THE ESTATE


History

Bartolomeo Racca bought the Montanello Estate from the Count of Castiglione Falletto, Patrizio Filippo di Scagnello, on April 19, 1864.

For many years, it was the home of the first wine growers' cooperative of the Langhe: the Cantina Sociale of Castiglione Falletto which united no less than 36 wine growers of this comune towards the end of the 19th century.
This marked the start of the production and sale of the first Barolo wine.

Today, five generations later, the Racca family still owns Tenuta Montanello, now managed by Alberto Racca and his sisters Maria Pia and Cristina, who manage the company with a traditional approach but also welcome innovations in the wine-rowing sector.

The hill of Montanello has always been considered one of the best cru of the Barolo area; Renato Ratti included it in his Map of Barolo and Slow Food has classified it as one of the Great Vineyards of the Langhe.
The composition of the soil and excellent exposure to the South, South West and West produce a Barolo with a good alcoholic content and penetrating bouquet, worthy of its long history.

THE WINES

Tenuta Montanello can boast of no less than 11 hectares of vineyards in a single plot exposed to the South - South/West - West at an altitude of 250 - 300 metres.

Montanello is considered to be one of the best cru of the Barolo area, as confirmed by Renato Ratti's Map of Barolo. Ratti was the first to trace the Barolo zone, identifying the most dedicated areas.

Slow Food also included Montanello amongst the best cru of Castiglione Falletto in its Atlas of the best wines of the Langhe published in 1990.

Nebbiolo is a very demanding type of vine as regards terroir, exposure of the land and the way in which it is cultivated and fertilized.

It requires limey, tufaceous soil; it germinates early (April 10-15) and is fairly sensitive to changes in temperature and must therefore be cultivated in sunny positions and protected against freezing and Spring frosts.

Therefore, to obtain high quality wines, various processes are carried out in the vineyards including severe but carefully-balanced pruning, meticulous stripping of the leaves and uncompromising thinning out of the bunches. During the wine harvest, the grapes are also carefully selected before crushing.
How to reach us

Tenuta Montanello is located at Castiglione Falletto in the very heart of the Barolo area.
Take the provincial road from Alba towards Barolo; after about 12 km, take the hill road for Castiglione Falletto.
After two bends, after 500 metres you will find a sign with a red background indicating "Tenuta Montanello".

From Milan:
Take the A7 Milano-Genova motorway; at the intersection with the A21, continue for Asti, Asti Est exit; then continue towards Alba and then for 12 km towards Castiglione Falletto in the direction of Barolo.

From Turin:
Take the A6 Torino-Savona motorway, Marene exit; continue for Cherasco - Pollenzo - Roddi - Castiglione Falletto.

Take the Turin - Santena - Poirino - Canale - Alba State road No. 29; before entering the centre of Alba, proceed in the direction of Barolo as far as Castiglione Falletto.

Take the Turin - Carmagnola - Bra - Alba Provincial Road; before entering the centre of Alba, proceed in the direction of Barolo.

the WINEYARDS

Tenuta Montanello can boast of no less than 11 hectares of vineyards in a single plot exposed to the South - South/West - West at an altitude of 250 - 300 metres.

Montanello is considered to be one of the best cru of the Barolo area, as confirmed by Renato Ratti's Map of Barolo. Ratti was the first to trace the Barolo zone, identifying the most dedicated areas.

Slow Food also included Montanello amongst the best cru of Castiglione Falletto in its Atlas of the best wines of the Langhe published in 1990.

Nebbiolo is a very demanding type of vine as regards terroir, exposure of the land and the way in which it is cultivated and fertilized.

It requires limey, tufaceous soil; it germinates early (April 10-15) and is fairly sensitive to changes in temperature and must therefore be cultivated in sunny positions and protected against freezing and Spring frosts.

Therefore, to obtain high quality wines, various processes are carried out in the vineyards including severe but carefully-balanced pruning, meticulous stripping of the leaves and uncompromising thinning out of the bunches. During the wine harvest, the grapes are also carefully selected before crushing.


THE WINES

In order to preserve the particular characteristics of the grapes of the individual vineyards, these are transformed into wine according to tradition and using forefront wine-making techniques with the expert guidance of wine-making expert Piero Ballario.



The first step comprises a delicate crushing process to avoid tearing the skins, followed by fermentation in stainless steel vats at a controlled temperature. The anthocyans and polyphenols of the grapes are extracted by showering the skins with must using automatic rotary sprayers.
During refining of the wine in barriques, the cellar is kept at a constant temperature of 16-17 degrees with a humidity of around 80% all year round.



Tenuta Montanello produces the characteristic red wines of the Alba area of the Langhe:



Barolo DOCG, Langhe Nebbiolo DOC, Barbera d'Alba DOC and Dolcetto d'Alba DOC.
The Barolo is aged for three years (as required by DOCG rules), the first two in French oak barriques (forest of Allier) followed by refining in bottles for at least 6 months before being sold.
The Barbera is produced partly with refining in barriques per 10 months (Barbera Crocetta) and partly with refining in steel and in bottle.
The Langhe Nebbiolo and Dolcetto d'Alba are refined in steel and bottle.

WINE Barolo D.O.C.G.
TYPE OF GRAPE 100% Nebbiolo from Barolo - 40% vineyards of 1943; 60% vineyards of 1992
COLOUR Ruby red with medium intensity garnet reflections.
NOSE Intense, fresh, with fruity notes of cherry, raspberry and flowery notes reminiscent of violets.
TASTE Medium-bodied, well-balanced with the right touch of tannin.
AGING 2 years in oak barriques
ALCOHOLIC CONTENT 14% vol
SERVING TEMPERATURE 18° - 20° (always decant before pouring so as to let the wine breathe)
SERVING SUGGESTIONS Rich foods with strong flavours of high class national and international cuisine; in particular, red meat, game, brazed meat, dishes dressed with truffles.

  

WINE Langhe Nebbiolo D.O.C.
TYPE OF GRAPE 100% Nebbiolo from Barolo
COLOUR Ruby red with garnet reflections.
NOSE Intense, fresh, with notes of cherry and raspberry and flowery notes reminiscent of violets.
TASTE Medium-bodied, well-balanced with the right touch of tannin.
AGING Stainless steel
ALCOHOLIC CONTENT 14% vol
SERVING TEMPERATURE 18° - 20°
SERVING SUGGESTIONS Local cooking and Mediterranean cuisine. All dishes, in particular Piedmontese hors d'oeuvres and first courses.


WINE Barbera d'Alba D.O.C.
TYPE OF GRAPE 100% Barbera d'Alba
COLOUR Ruby red, with good intensity and evident reddish-violet reflections.
NOSE Intense, generous, with flowery notes reminiscent of roses.
TASTE Very well-balanced, good structure with a sweet, persistent finish.
AGING Stainless steel
ALCOHOLIC CONTENT 14% vol
SERVING TEMPERATURE 18° - 20°
SERVING SUGGESTIONS Local cooking and Mediterranean cuisine. All dishes, in particular Piedmontese hors d'oeuvres and first courses.
WINE Barbera d'Alba D.O.C. - Crocetta
TYPE OF GRAPE 100% Barbera d'Alba
COLOUR Ruby red, with good intensity and evident reddish-violet reflections.
NOSE Intense, generous, with flowery notes reminiscent of roses and sweet hints of vanilla.
TASTE Very well-balanced, excellent structure with sweet, persistent final notes.
AGING 10 months in oak barriques
ALCOHOLIC CONTENT 14% vol
SERVING TEMPERATURE 18° - 20°
SERVING SUGGESTIONS Rich foods with a strong flavour of high class national and international cuisine; in particular, second courses of red meat.
WINE Dolcetto d'Alba D.O.C.
TYPE OF GRAPE 100% Dolcetto d'Alba
COLOUR Ruby red with reddish-violet reflections.
NOSE Intense, generous, with fruity notes of berries.
TASTE Medium-bodied, well-balanced, pleasantly bitter on the finish.
AGING Stainless steel
ALCOHOLIC CONTENT 14% vol
TSERVING TEMPERATURE 18° - 20°
SERVING SUGGESTIONS Mediterranean cooking with simple, traditional ingredients. All dishes, in particular Piedmontese hors d'oeuvres and first courses.


BED & BREAKFA

Tenuta Montanello is located in the Comune of Castiglione Falletto, a small mediaeval village in the heart of the Langhe, the land of truffles, top quality wines and ancient castles.
This is the area where Barolo wine is produced: an amphitheatre of gently-rolling, restful hills at an altitude of between 200 and 500 metres where vines tend to dominate picturesque landscapes, painted in attractive colours and with unexpected contrasts.

Tenuta Montanello stretches between these hills in a single 40-hectare estate, of which 11 hectares are under grapes.
The high prestige wines that are characteristic of this area such as Barolo, Nebbiolo, Barbera and Dolcetto have been produced here for many years.

The estate is located on the top of a hill, surrounded by the silence of nature, and provides hospitably to all those seeking relaxation, charming landscapes and above all excellent wines.
Single and double rooms are available, all with bath and also holiday flats with kitchen and bath.

One wing of the estate is surrounded by a magnificent park that entices visitors to explore the many paths linked to excursions in the Barolo area.
Rooms and prices
Low season High season
1 SINGLE ROOM WITH BATH 50 55 € a night per room
4 DOUBLE ROOMS WITH BATH 65-75 75-85 € a night per room
1 FLAT WITH KITCHEN AND BATH 85 95 € a night per flat
400 450 € a week per flat (7 nights)
Services included
Breakfast - Air conditioning - Room for disabled - Credit cards - Park - Trekking - Wine tasting and sale
Period
Low season: April - August High season: September - December Closed: January - March

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