Five centuries of Chianti Classico history. Tuscany is the birthplace of culture and distinguished men, of noble wines. In the municipality of San Casciano the Florentine Niccolò Machiavelli wrote The Prince and cultivated the vineyards and olive groves he inherited from his father. Here, Niccolò’s greatness became one with nature, authenticity and tradition. The plots and vineyards of the ancient Fontalle estate extend out from the tiny village across 27 hectares of specialised vineyard cultivation to produce the celebrated Chianti Classico DOCG, the riserva, and other special selections of exclusive wines. Splendid cypress and oak woods still surround this hamlet where time seems to stand still. The cellars beneath Machiavelli’s house have not changed from the description given in a document dated 1498: “…wine storerooms opposite the so-called albergaccio”. The ranks of small prestigious oak barrels are still used to slowly mature the wines of Vigna di Fontalle. The historic Fattoria Machiavelli represents the oldest Chianti tradition. The estate is located at Sant’Andrea in Percussina, in San Casciano Val di Pesa in the province of Florence. Built 500 years ago, the cellar lies beneath the house where Machiavelli lived during his long exile from Florence. Today as then, the wine is matured in barrels of French oak. In 1512 and from 1513 onwards, Niccolò Machiavelli was confined to the Albergaccio, which adjoins the cellar. Here he pursued his writing, tended his fields and passed his spare time in the famous Hosteria. Machiavelli ran his vineyards and his farms well, taking a personal interest in their management. Careful restoration has returned the Osteria (Albergaccio) to its original structure. The kitchen and small rooms, furnished with much of the original furniture from the museum villa, provide visitors with a warm and welcoming environment in which to taste the simple dishes of traditional peasant cooking and the prestigious wines of Vigna di Fontalle and Poggio. Machiavelli is the prestigious Tuscan brand. It is reserved exclusively for the traditional channel that offers the expert consumer a selection of Tuscan wines of the highest quality and identity, produced in limited quantities from the estate’s own vineyards. The vineyards extend over approximately 27 hectares and are planted to sangiovese that is Guyot- and spurred cordon-trained. They lie in south-facing terrains at an altitude of 300 metres that are ideal for vine cultivation.