Dreaming of Castiglione Falletto

1/25/21 -

I’ve spent many weeks living at Tenuta Montanello in Castiglione Falletto; it’s become one of my favorite places*, for the dream-like beauty of the setting, and especially for the congenial company of our small group that has coalesced after some years of trial and error. The town itself is the smallest and quietest of the Barolo towns; its central position means that we can usually go home

for lunch (self-catered, that is), so it’s very convenient. And of course Castiglione Falletto is home to some great winemakers: Vietti, Brovia, Cavallotto, and the Barolo operations of Ceretto and Roagna, among others.

Montanello is less well-known than many neighboring vineyards (from my bedroom I can see Bricco Boschis, Monprivato, the very top of Rocche, etc); it’s grand cru land that for years didn’t get the attention it deserves; after years of renting-out the vines, Montanello is back in the family in the capable hands of Alberto Racca, and the wines are getting better and better. Here we have several great vintages of old Montanello from the Veronelli Collection, along with some wines from the neighbors.

*Tenuta Montanello is a farm with some rooms for guests. It’s not luxurious in any way - some might even say Spartan; there are many much more comfy places to stay that have amenities like lavish pillows, perhaps a couch, and a swimming pool, to say nothing about a serious breakfast, maybe even a restaurant. In fact, fuggedaboutit, you wouldn’t care for it at all.