1990-2010. Twenty yearsof Franciacorta

1990-2010. Twenty years of Franciacorta

The La Montina estate was founded in Franciacorta in 1987 by three brothers, Vittorio, Gian Carlo and Alberto Bozza. My father Gian Carlo and two uncles Vittorio and Alberto come from the countryside and are imbued with its agricultural traditions. Their passion for the land and for winemaking was born out of these traditions and has been a part of their lives since childhood. Why? Because their Father-my grandfather Fioravante Antonio (nicknamed Fiore) - had also worked in the vines and produced red wine. I remember his rough hands, stained red like every vineyard worker, the colour pigments absorbed from hours of handling the berries. My grandmother Vittoria Gaia (nicknamed Gina), ran her own «Osteria» in Monticelli Brusati, a little village in the province of Brescia where we were all born. This cycle of life in the vines of Monticelli Brusati continues as if the DNA of these men, passed down from countless generations, contains the genetic code for winemaker! Today La Montina- or should I say The La Montina Estate as it is so called- has produced many vintages and has devoted a great deal of hard work to developing new winemaking concepts and technological advances. At the core of these developments has always remained La Montina’s unbreakable bond with the land, respect for the local «terroir» and a constant pursuit of quality.These are strong foundation that are built on with knowledge, with the mastery of planting and nurturing vines, with the ability to locate the best vineyard sites, with the wisdom needed to progress into the 21st century, while remaining faithful to the commitment of generations to get the best from our research, whether it be for our own gratification or for the pleasure of tasting our Franciacorta.Our 20th anniversary production will reach 450 000 bottles of the finest Franciacorta, fruit of the labours of knowledgeable men who live the on land day in and day out, who share the weather patterns and climatic changes, interacting with them in order to interpret every one of nature’s messages.

La Montina: twenty years of passion for Franciacorta. From father to son

Left: Gian Carlo Bozza using the traditional method of removing sediment from the wine, «dégorgement á la volée». Looking on brothers Vittorio and Alberto with son Michele.

Monticelli Brusati is a village which lies on a beautiful stretch of land to the north- eastern side of Franciacorta. Here the little urban streets recede and make way for the woodlands of the Mugnina Valley. To the north, the region is crowned by Lago d’Iseo, creating a special micro-climate from which the whole area benefits, including the vines. The first mention of the estate in the archives dates back to 1620 when the owners of the main house were a noble family from Brescia headed by Benedetto Montini - descendant of Pope Paul VI - the namesake of the estate. Since then this small area which includes the adjacent hillside as well as the vineyards has been called «La Montina». The grounds of the winery are dominated by the 17th century Villa Baiana which is home to the «Remo Bianco Museum of Contemporary Art», and boasts hundreds of pieces that are exhibited throughout the Villa. The estate has another Gallery in the old wine cellar used for contemporary exhibitions of art and sculpture. There is also a lovely boutique wine shop.

Since 1620 the name La Montina has been used to describe the country estate of Benedetto Montini descendent of Pope Paul VI

Work in progress at the Montini family’s 17th century villa . The work was completed in 1985 transforming the Villa into the home of Bozza brother’s new winery. It was named «La Montina»

The early 1980s: The pictures show the ancient walls of the Villa first encountered by Gian Carlo and Alberto Bozza. From that moment what was once only a passion for Franciacorta became a reality. The following page shows the Villa today, completely restored.

The first harvest in 1987 yielded a production of only 25 000 bottles while twenty years later in 2007 La Montina produced 450 000. In just a few years the expansion has been rapid while at the same time we have required space to allow the wine to spend time maturing on its lees. The space we had was not nearly enough to achieve our aims for production so we had

to create more. Therefore we decided to extend into the old underground quarry adding 7450 sq metres to the new cellar under the hil lside without disturbing the beauty of the natural landscape above.Perhaps grandpa Fiore and grandma Gina would be more than a l ittle taken a back by the ambition and capability of their children who with dedication and hard work have transformed the old homestead of «Contrada Baiana» into one of the most important estates In Franciacorta, whose wines are sought after throughout the world.Today at La Montina, whether it be the management of our 72 hectares of vines across 7 communes, the gentle pressing of the grapes and the subsequent transfer of the juice using only gravity or the precise selection of wood for barrels and technological analyses of the wine making process, we do everything with the same care and attention to detail with which we developed our world class cellars.

From the classical old press used by my grandpa-rents to the sophisticated «Marmonier» press, virtually unheard of in Franciacorta!

Facing page: The old Bozza family grape press has pride of place in the cellar. Above: Portraits of «Nonna Gina» and «Nonno Fiore», the parents of Vittorio, Gian Carlo and Alberto. Following page: The vertical Marmonier press, almost unheard of in Franciacorta.

La Montina has always been an open cellar. Every day we welcome wine lovers who come on guided tours with «degustazione», wine tasting. We tell them about the Franciacorta’s complex journey from vineyard to bottle, about how much hard work goes into the production of each delicate glassful, about the 70 times that each bottle is carefully handled during its 3 year development in the cellar. The Bozza brothers have made wine culture the cornerstone of their work and this commitment has been recognised by being awarded the title of The Most Welcoming Franciacorta Estate by the organisation «Strada del Franciacorta» in collaboration with the Bocconi University in Milan. This award cites La Montina as having the highest standards for welcoming and accommodating visitors of all the estates In Franciacorta.. It is in the winery where visitors can discover the passion, history and hard work that goes into every elegant and persistent bubble of our sapid and wonderfully fresh Franciacorta.

Down in the cellar you begin to understand the work and history in every bubble of Franciacorta

A fascinating glimpse of the cellar with where rows of carefully stacked Franciacorta bottles undergo the secondary fermentation.

Facing page: The traditional «Pupitres», made of chestnut, where bottles are stored on the neck. Here they undergo «Remuage», the method of manually twisting the bottle in order to separate the sediment and move it down the neck. Above and the following page: Images of the cellar laden with «barriques»; the wooden statue of Pope Paul VI in the background was sculptured by Luigi Zambelli.

2010 is an important date for the estate, a new phase in a history which started with the 1987 vintage that entered the market in 1990. To celebrate this milestone we have decided to redesign, with the same elegance that characterizes our wine, not just the estate’s image and labels but also the actual design of the bottles in both Magnum and Jeraboam formats. We trusted this task in the capable hands of the artist Paolo Menon of the «Museo della Permanente» in Milan. Well known for his passion and understanding of the wine world, he immediately grasped the concept and has created a subtle interpretation of La Montina’s contemporary style and image. The shape of the new bottle expresses at first glance the wine’s elegance and restraint: with its serpentine form and long neck embossed beautifully at the base with an image depicting two lions holding a tiara. The two lions are symbolic. The first is the Lion of Brescia «Brixia Fidelis», (the motto emblazoned on the walls of the region’s capital city), the second is the proud lion of La Montina, an image rooted in the history of the estate and its founder Benedetto Montini, whose name has also been given to the hillside behind.

The newly designed bottles have receivedan elegant makeover for the celebration of our 20th anniversary

Presenting a great bottle of wine is an art form which requires a profound understanding of its aesthetic value, the ability to interpret it and an excellent knowledge of graphic design. The facing page shows a selection of Paolo Menon’s first ideas. Above, the label for the Vintage Pas Dosé, due for release in 2013, has become the estate logo..

The labelling is another important element of the bottle’s seductive visual impression which encapsulates the creativity inherent in the wine’s production. The label is in the form of a crown and in a sense this is the coronation of one of the K ings of Franciacorta, a noble wine that wil l continue its evolution in the new bottle.A small but important detail is the capital ‘M’ used on the new bottle. This is in the format we have always used on the La Montina label and symbolizes the continuity that is an integral part of our success.Finally, in reference to the many different styles of Franciacorta at La Montina, the label of each type is a different colour: Ivory for the Brut, gold for the Vintage Brut Aurum, silver for the Brut Satèn Argens, green for the Extra Brut, pink pomegranate for the Demi-Sec Rosé (in the black bottle) and Rosé Extra Brut Rosatum (in the clear bottle) and finally with the black and gold label, the prestigious Pas Dosé Riserva, the pride of our family!

Above: The Bozza brothers make a toast to their 20 years in the production of Franciacorta. From Left to right: Alberto, Vittorio and Giancarlo with his son Michele. Facing: The seven types of Franciacorta La Montina.

Villa Baiana and La Montina coexist in the same estate and complement each other. The same dedication and pursuit of excellence which characterises the production of the wines led the Bozza brothers to restore the stunning 17th century building which had been reduced little more than a ruin. It was a long and arduous task but the effort has been repaid with the immense satisfaction of seeing the Villa restored to its former glory. The building can accommodate up to 600 hundred guests and boasts three grand reception rooms with panoramic terraces. It is located in a fabulous hillside position, overlooking the vineyards of Franciacorta and surrounded by woodland full of ancient trees, the oldest of which, is a valuable Lebanon Cedar dating back to 1784. For anyone searching for a prestigious venue for a party or conference, the Villa Baiana offers the ideal solution. The surrounding land and first floor terrace mean that in fine weather the capacity can be significantly increased. However one thing that truly distinguishes The Villa Baiana as an event centre is that they do not resort

Post script:Excellence at the Villa Baiana

The two images show the stunning «Sala del Torchio» which can accommodate over one hundred guests. And the tables laid for an elegant reception. The following page: The internal garden.

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to outside catering but instead have their own fully equipped kitchen and restaurant dedicated exclusively to the guests of the Villa. The fulltime Chef, Pastry Chef and kitchen staff guarantee only freshest and most refined menus. This is a feature that the Bozza brothers are extremely proud of, as it raises the level of quality higher and makes the Villa Baiana experience even more luxurious.

Images of delicacies typically offered to guests of the Villa Baiana, matched seamlessly with the diverse styles of Franciacorta La Montina. 1. Breast of Quail, Potato and truff le tartlet with a green peppercorns sauce served with Franciacorta Extra Brut. 2 . Chef Dragan Erdemavić. 3. Chef Maurizio Veschetti . 4. Pastry Chef Primo Pinetti with a young assistant. 5. Ravioli with grilled ‘Bagoss’ cheese from Brescia served with Franciacorta Aurum Brut Millesimato. 6. Chef Gianluigi Cantaboni. 7. Terrine of Guinea Fowl with Juniper and Porcini served with Franciacorta Vintage Riserva Pas Dosé. 8. Almond and Chocolate dessert served with Franciacorta Rosé Demi-Sec.

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In order to offer a complete service to professionals and companies who are looking for an innovative yet traditional venue, we developed in 2006a brand new conference centre with a capacity of 170. The centre is equipped with the most up to date video conferencing and audio technology with simultaneous translation and recording systems. Our desire to promote not only our wines but also the local area inspired us to create a space inside the winery dedicated to the fabulous scents and f lavours available In the province of Brescia: The La Montina Wine Shop is where our passion for wine combines with the culinary delicacies of the Brescia region and visitors can delight in the local produce from the nearby valleys.

Post script:Conference Centre and Wine Shop

Facing Page: The sunlit spiral staircase leading to the conference centre above .

In alto da sinistra/upper from left, Mariella Boniotti Bozza, Alberto Botticini, Roberto Belleri, Alessandro Silvestri, Michele Bozza, Paride Guzzetti, Stefano Spada, Anna Bozza. In basso da sinistra/bottom left, Alceo Totò, Rocco Marino, Barbara Bozza e Massimiliano Gandossi.

Where our vineyards thrive

La Montina would like to thank everyone who has contributed their hard work and dedication to raising the level of quality at the Estate over the last 20 years. We would also like to thank all those who have been an integral part of the creation of La Montina’s 20th anniversary imagery.In particular:Paolo Menon, design of the bottle and art directionMassimiliano Gandossi, graphic designMarina Tagliaferri, pressRinaldo Capra, portraits and still life photographyEnrica Magnolini, assistance with photographyFederico Pollini, external photographyMarino Colato, internal photographyBeppe Baiguera, mappingRobert Bagot, translatingThe Poligrafica Bresciana in Brescia (Italy) for the publication

ringrazia