Montalbera

Family roots in the Langhe

The Morando family’s viticultural roots lie at Castiglione Tinella in the Langhe. This is the birthplace of family progenitor and Montalbera founder Cav. Enrico Riccardo Morando. The family property there has passed through six generations and includes a single vineyard holding around the family home. Its association with Moscato is continued through San Carlo, named after the old Church of San Carlo a few metres from the house.

Beginning of the 20th century

Montalbera was established at the beginning of the twentieth century in a territory spanning Grana, Castagnole Monferrato and Montemagno. The business consequently developed across two major Piedmontese wine areas: Monferrato and the Langhe.

Expansion from the mid-1980s

In the mid-1980s, the Morando family began a continuing expansion programme. It acquired neighbouring land and planted new vineyards, with particular emphasis on Ruchè. This process formed a largely continuous, circular body of estate vineyards around the Castagnole Monferrato winery, occupying entire hills and combining multiple exposures with soils ranging from clay to limestone.

Ruchè became the central focus of Montalbera’s work. The broader revival of the variety had begun in the 1970s through Don Giacomo Cauda, the parish priest of Castagnole Monferrato. On arriving in the village near the end of that decade, he found ten rows of Ruchè attached to the parish benefice. Impressed by the fruit, he established further plantings and encouraged local growers to preserve a variety then at risk of disappearing. Ruchè received DOC recognition in 1987 and DOCG status in 2010.

Research and development

Montalbera commissioned Bioaesis of Ancona to investigate Ruchè’s genetic identity. DNA was used as a biological barcode, and the analyses identified a genetic profile distinct from the other varieties held in the consulted databases. Pinot Nero was the only variety to display similar analytical peaks, but Ruchè retained its own characteristic genetic configuration.

The estate’s production philosophy developed around what it calls the fruit-wine: protecting the grape’s native aromatic and flavour value while interpreting individual varieties and vineyards through stainless steel, wood, overripening and drying where appropriate. Technology has subsequently become another tool in this work. Drones, sensors, data collection and analytical systems support observation of vine condition, water stress and disease risk, while cellar technology assists process and fermentation control. Final decisions remain with the vineyard and cellar teams.

Environmental measures and hospitality

By 2020, the use of Amorim Cork Italia closures was credited with saving 163.2 tonnes of CO2. Other measures include SQNPI integrated production, the exclusion of animal-origin inputs throughout the chain from vineyard to bottling, FSC Mix paper for labels and printed material, and the use of non-potable water from irrigation channels or shallow wells for winery drains.

Montalbera later broadened its activity through the “Montalbera 360° Experience.” Four Wine Suites were created overlooking the vineyard amphitheatre, alongside cellar tours, tastings, trekking, cycling and other activities among the vines. In 2026, the hospitality facilities expanded with the contemporary multipurpose hall, the Dolce Vita panoramic terrace and an infinity pool overlooking the vineyards.

Montalbera occupies vineyard territory on both sides of the Monferrato–Langhe divide. Its principal centre at Castagnole Monferrato lies within an amphitheatre of vines: the vineyards cover six entire hills and descend toward a valley where Piedmont hazelnuts are grown. The hillside sites have varied exposures and soils ranging from clay to limestone.

The Castagnole estate and the newer San Vittore plantings form the Monferrato nucleus. The vineyards largely surround the winery in a single circular body, while the production, vinification, ageing, hospitality and wine-shop facilities are centred at Castagnole Monferrato.

At Castiglione Tinella in the Langhe, the family holds a single 15-hectare plot at 408 metres above sea level, associated with the birthplace of Cav. Enrico Riccardo Morando. The holding is planted with Moscato and Barbera.

Ruchè adapts to multiple soil types within its production area but has a particular affinity for calcareous-clay soils, where its aromatic expression becomes more intense and distinctive. It ripens earlier than many other local varieties, normally reaching maturity at the end of September or, at the latest, the beginning of October. The variety has high resistance to winter and spring cold, medium tolerance of powdery mildew, downy mildew, acid rot and Botrytis cinerea, and strong resistance to flavescence dorée.

Montalbera follows the voluntary SQNPI system of integrated production. Vineyard protection, fertilisation, irrigation and other agronomic work are governed by the applicable regional integrated-production standards, with the aim of minimising synthetic chemical inputs, rationalising fertilisation and balancing ecological, economic and toxicological considerations. Particularly aggressive or high-impact fertilisers are excluded.

All cultivation work in the Castagnole vineyards is performed manually, and the harvest is entirely by hand. The vines are trained to low Guyot; the confirmed age range is 7–30 years. Ruchè is suited to compact, high- or very-high-density systems, including Guyot and spurred cordon. Rootstocks commonly associated with the variety in its production area are SO4, Cober and 1103.

No products of animal origin are used anywhere in the production chain, from work in the vineyard through bottling. Drones, sensors and data-analysis systems are employed to assess vine condition, identify water stress and evaluate disease risks earlier. These tools support more precise and potentially less frequent intervention, while agronomic decisions remain under human control.

Vinification and ageing are concentrated at the Castagnole Monferrato headquarters, whose facilities include underground cellars. The production philosophy begins with obtaining the best possible fruit and carrying its native flavour and aromatic character into the finished wine without unnecessary alteration.

The cellar uses different interpretive routes according to variety and vineyard, including stainless steel, wood, overripened fruit and grapes dried on the vine or after harvest. These are presented as distinct tools rather than a single standardised recipe. Process-monitoring technology supports cellar operations and fermentation control, while final decisions remain with the technical team.

The production chain excludes animal-origin products through the bottling stage. Packaging measures include Amorim Cork Italia closures with certified carbon accounting and FSC Mix paper for labels and printed material. Non-potable water drawn from irrigation channels or shallow wells is used for winery drainage operations.