Monferrato · Winery · Curated profile

F.lli Botto

F.lli Botto

F.lli Botto has grown vines in Alto Monferrato for more than five generations, and since 1994 has vinified its grapes at a new cellar in Ricaldone, in the province of Alessandria. The estate names its wines Convento Cappuccini after a Capuchin convent once on the site, carrying on a winemaking tradition the friars began. The family, led today by Paola and Pier Luigi with their sons Andrea and Stefano, farms plots across three villages, Ricaldone, Cassine and Strevi, each suited to a different style: sandy, calcareous-clay slopes for aromatic and native red grapes, heavier clay for structured wines, and the pale marl-and-tuff hills around Strevi for Moscato. Harvest is by hand, with mechanical weed control favoured over herbicides. The range runs to eight wines under the Convento Cappuccini label, from Barbera d'Asti and Dolcetto d'Acqui to Moscato d'Asti, Brachetto d'Acqui and Albarossa. The three villages sit in the Alto Monferrato hills around Acqui Terme, close to Piemonte's border with Liguria.

At a glance

Region
Monferrato, Piemonte, Italy
Address
Regione Baiascera 8, 15010 Ricaldone (AL)
Winemaker
Andrea Botto
Tours
Not listed
Tastings
Not listed
Wines listed
8
Website
https://www.bottovini.com/

Visits & tastings

The cellar in Ricaldone doubles as the estate's direct sales point, so a visit here means buying wine at the source. There is no set tasting or tour programme: call or write ahead to arrange a visit.

Contact

Wines from F.lli Botto

  • Acqui Rose: Acqui DOCG, Brachetto 100%, Sparkling. A sparkling rose made from Brachetto, which the estate calls Piemonte's most versatile grape for spumante.
  • Acqui Secco: Acqui DOCG, Brachetto 100%, Red. A dry, still red made entirely from Brachetto, a grape more often used here for the region's sweet, sparkling styles.
  • Albarossa: Piemonte DOC Albarossa, Albarossa 100%, Red. Made from Albarossa, a Nebbiolo x Barbera cross bred in 1938 and replanted on the estate since 2002, aged around 18 months in large casks.
  • Barbera d'Asti: Barbera d'Asti DOCG, Barbera 100%, Red. A 100% Barbera from vines in Ricaldone, macerated on the skins and vinified entirely in steel for a fresh, food-friendly red.
  • Brachetto d'Acqui: Brachetto d'Acqui DOCG, Brachetto 100%, Sweet. Brachetto d'Acqui, aromatic and lightly sparkling, made from a grape the estate's own material says has grown on these hills since Roman times.
  • Dolcetto d'Acqui: Dolcetto d'Acqui DOC, Dolcetto 100%, Red. A 100% Dolcetto from vineyards shared between Ricaldone and Cassine, vinified entirely in steel for an everyday red.
  • Monferrato Bianco: Monferrato Bianco DOC, Cortese 80%, Sauvignon Blanc 20%, White. A dry white blending Cortese and Sauvignon Blanc, fresh and complex, from an estate mostly known for reds.
  • Moscato d'Asti: Moscato d'Asti DOCG, Moscato 100%, Sweet. An aromatic 100% Moscato from the hills around Strevi, lightly sparkling and made as a dessert wine.