assico Riserva 2009, which has been rated as the only ‘outstanding’ wine in its category by a Decanter magazine panel tasting will be exhibited for the first time to the UK wine trade next week at Somerset House.?

Villa Mangiacane – a 15th century renaissance estate built for the Machiavelli family just seven miles from the cultural centre of Florence – is now a small luxury hotel which can also be hired out privately in its entirety.??

Set in 600 acres of working vineyards and olive groves in the midst of the Tuscan countryside, the Villa produces four wines, including a rose?', which was deemed to be one of the best in the region by famous Italian winemaker Luca Maroni.

All will be exhibited on 23 April.

Forty leading producers from the Chianti Classico, Siena and Pisa regions will be exhibiting their wines at the Tuscany Strikes Back event – which is the first time since 2008 that producers from the region have organised a tasting on such a scale in the UK.

Staying at Villa Mangiacane, just a 20 minute drive from Florence, guests can enjoy the wine on the estate along with locally produced food.

The vineyards of Villa Mangiacane have been around for 500 years, but the current owner replanted the vineyards, constructed a new cellar and modernised production. The harvests from these vines are reaching maturation and as a result the wines are beginning to win critical acclaim.

This month, the Villa starts bottling the 10th anniversary Chianti Classico – a unique blend of SanGiovese and Merlot.

Harvested in 2011, this vintage celebrates 10 years of harvesting the villa’s new style wines and will sport an anniversary label. Just five of the 2,700 anniversary bottles will also have matching anniversary corks – and visitors who discover that their wine has one of these will win a free weekend at the villa.?

Guests can have a walking tour through the vineyards, sculpture garden, historical ageing cellar followed by a guided wine tasting of a selection of the estate’s best wines and a selection of local gastronomic specialties which will be served in the Villa’s herb garden.

A three night ‘Flavours of Chianti’ special offer for €1500 in the winter and €1850 in summer includes a three course welcome dinner, a cooking lesson followed by lunch ‘on your efforts’ and Villa Mangiacane wines. A wine and olive oil tasting in the 15th century wine cellar and fresh fruits and a bottle of Villa Mangiacane wine provided on arrival.

The villa is sold by the likes of Kuoni, Chic Retreats and A&K Villas.

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