic Executive Health 

liaison for NetJets Owners will be happy to answer your questions. 

52 NetJets

OFFICIAL 

HOSPITALITY 

OLYMPIC GAMES PARIS 2024 

ACCESS 

PREMIUM SEATS 

& WORLD-CLASS 

HOSPITALITY 

CorporateHospitality.Paris2024.org 

@OlympicsHospitality @OlympicsHosp @OlympicsHospitality

ON LOCATION 

POSTCARDS FROM 

THE NORTH 

From the Norwegian fjords to Finnish Lapland, the Nordic nations offer 

some of the finest lodgings in which to relax, ruminate, and reconnect 

with nature. In the pages that follow, some of the stunning specimens and 

surrounds across the rooftop of Europe. // By Debbie Pappyn 

Photography by David De Vleeschauwer 

LITTLEISLAND LIGHTHOUSE, NORWAY 

FOR NEARLY 15 YEARS Elena Hansteensen reigned over this windswept island and lighthouse, her only companions the 

crashing waves and seabirds. Hansteensen had lived alone after buying Litløy Fyr, a 1912 lighthouse located in northern 

Norway’s Vesterålen archipelago, from the local government. That changed in 2020 when a skilled carpenter named Frode, now 

her partner, arrived on the island. Together, the pair have since woven magic into the once-lonely tower, turning it into a dreamy 

escape for guests, who can take advantage of Hansteensen’s abundant local knowledge as well as the island’s stormy beauty 

on a coastal tour aboard a RIB helmed by Frode. Inside, three private suites offer fireplaces and ocean views, set against a 

backdrop of Lofoten islands mountains. The newly opened lighthouse suite is the one to book. Spanning three levels, it features 

a lounge with crackling fire, and views of the star-studded sky from the glass-roofed top floor. littleislandlighthouse.com 

Stokmarknes Airport, then bus/boat transfer 

54 NetJets

VILLA ÅMOT, NORWAY 

DIPPED IN THE WILD beauty of Sunnfjord, midway between Bergen and Ålesund, Villa Åmot is a retreat of refined rural living. This 

historic farm, nurtured by the Sørli family for five generations, shed its working past in 2005 to become a cherished escape in the 

heart of one of Norway’s most remote regions. Gracious hosts Steinar Sørli and Yngve Brakstad have crafted seven luxurious suites 

across the barn, villa and lodge, each infused with its own distinct character and authentically decorated in warm, traditional rural 

style. A true country refuge, Villa Åmot is a favourite for groups of families and friends, who can explore the surrounding private 

fjords with no other tourists in sight. After a day in the wild, a heated wooden hot tub beckons, set in a secluded courtyard next to a 

verdant garden. Inside, abundant creature comforts are found in the magnificent dining area, serviced by a open-plan kitchen, and 

several snug lounge areas with grand fireplaces. Villa Åmot can be booked, staffed and catered, for up to 14 guests. amotnorway.com 

Bergen Airport: 112miles/180km 

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ON LOCATION 

ELEVEN DEPLAR FARM, ICELAND 

THIS SECLUDED LODGE, nestled in the ultra-quiet Fjót Valley, was once a humble sheep farm, but is now considered the 

most luxurious hotel near the Arctic Circle. Deplar Farm offers 13 guest suites, each furnished in contemporary country 

style and boasting unparalleled views of the tranquil landscape, often snow-covered in winter and danced over by the aurora 

borealis. The traditional matte-black timber houses, with their vibrant green-turfed roofs, tell a story of the local area’s 

rural heritage, while expansive windows offer a modern accent and panoramic vistas of the valley. Deplar has geothermal 

indoor and outdoor pools, and guests can embrace their inner Viking in the sauna after a day of exhilarating escapades such 

as off-piste heli-skiing, and glacier explorations in winter and horseback adventures in summer. A minimum stay of three 

nights is required. elevenexperience.com 

Akureyri Airport: 55miles/89km (or via helicopter from Reykjavik Airport) 

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NIEHKU MOUNTAIN VILLA, SWEDEN 

ABOVE THE ARCTIC CIRCLE this 14-room hotel and heli-skiing haven has been created from a ruined old railway roundhouse 

in Riksgränsen. The former workshop provided service and maintenance to the steam locomotives which were the first to 

operate on Sweden’s legendary Iron Ore Line, transporting iron from north to south. Now protected as a piece of national 

heritage, it’s a luxury base for one of the finest off-piste skiing locations in Scandinavia. Around Niehku are 60 majestic peaks 

to explore, and skiing is even possible in late spring. Après-ski here is friendly, with a strong focus on gastronomy featuring 

fresh, regional ingredients from Sweden and Norway, washed down with libations from the old grease pit, which has been 

transformed into a stunning 500-bottle-strong wine cellar. While the setting is vintage industrial, the rooms are warm and 

snug, with some offering private patios. niehku.com 

Kiruna Airport: 86miles/138km 

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ON LOCATION 

WOLF LODGE, NORWAY 

LOCATED IN POLAR PARK, the northernmost wildlife park in the world and one of the most admired, Wolf Lodge offers only a 

few annual stays per year, but in an atmpsphere of extreme privacy set deep within the quiet Arctic woods of northern Norway. 

Stig Sletten, also known as the wolf whisperer, is Polar Park’s master animal guardian and takes the lodge’s guests out as their 

private wildlife guide. The lodge has only three luxurious suites and a private lounge with panoramic windows overlooking the 

wolf enclosure. Activities include guided hikes, snowmobile races over frozen lakes, spending time with the wolves up close 

and personal – under expert supervision, of course – learning about conservation efforts and, if you’re lucky, experiencing the 

northern lights during winter as well as the midnight sun throughout the summer months. Lodge availability is limited to 15 

all-inclusive stays per year with a three-night minimum stay, so you may need to book well ahead. wolflodge.no 

Bardufoss Airport: 33miles/53km 

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NOMAD, GREENLAND 

WHILE ICELAND ATTRACTS millions of tourists each year, its “sister island” Greenland remains a hidden gem, with a 

breathtaking coast and glistening-white ice sheet largely untouched by crowds. Limited infrastructure, with many mini villages 

only accessible by helicopter, can pose obstacles for independent travellers, but this is where Danish-Greenlandic couple Jon 

and Anika Krogh have stepped in. In 2017, they opened two beautiful, mobile camps – Camp Saqqaq in Disko Bay and Camp 

Kiattua near the capital, Nuuk – providing luxury all-inclusive tented accommodation with private bathrooms, overlooking 

deep, quiet bays where small icebergs or whales can be spotted. From June to September, activities include iceberg safaris, 

hikes and explorations of Inuit culture. After each adventure, it’s all about unwinding in the hot tub and savouring homemade 

dishes served in the communal tipi tent. nomadgreenland.com 

Camp Saqqaq: Ilulissat Airport, then boat transfer/Camp Kiattua: Nuuk Airport, then boat or helicopter transfer 

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ON LOCATION 

VILLA SÄIKKÄRÄ, FINLAND 

WHILE ROVANIEMI BUZZES with tourists, this private accommodation reveals Lapland’s hidden serenity. This traditionally 

built, three-story log house offers one of the most exclusive private retreats in the north. It boasts an impressive 16-foot-high 

living area with a natural stone fireplace and open kitchen. Eight ensuite bedrooms, decorated in a chic, rural Lappish style, 

are scattered throughout the main house. From here you can embark on excursions such as husky sledding, snowmobiling, ice 

fishing and introductions to the Sámi people and their reindeer. Other worthy ways to spend your time include reading a book 

by the open fire, relaxing on the spacious outdoor terrace with cosy cushions and reindeer skins, and unwinding after a 100% 

Finnish sauna experience in the unique fire hut. This exceptional structure also features a welcoming goahti room inspired by 

traditional Sámi dwellings with an open fireplace, a dressing room, and a covered outdoor terrace. villasaikkara.fi 

Rovaniemi Airport: 60miles/97km 

60 NetJets

ARCTIC BATH, SWEDEN 

VIGGO LUNDBERG 

IT’S QUITE LITERALLY about chilling out, Lapland-style, at Arctic Bath, frozen into the Lule River in Sweden’s far north like 

a captivating art installation. Inspired by the region’s timber-floating history, this circular spa transforms with the seasons. In 

winter, the wooden structure becomes one with the frozen, Lappish landscape and functions as the hotel’s central hub with spa, 

three saunas and two steaming hot tubs included. Come summer, it hovers above the calm waters, offering breathtaking riverside 

views when the midnight sun reflects on the clear water. The hotel comprises 12 cozy cabins, some suspended—or frozen—above 

the water, the other six villas perched on land. The highlight during winter is the cold water plunge in the Arctic Bath, honoring the 

Lappish tradition of braving freezing waters (maintained at a bracing 39F), followed by the comforting warmth of the treatments 

that utilize the local c/o Gerd brand, which are made with natural local products such as birch and blueberry. arcticbath.se 

Luleå Airport: 57 miles 

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ON LOCATION 

HOTEL UNION ØYE, NORWAY 

THE SUNNMØRE ALPS ARE characterised by dramatic mountains and fairytale fjords, fed by cascading waterfalls and 

roaring rivers. Here, winding roads lead to tranquil villages with gingerbread houses and wildflower meadows – places such 

as Hjørundfjord, where you’ll find Hotel Union Øye, a historic jewel since 1891. Øye’s creaking floors whisper tales of Kaiser 

Wilhelm II, author Karen Blixen, explorer Roald Amundsen and more contemporary guests, too, now that it’s a Relais & 

Châteaux property of 38 rooms and suites, one of which (the Blue Room) the management will tell you is haunted. You can go 

backcountry skiing, or hike and bike in Norangsdalen, one of Norway’s most beautiful valleys. Après-ski and sundowners can 

be enjoyed on the terrace with waterfall views, or you might warm up by the historic fireplace before dinner served by staff in 

traditional attire. Here, dressing elegantly after adventures is still bon ton – adding to the timeless atmosphere. unionoye.no 

Ørsta-Volda Airport: 18miles/29km 

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HIGHLAND BASE, ICELAND 

WHEN A TRANSFER BECOMES an experience – this remote lodge is only accessible by a 4x4 vehicle that transports guests 

via a stunning three-hour route from Reykjavik to Kerlingarfjöll, a volcanic mountain range. Set amid central Iceland’s hardto-access 

highlands, at the meeting of two glaciers, sits Highland Base, the first luxury hotel in Iceland’s wild mountains. 

Launched by the Blue Lagoon group, Highland Base consists of a main building with 28 rooms and suites, and six lodges, each 

with grand floor-to-ceiling windows that reveal the raw beauty of the surrounding landscape. The two largest suites offer 

private terraces with soothing hot tubs, while underground passages transport guests to the inviting restaurant and bar or to 

the beautiful spa with geothermal baths and saunas. highlandbase.is 

Reykjavik Airport: 115miles/185km 

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OLEG BORODIN 

BY THE BOOK 

64 NetJets

DAYS OF 

THEIR LIVES 

Reinventing the dusty image of the family 

biography, Legacy Literature is helping some 

of America’s most successful families pass 

down invaluable heritage and life lessons, 

beautifully bound and preserved for 

generations to come // By Emma Ventura 

IF GRIEF HAS one gift to give, it’s clarity. And when Rob 

Cocuzzo’s grandfather passed away in 2017, it hit him like a 

bullet. A journalist and author, Cocuzzo was in the middle 

of writing a book about his family heritage – The Road to San 

Donato: Fathers, Sons, and Cycling Across Italy – yet it took this 

loss for him to fully appreciate what it means to preserve the 

narratives of those most important in your life. 

“All the stories that I thought I knew verbatim were suddenly 

lost in the ether,” he says. “The way that he told them, the 

mannerisms, the characters – all these things I cherished as a 

kid were gone.” 

Then editor of the glossy N Magazine, which covers 

Nantucket, Massachusetts, and the enviable lifestyles of those 

who call it home, Cocuzzo was well versed in the process of 

distilling a person’s life story into a couple of thousand words 

or less – a challenge he describes as akin to “trying to do ballet 

in a phone booth”. 

“We assume so much of the people that raised us,” he says. 

“And we don’t ask them the questions that we ask other people. 

Yet, at the end of their lives, when they’re gone, you realise, I 

don’t really know what motivated this person, I don’t really know 

how they navigated those difficulties in their life.” 

In 2016, Cocuzzo had spoken about the power of legacy 

to a TEDx audience in Boston, in reference to extreme skier 

Doug Coombs, his childhood hero and subject of his biography 

Tracking the Wild Coomba. Cocuzzo was regularly interviewing 

and securing high-profile subjects for N Magazine, all of whom 

had richly textured stories of their success, and how they got 

there. But it took his wife, Emmy Award-winning television 

producer and personality Jenny Johnson, to suggest he put 

some shape to this passion. 

“She was the one who put the bee in my bonnet to pursue this,” 

says Cocuzzo, 37, who has wide-set eyes, barely tamed blond 

hair and the kind of open face that projects honesty. “She said, 

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BY THE BOOK 

“ 

It’s a vivid recounting of a life, not a glorified Wikipedia 

page. We’re describing episodes and conversations, 

what the place smelled like, what the scenes were like, 

bringing them back in a very real and visceral way 

Rob Cocuzzo, founder and chief biographer, Legacy Literature 

‘You know, you’re in contact with all these interesting people, 

and you know how important it is to preserve legacy based on 

your experience with your own family.” What followed would lead 

to the founding of Legacy Literature, a storytelling brand for 

high-net-worth individuals looking to share their heritage, paths 

to success and life lessons for future generations – stories not 

bound for the bookstore or bestseller lists but produced in tiny 

print runs, intended purely for families and friends. 

Cocuzzo started working on one book a year, then two, 

juggling babies under one arm and a full-time job in the other. 

Through word of mouth, he wound up with a backlog of clients 

until, his bandwidth maxed out, he realised he needed to pull in 

more writers to work with him. 

These are not works of ghostwriting but vividly portrayed 

biographies. The process takes place over the course of a year, 

with weekly calls of an hour, during which the writer works 

chronologically through the subject’s life. “We start with the 

earliest childhood memory and work through different chapters, 

talking about the dynamics in the household,” says Cocuzzo. 

“What were their parents like? How did their parents meet? What 

was school like? Did they play on teams? Each time we start 

this process, it goes in all these different directions; there’s no 

formula, because everyone’s lived a unique life.” 

Among those unique lives is that of Sean McManus, who 

in April stepped down as chairman of CBS Sports. The son of 

renowned sports journalist Jim McKay, with nearly 50 years at 

the top of his game, McManus had long felt the urge to tell his 

family story but had neither the time nor the knowledge to do 

so. “I had no idea how to start the process,” he says. “And Rob 

was really the solution for that dilemma.” 

As anyone who’s ever attempted to write a book knows, having 

the idea is the tiniest part of what it takes. “I’m not sure how 

disciplined I would have been without those specific, focused 

appointments every week or 10 days,” admits McManus. “With 

everything I have going on in my life, Rob was a really important 

part of me being able to complete this process.” 

McManus wanted a book that would distill, as he puts it, 

“the integrity, honesty and generosity” passed down from his 

parents, as well as the professional legacy gifted by his father. 

“There’s no way to establish the historical context of my life 

without something like this,” he affirms. “It’s not just a glorified 

tribute to my life. It’s got some challenges in there that I faced 

throughout my career.” 

Concurrent to the weekly conversations, the Legacy Literature 

team interviews family members, friends, colleagues past and 

present, old teachers – anyone who can bring perspective to the 

different chapters. At the halfway point, generally around 100 

pages in, the manuscript is turned over to the client. 

“At that point, it’s kind of an out-of-body experience to 

read about yourself in the third person, because the way the 

books are written is narrative nonfiction,” says Cocuzzo. “It’s a 

vivid recounting of a life, not a glorified Wikipedia page. We’re 

describing episodes and conversations, what the place smelled 

like, what the scenes were like, bringing them back in a very real 

and visceral way.” 

For clients, downloading their lives, and lessons learned, onto 

a page can be both cathartic and meaningful. Paige Arnof-Fenn, 

founder and CEO of Massachusetts-based global marketing 

consultancy Mavens & Moguls, goes a step further. “It’s just 

kind of magical,” she says. 

Arnof-Fenn is leaning forward in her home-office chair, 

framed family photos perched on bookshelves in the background. 

“Wasn’t it John Lennon who said life’s what happens while you 

make other plans?” she asks rhetorically. “My life has turned 

66 NetJets

OLEG BORODIN (2) 

out so differently than I imagined. But you don’t spend a lot of 

time reflecting on your own choices, or your own decisions or 

your own life, how it’s unfolded.” 

She came to Legacy Literature after an aborted biographical 

project with a New York Times bestselling author didn’t work 

out – “she was looking for a big-ticket kind of story” – and a 

friend familiar with the Nantucket scene put her onto Cocuzzo: 

“He’d basically set up this business to do it in a very personal, 

intimate way – not for the glory of it, but for the personal 

experience. He has a process where it’s like pulling a string and 

he keeps unravelling these stories.” 

For Arnof-Fenn, the catalyst for the project was originally 

a desire to pass down stories of her much-loved parents and 

grandparents to her nieces and nephew, who’d never met them. 

“It’s not a cheap thing – it’s a six-figure commitment,” she 

says of her book, “but leaving kids a little bit more money isn’t 

going to change their life at all. Leaving them with these family 

stories, and how you came about your values, and how all the 

threads converge into making you who you are, and helping you 

achieve what you’ve achieved … It’s really priceless.” 

Not everyone is initially convinced that a book about their 

life is a good idea. Having received more than his fair share of 

books by former CEOs during his career, most of which have 

piled up unread in his bathroom, Chad Gifford came to Legacy 

Literature, in his own words, “fighting and scraping not to do 

it”. 

“I’ll never write a book about what it means to be a CEO 

or leadership guidelines or any of that stuff,” says the former 

Bank of America chairman. “So it wasn’t exactly in my DNA to 

do it.” 

Persuaded by his wife and daughters that he needed to 

reframe his thinking, and to meet with Cocuzzo, Gifford was 

won over by the Legacy Literature founder’s thoughtful, 

articulate demeanour. 

“I’m a little sheepish about talking about my exploits, be 

they minimal or maximal,” he says. “I feel like I am who I am 

because of what I did do or didn’t do. I was very grateful. And 

I loved my parents very much. But family trees didn’t intrigue 

me at all.” 

Gifford, says Cocuzzo, has the kind of humility typical of 

many of his clients, who at first don’t see the value of sharing 

their experiences, even when they amount to life-and-death 

situations. 

Among the stories that Cocuzzo has teased from Gifford 

is how he survived the sinking of the SS Andrea Doria in 

1956. Gifford was just 13 when the Italian liner collided with 

a Swedish ship, Stockholm, and went to the bottom off the 

coast of Nantucket. The result was a total of 51 fatalities. “I 

know it was quite an event but I don’t dwell on it much,” says 

Gifford. “Rob sort of made me rethink it and what an amazing 

experience that was, and obviously how lucky we were to get 

off the thing alive.” 

Of the industry leaders Cocuzzo has worked with, he credits 

Bill Bishop with giving him not just one of his early book deals, 

but the mentorship he needed. It was Bishop, a self-made 

businessman and entrepreneur who had worked his way up from 

the mailroom of a Mad Men-era Madison Avenue advertising 

agency – “the three-martini lunch was a real thing!” – who saw 

Cocuzzo’s potential, and persuaded him to make this kind of 

storytelling more than a side hustle. 

Bishop’s own remarkable story, set in a beautifully bound 

tome packed with photos from his family archives, tells of his 

rise from a lanky but hard-working kid to multibillionaire. “My 

dad walked out when I was five years old,” he says matterof-factly. 

“My mom raised me and my brother and we didn’t 

come up with anything. I did a lot of pick-and-shovel work. So 

I was thinking about my grandkids. And we decided it would 

be nice to have a book, something that they could look at over 

time, and realise that we were lucky, but we also worked very 

hard. And, you know, let’s respect people who are starting 

from nowhere because that’s where we really started from.” 

legacy-literature.com 

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67

TICKING OVER 

TIME FOR 

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CHANGE 

Marking a new movement in watchmaking, independent horologists 

are finally gaining recognition for producing meticulously crafted, 

limited-edition timepieces of enduring beauty // By Chris Hall 

STATES OF INDEPENDENCE 

From top left: Simon Brette’s Chronomètre Artisans; Resurgence by J. N. Shapiro; Petermann Bédat’s Ref 1967; 

AdC8 by Atelier de Chronométrie; Sylvain Pinaud’s Origine 

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TICKING OVER 

IN FEBRUARY, at a ceremony in Paris, a watchmaker by the 

name of Raúl Pagès (pageswatches.com) was awarded the 

inaugural Louis Vuitton Watch Prize for Independent Creatives. 

The biennial award celebrates excellence, innovation and knowhow 

in watchmaking, and marked something of a paradigm 

shift in the perception of the most traditional horological 

artisans, associating them for the first time with the glamour 

and global presence of a major luxury brand. 

Pagès has waited a long time for the recognition of his 

peers. His abilities, and his offbeat personality, have been well 

known to industry insiders and connoisseurs for a while – his 

debut into the horological world was a whimsical, intricate 

automaton in the shape of a tortoise – but in a way, his slow 

path to prominence is the story of independent watchmaking 

over the past 10 years. 

Since its revival in the 1990s, so-called “indie” watchmaking, 

which is more an appellation of spirit and principles than a 

statement about corporate ownership, has seen a few names 

evolve from artisanal beginnings to low-volume brands – the 

likes of F.P. Journe, Franck Muller, MB&F and Greubel Forsey 

being prime examples – but behind them exist dozens more. 

These are watchmakers that conform most closely to the 

mind’s-eye stereotype: men (they are all men) with loupes to 

their eyes and screwdrivers in hand, making masterpieces one 

by one. To many collectors, they represent the “real” watch 

world; not only do they make some of the most sought-after 

and exclusive watches, but for their innovative minds and 

technical prowess, they are often called upon by bigger brands 

to solve problems or improve existing movements. 

For a long time, these watchmakers were far removed 

from the limelight. The Académie Horlogère des Créateurs 

Indépendants (AHCI), something of an umbrella association 

for such craftsmen, was founded in 1987 but as recently as 

2016 relegated to a side room and surrounded by anonymous, 

low-end brands when it exhibited at the Baselworld industry 

fair. Since then, however, interest in its members has 

skyrocketed. Helped by the surge in watch collecting during 

the pandemic, names such as that of Rexhep Rexhepi, a 

Genevan watchmaking prodigy who emerged around the same 

time as his compatriot Pagès, are now mentioned in the same 

breath as indie stalwarts like Kari Voutilainen. 

This year, Rexhepi was on the judging panel for the Louis 

Vuitton prize, having collaborated with the maison in 2023 on 

a limited-edition chronograph. The emergence of Louis Vuitton 

as a patron of artisanal watchmaking may surprise those more 

familiar with its monogrammed luggage and leather goods, 

but LV’s watchmaking division acquired specialist workshop La 

Fabrique du Temps in 2011 and has been known to insiders as 

a serious investor in R&D for many years. 

As part of the prize, Pagès won a year’s mentorship with the 

lead watchmakers at the workshop. His winning watch, the RP1 

– Régulateur à détente, is not a fiesta of whirling tourbillons, 

skeletonised bridges and overcomplicated displays, as highend 

independent watchmaking is sometimes assumed to be. 

A modest, restrained design that fuses classical principles 

with a contemporary colour palette, it secured the judges’ 

approval predominantly thanks to Pagès’ methodical solution 

to an age-old watchmaking problem: creating a reliable detent 

escapement. The method by which a watch’s spring-wound 

energy is disbursed, one second at a time, the escapement is a 

notoriously challenging area for innovation. No one can accuse 

the prize jury of prioritising style over substance. 

When the competition was announced in 2022, it received 

more than 1,000 entries; the attention given to the award has 

contributed to the growing appreciation of tiny, technically 

superlative watchmakers around the world. Among the four 

names alongside Pagès on the final shortlist were two whose 

star has risen dramatically in the past 18 months: Simon Brette 

(simonbrette.com) and Petermann Bédat (petermann-beadat. 

ch), the brand founded by watchmaking duo Gaël Petermann 

and Florian Bédat. Both were also honoured at the most recent 

GPHG awards – the watch industry’s largest awards ceremony 

– and both are posterboys for the decorative and technical 

sides of watchmaking. 

While even the most highly rated mainstream brands 

have gravitated towards more industrial, futuristic and 

angular modes of decoration, a small but influential subset 

of collectors have reaffirmed their love for all things gilded, 

polished and curved. Brette’s Chronomètre Artisans stands 

out for its hand-hammered gold dial surface, heat-blued 

steel hands and semi-openworked view of the gear train; 

turning the watch over reveals uniformly frosted surfaces, 

MASTERS AT WORK 

Facing page, top row from left: Sylvain Pinaud; Raúl Pagès’ Automaton Tortoise; the workshop of J.N. Shapiro; 

second row: Intricate workings from Petermann Bédat; the making of Raúl Pagès’ RP1 – Régulateur à détente; Simon Brette’s 

Chronomètre Artisans under construction; third row: Raúl Pagès at work; a Simon Brette initial drawing; Bernhard Lederer 

ALL IMAGES COURTESY OF THE WATCHMAKERS 

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TICKING OVER 

mirror-polished components and rare “wolf-teeth” wheels, 

named for the curved profile of their teeth. Brette may be 

a debutant under his own name, but he has spent the past 

decade immersed in specialist movement suppliers and 

latterly working at MB&F, building such a reputation for 

himself that at the time of launch in April 2023, his watch 

had sold out for the next five years. 

At this level, a mastery of fine finishing – the catch-all term 

for meticulous hand-decoration – is obligatory, and every 

watchmaker’s reputation rises and falls with the sharpness, 

width and curvature of their bevelled edges. Makers such 

as Brette and Sylvain Pinaud (sylvain-pinaud.com) – another 

Swiss talent who has been attracting attention for his Origine 

and Chronograph pieces – draw from the Swiss-French 

traditional aesthetic; others, such as Petermann Bédat, whose 

monopusher split-seconds chronograph is an engineering tour 

de force, follow a more Germanic lineage with a contemporary 

twist (sans serif typography, a slick logo and instrument-style 

subdials). The watch won Best Chronograph at the 2023 GPHG, 

and one look at its glossy, serpentine, ruby-studded mechanism 

is enough to see why. Pinaud is another who cut his teeth 

working for other high-end indie names before going it alone, 

and drew plaudits for his chronograph, although, atypically, 

the real masterpiece is his time-only Origine, notable for its 

dial-side exposed balance wheel. 

Within the confines of watchmaking tradition, a range of 

styles still exists. Bernhard Lederer (ledererwatches.com), 

whose Central Impulse Chronometer debuted in 2021 and 

has one of the most captivating caseback views in years, 

straddles the divide between traditional and contemporary, 

with flawless finishing adorning a much more sci-fi-futuristic 

movement layout. Six years in the making, it is another that 

dares to tackle an alternative variety of escapement and is 

produced in editions of only 25 pieces. (It’s worth noting 

that none of the pieces mentioned here are produced in any 

greater quantities; many highly respected indie watchmakers 

produce fewer than 1,000 watches in their lifetimes, a number 

that would roll out of some mainstream manufacturers in a 

matter of hours.) 

As a consequence of the indie boom, respected brands 

have emerged and flourished outside of the historical centres 

of watchmaking. The US is home to several respected artisan 

firms, such as J.N. Shapiro (jnshapirowatches.com), whose handmachined 

engine-turned dials, beguiling in their tessellated 

complexity, are the equal of any in Switzerland. Japan is 

also nurturing a number of home-grown horological stars. 

For generations a passionate market for collectors, it is now 

developing the kind of artisanal watchmaking once associated 

purely with Geneva and its environs: one example being Hajime 

Asaoka (hajimeasaoka.com), an AHCI member since 2015 that 

marries mastery of the expected complications and techniques 

with an Art Deco sensibility. 

Back in Europe, you will find Atelier de Chronométrie 

(atelierdechronometrie.com), a Barcelona-based watchmaking 

workshop that restores and converts vintage watch movements 

rather than making its own from scratch; a different discipline, 

but a demanding one nonetheless. The results are spellbinding 

to any fan of watchmaking’s “golden era” of the 1940s and 

1950s – custom-built designs that elevate old favourites to 

heights rarely seen in their heyday. 

Among all these horological riches, one thing is clear: 

whether the focus is on looking backwards or into the future, 

there has never been a better time to explore the intricate 

world of independent watchmaking. 

TIMELESS 

J. N. Shapiro’s Three 

Movements Black 

© J.N. SHAPIRO WATCHES 

72 NetJets

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For those seeking 

spring’s most stunning 

jewellery, emeralds are 

a natural selection 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY 

XAVIER YOUNG 

PRODUCTION BY 

ELISA VALLATA 

KEEP IT 

GREEN 

74 NetJets

STYLE GUIDE 

Clockwise, from top left: PRAGNELL 1960s platinum cocktail ring by the House of Oscar Heyman, set with a Colombian emerald and 

diamonds MOUSSAIEFF white gold High Jewellery necklace set with Colombian emeralds, diamonds and rock crystal CHOPARD white 

gold earrings set with emeralds and diamonds, from the Haute Joaillerie collection 

Facing page: GRAFF white gold earrings and three-row bracelet set, with emerald-cut emeralds and white diamonds 

NetJets 

75

STYLE GUIDE 

Clockwise, from top: GARRARD white gold Couture Amazonia necklace set with one cushion-cut Colombian emerald, tsavorites, diamonds, 

and malachite inlay PRAGNELL platinum Manhattan Classic five-row ring set with emeralds and diamonds FABIO SALINI white gold earrings 

set with two oval-cut emeralds, baguette-cut emeralds and diamonds DAVID MORRIS white gold spring bangle set with carved emeralds 

with leaf motifs, emeralds and white diamonds 

Facing page, clockwise, from top left: PRAGNELL Edwardian dress ring set with one cushion-cut Colombian emerald and diamonds 

ADLER white gold ring set with a Zambian oval-cut emerald and diamonds BULGARI platinum necklace set with one octagonal Colombian 

emerald, buff-top emeralds and white diamonds BOODLES platinum Vintage ring set with an oval shape emerald and brilliant cut 

diamonds CINDY CHAO white gold Emerald coral earrings, set with emeralds and diamonds, from the White Label Collection 

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GOURMET GUIDE 

TURNING 

THE TABLES 

In the unpolished farming landscape of Castile-La Mancha, natural 

and agricultural riches have put a shine on the Spanish dining scene – 

including 11 Michelin stars and counting // By Devorah Lev-Tov 

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DAVID HOLBROOK (2) 

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GOURMET GUIDE 

EVERY SPRING, in the small region of Castile-La Mancha, the 

Tagus river teems with elvers. Here lies some of central Spain’s 

most storied landscape – the ancient windmills made famous by 

Miguel Cervantes in Don Quixote, the walled city of Toledo. But at 

Restaurante Iván Cerdeño (ivancerdeño.com), the conversation 

is all about the baby eels on the plate. 

Elvers are considered a delicacy in much of the world, 

fetching up to $2,000 per pound on the global market, and at 

this two-Michelin-star restaurant inside the historic Cigarral 

del Ángel estate on the banks of the Tagus, it’s not hard to see 

why. One of more than 10 outstanding courses, they appear 

at the table draped over locally foraged morel mushrooms in 

a delicate broth. 

Toledo native Iván Cerdeño cooked at some benchmark 

restaurants, such as Pamplona’s Rodero, before returning to 

his hometown, and roots, in 2011. Local tradition looms large at 

Restaurante Iván Cerdeño; witness the recipes inspired by 16thcentury 

cookbook Libro de Guisados (Book of Stews) by Ruperto 

de Nola. Originally published in Toledo, it is the first known 

Castilian Spanish language cookbook and an important piece of 

the region’s history. For his tasting menu, Cerdeño modernised 

several of these recipes, such as sardines stuffed with red 

partridge and Senador’s hare, a local wild rabbit. 

“Castile-La Mancha is a very large and diverse territory, and 

surely it is this diversity that makes it special in the gastronomic 

field,” he says. “The culinary proposals in the different territories 

that compose [the region] are different – although there is a 

backbone, which is tradition. In general, the cuisine of Castile- 

La Mancha is based on its past and uses new techniques that 

allow us to develop the cuisine we are offering today.” 

Cerdeño is one of several young Castilian chefs taking 

on the mantle of the old guard, who cooked good food but 

never managed to make much of an impression beyond the 

immediate region. 

“The process of change has been very fast in recent years,” 

he explains. “Culinary references in our region were limited until 

recently to two great restaurants and two great chefs: Pepe 

Rodríguez and Manolo de la Osa. Nowadays there are more of 

us, very young people, in emerging kitchens with a great desire 

to do things well, who care about the product at its origin, to 

develop sustainable practices, and to try to do things a little 

better every day. 

“In the gastronomy of Castile-La Mancha, we have gone from 

just feeding people to making them enjoy our cuisine. Haute 

cuisine has reached many places in our region recently, but to 

do things better every day it is necessary to be respectful of 

those who have gone before us, because it only makes sense to 

talk about the cuisine of a territory if it is a reflection of what 

has always been done there.” 

Cerdeño’s establishment isn’t the only one making waves 

among the sleepy villages and farms of Castile-La Mancha. In 

fact, over the past five years or so, the region has become home 

to 11 Michelin-starred restaurants. 

While Spain is often spoken of as both a foodie paradise 

and the home of molecular gastronomy – think Barcelona, San 

Sebastián, and Madrid – rural Castile-La Mancha is not typically 

an area that’s mentioned. Yet this is where visitors can more 

easily book tables at undiscovered gems, such as Restaurante 

Iván Cerdeño, Ancestral (ancestralrestaurante.com), and Raíces 

(raicescarlosmaldonado.es), rather than fighting the masses for 

coveted reservations at places like Azurmendi and Arzak. 

Surely, it’s the region’s agricultural bounty that makes it such 

fertile ground for top-quality restaurants. Just outside of the 

walls of Toledo, farmland stretches for miles. Olive trees dot the 

landscape, fields of crocuses produce saffron and sheep farms 

are plentiful. 

Spain’s most famous cheese, manchego, is produced in 

Castile-La Mancha and is protected by a designation of origin. 

MAINS OF LA MANCHA 

Clockwise from top left: 

fine fish at Ancestral; 

its owner Víctor Gonzalo 

Infantes’s trademark fire 

cooking; pioneer chef Iván 

Cerdeño; a traditional 

marzipan dessert, typical 

of the region 

Previous pages, from left: 

part of a tasting menu 

from Restaurante Iván 

Cerdeño; inside Ancestral 


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GOURMET GUIDE 

“ 

Carlos 

We now have more culinary techniques and training 

at our disposal, which, when applied to Castilian- 

Manchego cuisine, creates endless possibilities 

Maldonado, chef and co-owner of Raíces 

Like most farms in the region, the creamery Finca la Prudenciana 

(artequeso.com) is a family affair, owned and run by husband-andwife 

team Alfonso and Maria Álvarez Sánchez-Prieto, together 

with their children, Marta and Santiago, on the sheep farm that 

Alfonso’s parents bought in the 1950s. The picturesque property 

is where the small-batch Artequeso artisanal manchego cheeses 

are made, using raw milk from the family’s resident sheep, and 

aged on site for three to 12 months. 

Castile-La Mancha is the second largest olive oil-producing 

region in Spain, and a few miles away, in the heart of the Montes 

de Toledo, sits Finca La Pontezuela (lapontezuela.com), home 

to 18,000 olive trees growing five types of olives. Visitors to 

the family-owned and operated property can tour the endless 

olive groves and state-of-the-art oil mill before exploring the 

recently built visitors centre that features videos, interactive 

maps and visual guides that explain how olive oil is harvested 

and produced. Tours end with a blind tasting of the Pontezuela 

single-varietal 5 Elementos brand of olive oils, including one 

made with 100% redondilla, which proves smooth and flavourful, 

with a touch of spice. 

A couple of hours’ drive north takes you to Raíces, or “Roots”, 

which opened in 2017 and earned its Michelin star a few short 

years later, in 2020. Upon entering the intimate restaurant, 

guests see a large, whimsical mural on one wall, with a tiny open 

kitchen on the other side. A second room holds a handful of 

tables, fantastical chandeliers and white ceramic rooster and 

fish heads protruding from the walls. 

“The agricultural landscape is part of our DNA,” explains 

Carlos Maldonado, chef and co-owner of Raíces, who has lived 

his entire life in Castile-La Mancha. “We are history, agriculture, 

livestock and craftsmanship, and that is reflected in every 

corner of Castile-La Mancha. It’s a diamond in the rough with a 

rich culture and natural heritage, and we need to show the world 

the potential it can have if we polish this diamond.” 

Raíces boasts an elaborate tasting menu that shows off 

Maldonado’s complex techniques, demonstrating his Castilian 

roots while still being playful. Meals start with the appearance 

of a colourful multi-tiered tower filled with various canapés on 

each layer, and near the finale a dish featuring Maldonado’s 

son’s handprints holds a “pizza” course. This is actually one of 

the desserts, made with a meringue crust, bright red beet sauce, 

and white chocolate in place of cheese. 

Maldonado has seen his own restaurant mature over the 

past seven years alongside the rest of the culinary scene in the 

region. “The restaurants in Castile-La Mancha have evolved, 

become more professional, and have adapted to the needs 

of society,” he says. “We now have more culinary techniques, 

documentation, and training at our disposal, which, when applied 

to Castilian-Manchego cuisine, creates endless possibilities 

that restaurateurs are incorporating into their establishments.” 

Like Maldonado, many of the prestigious chefs in the region 

talk about the land with reverence. Victor Gonzalo Infantes, 

who cooked at one of the top restaurants in Madrid before 

returning to his home region to open Ancestral three years ago 

in the industrial town of Illescas, typically uses ingredients 

such as freshly caught river trout delivered each morning, 

wild cherry tomatoes foraged by his staff, and locally hunted 


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wild pigs. “[Castile-La Mancha] is a culinary gem because we 

depend directly on nature, hunting and farming,” he says. “We 

make our philosophy work with the environment, getting the 

correct products, [thanks to our] relationship with the hunters 

and local suppliers.” 

At his one-Michelin-starred restaurant, Infantes uses fire 

and smoke to coax maximum flavour from his carefully sourced 

ingredients. Diners choose from either the Origen or Esencia 

tasting menu, where they’ll find fire-kissed dishes such as a 

rustic stew made with pigs’ ears and Castilian chickpeas, served 

with still-smoking crunchy pigs’ ears drizzled with an adobo 

manchego cheese sauce, and freshly caught trout bathed in a 

pil pil sauce made from the fish’s smoked bones and roe. 

The pride felt by Castilian chefs for their homeland is palpable 

here, with local ingredients and new spins on traditional regional 

preparations touted on nearly every menu. 

“I believe that in a cuisine like ours, sincerity should prevail 

in every dish,” says Maldonado. “There should be a piece of the 

chef’s soul behind every bite and preparation.” 

CHANGE IN THE AIR 

Clockwise from left: 

one of Toledo’s 

famous windmills; 

a wooden platter at 

Ancestral; Carlos 

Maldonado of Raíces 

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TASTING NOTES 

SWEET 

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SUCCESS 

Innovation in the vineyard and at the cellar door 

has led to a new generation of global oenophiles 

going sweet on that most classic of French 

dessert wines – Sauternes // By Jeffrey T. Iverson 

DEEPIX 

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TASTING NOTES 

WHERE DOES THE legend of French wine find its source? 

In the ancient soils of Burgundy’s Côte d’Or? In the chalky 

cellars of Champagne? Perhaps. But no wine region is quite 

so shrouded in mythos as Sauternes, a tiny appellation of 

rolling hills, pastures, forests and fairytale castles situated 

around 40km southeast of Bordeaux. Here the Garonne meets 

its cooler tributary, the Ciron, a convergence that gives rise to 

a spectacular mist that floods this bucolic landscape and its 

vineyards every autumn. 

For hundreds of years, the sublimely sweet wines crafted 

here by estates such as Château d’Yquem (yquem.fr), 

Château Climens (chateau-climens.fr) and Château Coutet 

(chateaucoutet.com) have been savoured the world over, from 

the palaces of the Russian tsars to the imperial court of 

Japan to the executive residence of George Washington. For 

such famed producers, the most complicated task was never 

selling their wine, but each year harnessing the elusive magic 

of Botrytis cinerea, or noble rot. This fungus, born of morning 

mists and responsible for concentrating grape sugars to 

ambrosial levels, creates stunningly complex flavours of spice, 

honey and fruit, endowing these wines with a capacity to age 

for centuries. 

A few decades ago, though, things began to change. With 

wine consumption declining in recent generations, sweet 

wines were the first knocked off the table, deflating global 

exports. Worse, Sauternes has found itself on the front 

lines of global warming, with increasingly chaotic climatic 

conditions threatening harvests. This perfect storm of crises 

might have shuttered the historic estates of Sauternes. 

Instead, over the past decade, Sauternes has seen the biggest 

wave of innovation and investment in memory. “There’s an 

excitement in the air today,” says Lorenzo Pasquini, estate 

manager of Château d’Yquem. “There’s a lot of new blood in 

Sauternes – new owners, directors, teams – and they all share 

this desire to see Sauternes recover its status as one of the 

world’s greatest wines.” 

To mitigate climate change and improve grape quality, 

estates have been developing eco-friendly techniques while 

also opening their doors to the public – creating luxurious 

lodgings and restaurants where chefs are rewriting the rules 

over Sauternes’ place in gastronomy. As a result, oenophiles 

are returning to Sauternes once again, and rediscovering one 

of the most beguiling wines – and wine regions – in France. 

Château d’Yquem, the only “Superior First Growth” of the 

1855 Bordeaux classification, was managed by the same family 

for 400 years, reigning from its hilltop – in the words of writer 

Anne-Marie Royer-Pantin – like “a metaphor for the highest 

idea of a wine”. Old bottles of Yquem, such as an 1811 “comet 

vintage”, auctioned in 2011 for $117,000, are among the most 

coveted wines in the world. Subject to the most meticulous, 

draconian viticultural methods, each vine at this storied estate 

produces the equivalent of just one glass. Waiting weeks for 

botrytis to shrivel the grapes to maximum concentration 

precipitates a massive reduction in volume while increasing 

risk of harvest losses to bad weather or grey rot. 

Yquem’s tradition of excellence at all costs has endured 

under the ownership of French luxury goods company LVMH, 

which acquired it in 1999. In 2012, battered by late season 

rains, the estate announced the vintage wasn’t worthy of the 

Yquem name and released no wine – the 10th time of doing 

so since the turn of the 20th century. “We must accept that 

this wine’s beauty comes at a price, which is the willingness 

to endure great loss, sometimes the loss of everything,” says 

Yquem’s Pasquini. “If we are capable of accepting that, we 

have the chance to harvest something that is simply sublime.” 

Still, that remarkable perseverance has been pushed to new 

extremes in recent years by the existential challenge of climate 

change. With the rise of global temperatures, Sauternes must 

now face annual episodes of drought, flash floods, frost and 

hail. “The climate has become much more extreme,” elaborates 

Pasquini. “More than just global warming, it’s becoming a 

global mess.” 

With warmer winters causing vines to bud earlier, bouts of 

spring frost have ravaged vineyards at estates such as Château 

Climens in Barsac – Sauternes’ sister appellation – which lost 

its harvests in 2017 and 2021. In an effort to adapt, the region’s 

vignerons have equipped themselves with everything from 

frost candles to wind turbines, which work by flushing cold air 

from the vineyards. Château La Tour Blanche (tour-blanche. 

com) has wheeled mobile hot-air cannons into its vineyards, 

while Château d’Arche (chateau-arche.fr) uses a machine that 

floods vineyards with a blanket of thick, protective fog. 

Yet, with a humility born of an age-old dependence on 

nature’s cooperation, the vignerons of Sauternes have also 

realised that the best way to protect their vineyards is to 

help the vines to protect themselves. At Château Lafaurie 

Peyraguey (lafauriepeyragueylalique.com), the team has begun 

delaying the winter pruning by several weeks, to coax the vines 

into budding after frost risk has waned. At Château d’Yquem, 

to help its semillon and sauvignon blanc vines acclimate to the 

heat, the team has replanted the entire vineyard on droughtresistant 

rootstock, while also managing its vine canopy in new 

ways to better protect the grapes from the sun. Furthermore, 

Yquem and other estates now keep their vineyard soils covered 

FOR THE AGES 

From top: Château Lafaurie- 

Peyraguey’s hotel; the estate 

at Château d’Yquem 

Previous pages: 

Château d’Yquem’s cellar 

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DEEPIX 

AGI SIMOES - RETO GUNTLI 

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87

AGI SIMOES - RETO GUNTLI 

TASTING NOTES 

with natural grassing and cover crops to prevent erosion 

and protect soil microbes – essential for the vine roots to 

absorb minerals. And just as life in the soil improves a vine’s 

health and resilience, so do the hundreds of species of pestcontrolling 

insects and birds that find shelter in the vineyard 

and in the 90 hectares of prairie, paddocks, and forest that 

Yquem maintains around its almost 100hs of vines. 

To further safeguard this precious ecosystem, in 2022, Château 

d’Yquem was certified organic. “Across the region today, you meet 

winegrowers who share an ambition to leave their successors an 

estate that’s thriving and in good health,” says Pasquini. 

Ever since Château Guiraud (chateauguiraud.com) – renowned 

today for Sauternes of great freshness and spice – became the 

first of Bordeaux’s premier grand crus to be certified organic 

in 2011, estates across Sauternes have been going green. At 

Château La Tour Blanche, sheep grazing in the vineyard have 

replaced chemical fertilisers and weed killers. Château Climens 

was certified biodynamic in 2014, and Château Rieussec (+33 

5579 81414), the First Growth estate owned by Domaines Barons 

de Rothschild, will soon be certified organic. 

Jean-Jacques Dubourdieu, owner of the biodynamically 

farmed grand cru Château Doisy Daëne (denisdubourdieu. 

com) and co-president of the Sauternes-Barsac appellation, 

estimates that easily 90% of the region’s 140 estates have 

embraced a strong environmental approach in their viticulture 

today – a trend that has helped many take advantage of the 

warmer growing seasons and produce a string of critically 

acclaimed vintages. “A revival is underway in Sauternes today,” 

says Dubourdieu. “Thanks to this refocusing of our production 

methods for high-quality wines and a rethinking of our 

approach to sales, stocks of Sauternes and Barsac wines are 

the lowest they’ve been in 25 years.” 

Estates have recognised the untapped potential of 

Sauternes to become a top-tier wine destination, as a famous 

appellation situated within a beautiful, Natura 2000-classified 

nature reserve. Bordeaux’s famous châteaux have in the past 

been notoriously unwelcoming, but in recent years Sauternes 

has opened its doors to the public. Today, wine lovers book 

private tours of Château d’Yquem’s centuries-old winery, enjoy 

tastings around suspended, tree-shaded tables at Château de 

Rayne Vigneau (raynevigneau.fr), and attend sundown vineyardconcerts 

at Château La Tour Blanche. At the Maison de 

Sauternes (maisondusauternes.com), the appellation’s freshly 

renovated, showcase tasting room boutique in the eponymous 

“ 

Lorenzo 

Across the region today, you meet winegrowers who 

share an ambition to leave their successors an estate 

that’s thriving and in good health 

Pasquini, estate manager at Château d’Yquem 

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VINE TIMES 

From top: The grapes of Château 

La Tour Blanche; Château 

d’Yquem’s “Champagne Plate” 

Facing Page: Restaurant Lalique at 

Château Lafaurie-Peyraguey 

village, they peruse the world’s largest 

collection of the wine. They sleep at Château 

Sigalas Rabaud (chateau-sigalas-rabaud.com), 

whose historic vineyard charterhouse has been 

transformed into a stylish bed-and-breakfast, 

and dine at the farm-to-table restaurant La 

Chapelle at Château Guiraud, where a 26-room 

luxury hotel opens soon. 

It’s a new dynamic that many trace back 

to the 2014 acquisition of Château Lafaurie- 

Peyraguey by Silvio Denz, owner of the 

crystal manufacturer Lalique. In 2018, Denz 

reopened the 400-year-old castle as a fivestar 

Relais & Châteaux hotel, setting a new 

bar for hospitality in Sauternes. As for the 

estate’s gastronomic eatery, it took chef 

Jérôme Schilling just four years to earn the 

Réstaurant Lalique two Michelin stars. 

“The wine of Sauternes has been weighed 

down by so many stereotypes,” says Schilling. 

“You can’t open it in its youth, it has to be 

aged decades in the cellar, you can only drink 

it with a dessert or with Christmas foie gras… 

I wanted to break with all these codes, and 

offer a different vision of Sauternes.” 

Schilling celebrates the colourful, lesserknown 

palate of young Sauternes, whose 

luscious sweetness and aromas of tropical fruit, 

vanilla and spice create surprising harmony with 

the brine of oysters and caviar. The complex 

aromatics of older vintages are deconstructed 

into dishes such as his veal sweetbreads 

cooked with tobacco leaves, licorice and coffee 

the very notes you experience in your glass of 

1989 Lafaurie-Peyraguey. 

Dubbed “le cuisinier des vignes” – the 

vineyard chef – Schilling tenderises pigeon 

or mallard in Sauternes wine lees, uses grape 

must to create salt marinades for fish, and 

infuses dishes with smoke from vine cuttings 

or the oak of Sauternes barrels. Inspired by 

everything from grape pips to gravel to the 

morning fog of the Ciron river, Schilling’s is a 

cuisine of earthy poetry steeped in the living 

history of a legendary terroir, reminding us 

why Sauternes has beguiled wine lovers for 

centuries, and why it will surely continue to do 

so for years to come. 

MIKE PALACE 

AUDEXCOM 

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INSIDE VIEW 

A SPIRIT OF 

RENAISSANCE 

Prized architects, a comprehensive overview of Damien Hirst’s 

work and an entrepreneur’s vision make a powerful combination 

at a remarkable vineyard in the South of France 

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ROCK OF AGES 

Sahara Meteorite, 

2014, by Damien Hirst, 

who contributes all the 

works on these pages 

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INSIDE VIEW 

ABOVE 

Hazy Star-Clouds, 

2021 

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ABOVE 

Children of 

a Dead King, 2010 

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INSIDE VIEW 

THE HEART 

OF ART 

It was part of Irish businessman Paddy McKillen’s vision for the picturesque 

vineyard at Château La Coste, near Aix-en-Province in the Côte d’Azur region 

of southern France, that the world’s greatest architects and artists would 

contribute to create a destination where lovers of both art and wine could 

indulge their passions. So far, so good, with Tadao Ando, Frank Gehry, Oscar 

Niemeyer, Jean Nouvel, Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers contributing the 

unique structures and gallery spaces dotted around the 200ha site, and Ai 

Weiwei and Tracey Emin contributing to the more than 40 artistic works around 

the complex. It’s Emin’s fellow YBA – if the term Young British Artist can still 

be applied to a 58-year-old – Damien Hirst who is helping Château La Coste 

move on to another level. His The Light that Shines exhibition is the first show 

to take over the entire estate and encapsulates the breadth and dynamism of 

what McKillen has created in this beautiful part of the world. In a mixture of 

old work and pieces that have never been seen before, Hirst makes use of the 

various pavilions to differentiate between the diverse aspects of his oeuvre. 

In the Richard Rogers Gallery, the artist’s The Empress Paintings are on view, 

an exploration of an iconic motif in his work as black and red butterfly wings 

are used in a kaleidoscopic effect. In the Oscar Niemeyer Auditorium, there 

are Treasures from the Wreck of the Unbelievable – sculptures and lightboxes 

first shown in Venice in 2017 – while at the Bastide Gallery, Hirst’s most recent 

series, The Secret Garden Paintings, depicts vibrantly coloured flowers. In 

addition, other sculptural works feature around Frank Gehry’s Music Pavilion 

and the Tadao Ando Art Centre. A comprehensive display of a great artist’s 

work, extraordinary buildings from the world most revered architects, fine wine 

and more? McKillen’s background in hospitality – he’s the former owner of 

Claridge’s, The Connaught and The Berkeley hotels in London – guarantees it. 

A consummate welcome awaits at Villa La Coste, the accompanying property, 

which boasts 28 sumptuous villas, a well-equipped spa and dining options 

overseen by Michelin-starred chef Hélène Darroze. chateau-la-coste.com 

Marseille Provence Airport: 24miles/39km 

FACING PAGE 

Hirst with his work 

The Ascension, 2003 

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ALL IMAGES: © DAMIEN HIRST AND SCIENCE LTD. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED, DACS/ARTIMAGE 2023, PHOTOS BY PRUDENCE CUMING ASSOCIATES LTD. 

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95

INSIDE VIEW 

ABOVE 

Koken / Eleanor / Livia / 

Ying / Mentewab, 2023 

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THE LAST WORD 

PIERRE 

GASLY 

The Alpine Formula 1 driver 

on life away from the track 

TRAVEL 

Home comforts or thrill-seeker? 

Being a Formula 1 driver is such an exhausting life that, as 

soon as I can, I like to switch off. I have a big family – four 

brothers, all with kids – so I like to head home to France and 

spend some time with them. I quite enjoy “flyaway” races 

[away from Europe]. For example, when we go to Australia, 

we go the Sunday before to acclimatise and I usually get 

Monday to Wednesday to myself. With a day/day-and-a-half 

spare I try to get some golfing in – it’s a new hobby for me 

over the past 18 months or so. 


FOOD 

Big names or hidden gems? 

What I eat is quite strictly controlled, but on the flip side I 

am a big foodie. My dad is an incredible chef, who just loves 

French cuisine and loves spending hours in the kitchen, 

so I get that from him. When I travel, I like to seek out the 

local food, particularly if I am by the sea and can get great 

seafood. My girlfriend is from Portugal and I went to the 

Algarve last summer with her family, which was amazing. 

ACCOMMODATION 

Grandes dames, luxe design, or eminently private? 

It depends on how long I stay, but I must say the big hotels, 

where you know exactly what you are getting, are the best. 

The levels of service are impeccable. I like modern places that 

always have the latest technology – and nice gyms combined 

with a spa. For longer breaks with my family and friends, I’d 

usually go for a villa. 

DOWNTIME 

Good book or big screen? 

As I child I was never that keen on books, but it’s something 

that has kicked in for me in the past few years. I love watching 

live sports. I’m a massive motor sports fan – whether it’s 

IndyCar, Formula E or MotoGP. I really enjoy watching MotoGP 

because of the contests and the overtaking. I get the chance 

to meet some of these guys – some of these champions – so 

as soon as I know someone, I feel the excitement of watching 

how they’re doing and supporting them. 

FUTURE PLANS 

Off-track business or pure focus on driving? 

There’s nothing like Formula 1, but even after that I have a 

focus on driving. I would love to win the 24 Hours of Le Mans. 

I have a couple of other business interests, but I intend to 

keep driving for as long as possible. 

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