There are few better places to taste some fine Ticino wines than on the panoramic terrace of Cantina Monti in Cademario, shaded by its vine pergola with unparalleled views down to shimmering Lake Lugano. The winery’s five hectares of vines are spread all around on steeply banked terraces. It’s hard to imagine anything else growing here – not for nothing is this little corner known as il malcantone (the bad lands) – but the vines thrive in these sandy soils where the early morning sun burns off the mist rising from the lake and the afternoon’s rays perpetuate the warmth of the day. The good news is that this lakeside region’s hours of sunshine rival those of the Valais; the bad news is that it gets three times as much rain – a perpetual challenge for winemakers in this otherwise blessed corner. It’s one of the reasons why vines here were traditionally trained over pergolas, as in Galicia in rainy northwest Spain, to keep their petticoats out of the rain and mud.
While the Monti family’s roots here on the steep slopes of Cademario go back to 1498, the winery’s origins go back only to the 1970s when Sergio Monti returned to the home farm to recuperate after a skiing accident. To occupy his time, he set to work with a pair of secateurs on the nettles that had invaded the neglected property. Access to the winery remains a challenge today, but at the time there was not even a paved road up to the property and no mains electricity. Gradually Sergio planted more vines and in 1976 he began to make small quantities of wine, starting with the simplest and most basic tools and equipment but always inspired by the idea of making wines of quality.
A few years later he was joined by his two sons Delio and Ivo, similarly inspired by his passion for perfection and desire to innovate. Today Delio is the artist who designs the labels while Ivo, renowned for his collection of hats – which he wears at any of his many public appearances – is the winemaker.
Merlot, as throughout Ticino, is the main grape here, though Ivo also grows Cabernet Franc, Carminoir, Ancellotta and Pinot Noir, plus a little Müller-Thurgau, Chardonnay and Pinot Gris. “Merlot is a great soloist”, observes Ivo, “but in a blend you get the whole orchestra”.
Key to all Monti wines is their long, slow fermentation, ageing on the lees (spent yeasts), careful handling and constant attention to detail at every step. The barrel room, filled with French barriques, is a work of art of its own, where Ivo ferments the wines to the strains of salsa or rock and then soothes them gently with Bach as they age. “Wine is a living product”, he points out, “so maybe it responds to music – anyway we enjoy it!”
Before launching into Ivo’s range of reds, try the Bianco di Cademario, a flowery, aromatic, full-bodied blend of Müller-Thurgau with Chardonnay and a little Pinot Gris. This is in a different league from the many white Merlots that have appeared in Ticino of late, a complex white wine that rewards cellaring - “Keep it for four years if you can!” admonishes Ivo, to allow the secondary aromas to develop fully.
Rovere is their introductory Merlot, a deep cherry-coloured wine with rich plummy notes, aged for over a year in the small oak barrels that were first used for the top wines of the range. Malcantone, subtitled Rosso dei Ronchi, is a Merlot-rich blend with four other varieties which was a Mondial du Merlot winner in 2016. Beautifully structured, sweetly oaky and delicious to drink in its youth, it’s also worth keeping for even greater complexity.
My favourite – unfortunately I’m not alone, for it’s always sold out – is Il Canto della Terra, a 100-percent Merlot from 40-year-old vines which sings of the spectacular Cademario landscape and which scooped a platinum award in the 2017 Decanter World Wine Awards and was named Best Swiss Red. Grown on some of the steepest slopes below the winery with punishingly low yields, it delivers a fabulous punch, worthy of comparison with many a Pomerol. In fact, the late, lamented Bordeaux winemaker and consultant Denis Dubourdieu, with whom Ivo had a long and fruitful collaboration, paid him the compliment of saying that his (Ivo’s) Merlot was “the second best in the world” – after Pomerol, of course.
From their five hectares they only manage to produce – in a good year – some 20,000 bottles, so the wines are frustratingly elusive. You can visit the winery by appointment. Or better still, to get up close and personal with the grapes and the wines, contact them in good time and get on the waiting list (it’s always oversubscribed) to help with the harvest. Every year they rely on a band of friends and acquaintances to bring in the grapes – “It’s one big party!” guarantees Ivo, which culminates on that gorgeous, pergola-shaded terrace in full view of the lake.
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ADDRESS: Via dei Ronchi 6936 Cademario CONTACT: Tel. 091 605 3475 |
WINES TO LOOK OUT FOR: Bianco di Cademario Merlot Rovere Rosso dei Ronchi Il Canto della Terra |
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cantinamonti@ticino.com |
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cantinamonti.ch |
Price range 27 to 75 SFr. |
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HIGHLIGHTS: Virtual visit of the vineyards and cellar online. Personal visits welcomed by appointment. To help with the grape harvest, contact the winery to get on the waiting list. |
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