There are vineyards overlooking Alba’s plain and woods stretching towards the Alta Langa area.
There are incredibly steep as well as slight slopes, lonely hills rising suddenly from the ground, and others sloping gently away towards the Tanaro Valley, covered in wheat fields. Some of the highest Barolo hills, reaching over 500 metres in height, are located in Monforte; sometimes, when the fog covers the surrounding area like a blanket, they look like islands floating on a milky sea.
They are small plots of land, requiring endless manual treatments and frequent visits to the rows of vines. These vineyards surround the winery founded by my grandparents at the end of the 19th century, in the hamlet of Sant’Anna. Moreover, we own five hectares of land in the Bussia area, also called the Gran Dama of Monforte, since this is the most essential cru to make Barolo – an iconic wine, much beloved all over the world.
Monticello d’Alba’s vineyards
Monticello d’Alba’s vineyards are located on the Roero Hills, on the left side of the Tanaro River. Their exposure is to the West: they stretch around the pretty church devoted to the Virgin Mary, Santuario della Madonna di Castellero, and they are surrounded by woods.
Due to the mainly sandy soil and the warm and windy microclimate, the grapes grown here are perfectly ripe, juicy, and fragrant. In Monticello, we mainly grow Arneis: a white grape variety, native to this area. We use it to make our Roero Arneis: a pleasant and fine wine, with flowery notes and an elegant mineral touch.
