Legend has it that, long ago in a village near Verona, something extraordinary occurred. To the wonder of everyone in her village, a mother gave birth to eight children. The legend of these octuplets lives on in the name of this visionary company, Ottella (from the Italian word otto, meaning ‘eight’), and in the coat of arms of the Montresor family, who have led it for 120 years. Remarkable things continue to happen at Ottella today.
Wisdom passed down the generations
History tells us that the Montresor family were once the only producers of Lugana in the province of Verona. They’ve remained pioneers ever since. In fact, they helped create the appellation of Lugana itself, thanks to the efforts of patriarch Lodovico Montresor in the 1960s. Today, his sons Francesco and Michele are at the helm, working tirelessly to realise this unique region’s extraordinary potential.
On visiting Cantina Ottella, you see how. Raised on their father’s deep admiration for contemporary art, the brothers worked with architect Francesco Copersino to build a winery of astonishing ambition. Inside this geometric wonder of concrete, metal and stone, handpicked works from Italy’s artistic vanguard capture the eye.
Whether it’s Beppe Bonetti’s shimmering steel sphere in the gardens (below), or Julia Bornefeld’s spectacular light installation in the barrel cellar (above), there’s no shortage of food for the imagination. That’s one reason Ottella won the Global Best of Wine Tourism Award this year, in recognition of the truly unique experience it offers to every one of its visitors.
That care for every detail is mirrored in Ottella’s viticulture, too: sustainability is part of its DNA. Modern innovations from solar power to an ingenious water-recycling system ensure the winemaking is in harmony with nature.
Variazione su un errore di Parmenide, 2011, Beppe Bonetti, steel, Esposizione d’Arte Contemporanea della Biennale di Venezia.
A terroir like no other
And what nature this is! A stone’s throw from Lake Garda, Ottella’s 90ha under vine are bathed in temperate breezes, creating a microclimate where temperates are reliably mild. Beneath the surface lies a premium winemaking soil of chalky clay, laid down millions of years ago by the glacier that would one day become the lake.
Arco Casalino, 2007, Mauro Staccioli, corten steel.
Turbiana: An ancient grape that still holds surprises
It’s within this unique region that Turbiana, a variety grown since Roman times, finds its perfect home. Wine made under the Lugana appellation must be 90% Turbiana, and in Ottella’s hands it achieves perfect expression. If you’re in need of an introduction, start with Ottella’s Lugana DOC. Released five months after the vintage, it’s the perfect springtime wine – distinctively zesty, but rounded by a short ageing on lees.
Then there’s Le Creete, from Ottella’s oldest vineyard. Grapes are late-harvested from old vines – some a century old – and the wine is then aged for up to eight months. The resulting wine mingles pineapple and elderflower aromas with that signature Lugana minerality. For those hunting a true gem, Molceo Riserva delivers: 18 months of lees contact in oak and a year in bottle show off Turbiana’s ageing potential – yielding a wine that balances acidity with tropical guava, ripe peach and even a subtle hint of balsamic.
From left: Lugana DOC, Le Creete and Molceo Riserva.
Innovative wines sustained by timeless craft
120 years of knowledge has let Ottella show what this region is truly capable of. Take their Roses Roses rosé, which seems to bottle Lake Garda’s delicate pink sunset. Or look towards the intriguing Back to Silence – aged in clay amphorae – presenting a smoky, orange expression of Turbiana that all wine lovers must try.
Of course, every bottle in the Ottella range is exquisitely labelled – a tribute to the Montresor family’s commitment to beauty in every detail – making them the perfect gift. On the occasion of Ottella’s 120th birthday, Franceso Montresor said: ‘this anniversary is a time of gratitude to those who came before – leaving us a unique legacy of land, culture and beauty. A legacy shared with all those who choose our wines every day.’ Certainly, Ottella’s astonishing wines will keep on charming the world, long into the future.
Available in the UK from:
Enotria Winecellars Ltd
23 Cumberland Avenue
London NW10 7RX
+4420 8961 4411
Read more:
Ottella: Where winemaking meets art
Ottella – Ethics and aesthetics
Ottella: ambassadors of Lugana in the world
Discover more about Ottella
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