Tenuta Carretta

Because of its name, for a long time it was believed that “Carretta” came from Celtic “car,” which means “stone,” referring to the banks of chalk that still today are near the entrance of the estate. But recent research into several medieval archives have uncovered the existence of a noblewoman (the “domina Careta”), proprietor of the land in the municipality of Piobesi (terre et prati scitam in finibus Pubbliciarum). The noblewoman, also cited by her last name (Constanzi), makes an appearance in a land transaction in Piobesi d’Alba in 1353 that was found in the archive of the Counts of Roero in Guarene. In the transaction, she is noted as the daughter of Alba nobleman Ruffino Capre and as widow of nobleman Manuele Constanzi, whose last name she took. A discovery made after this one of another land transaction from twenty years prior in 1334 also relates to the land in Piobesi. It cites several relatives of Careta Constanzi, presumably the grandmother of the “Carretta lady”.

The Costanzi were known as a wealthy family from nearby Alba with extended property in Castelrotto, Guarene, and Piobesi. Whether merit is given to the grandmother or her granddaughter, there’s no doubt that the estate takes its name from the noblewoman, its first owner.

As for cultivated crops, although even older findings have been uncovered (from the beginning of the 12th century) that confirm the existence of an initial nucleus of farmed land that stretched between Podio and Bric Paradiso in the municipality of Piobesi, a sharecropping concession dated November 28, 1467 prepared by the notary (on imperial authority: “publicus imperiali auctoritate notarius”) Giorgio di Monteacuto is considered the true starting point of the history of the estate. The proprietor of that time, count Andrea Damiano, consignor of Piobesi, conceded land to the Corrado brothers, Giacomino and Pietrino Porrino, to farm the land as its stewards. The land, part of the “cassina Careta,” was under their care for nine years.

In the transaction, which is an extraordinarily valuable historical document for its richness of detail, the obligations of the land stewards in cultivating the Tenuta’s land are described. In particular, every year the vineyards had to be pruned and trimmed; and the vineyards of the Podio were to remain reserved for the lord of the land, unimpeded (“salvo et reservato vites Podi Serre, de quibus se nil impedire teneantur et debeant”): this is a testimony to the quality of the vineyards “ante litteram,” unique in all the history of the region.

In 1811, just under three and a half centuries later, the Damiano family ceded their property to the counts of the Roero, whose crest is still visible on the entrance of the Tenuta. In 1938, the property passed to the Veglia brothers from Turin, who breathed new life into it by introducing modern wine production with the first investments in a wine cellar. In 1967, with the work of enologist Umberto Ambrois, Tenuta Carretta produced one of the first 100% arneis wines.

The structures of the ancient “cassina” were restored with extreme care. The cellars were completely reconstructed at the end of the 1990s. The new structure, built in the depth of the hill, is divided into two large areas: one dedicated to vinification and bottling, and the other reserved for aging the wines in stainless steel, barrels, and bottles.

Among the wineries of the Roero and the Langhe, today Tenuta Carretta is considered one of the most prestigious and, with over 70 hectares of vineyards, also one of the largest.

The 70 hectares that make up the estate include Tenuta Carretta in Piobesi d’Alba, a number of splendid vineyards in the terrain devoted to “Cannubi” Barolo, “Poderi Tavoleto” in S. Rocco Seno d’Elvio, “Cascina Bordino” in Treiso, and "Il Palazzo" farmhouse in Madonna di Como in Alba.

The winery’s beating heart is Roero, an area of Piedmont situated in the north-east of Cuneo province. It takes its name from the Roero family, which ruled over this territory for centuries from medieval times on. Some also see the echo of a distant but widespread botanical feature of the landscape in the name Roero – being an area thickly covered with oaks trees (roveri). Roero is a cluster of hills of varying shapes and sharp contrasts that are a succession of woods, arable land, desolate strongholds, castles and orderly vineyards. The area is prevalently hilly and planted mainly with orchards and vineyards, so impervious it seems impossible that they are the work of man. Passion for and pride in its vines and wine are deeply rooted in this terrain devoted to winegrowing excellence.

The most prestigious vineyards, where the Nebbiolo vines used to produce Barolo and Barbaresco are grown, are to be found in the Langhe, a historic region of Piedmont spanning Cuneo and Asti provinces, and bordering Monferrato and Roero. As well as its thriving service sector, the Langhe is also famed for its wines, acclaimed the world over, particularly the reds, Barolo, Nebbiolo and Barbaresco. Equally famous is the Alba white truffle, celebrated at a festival that takes place in Alba every year and attracts thousands of visitors from far and near. Also grown everywhere is the Tonda Gentile delle Langhe hazelnut, made famous by the confectionary products of the Ferrero company in Alba.

The city of Alba is where the Langhe and Roero come together. Alba’s origins are certainly pre-Roman, probably Ligurian/Celtic. In the periods following Roman rule, the city walls were rebuilt: in Gothic-Lombard and post-Carolingian times, to those to defend against Hungarian-Saracen invasions, and up to the time of the communes, or city states, when more reconstruction took place. In this way, the city limits remained unaltered until the modern age. Alba was known as “the city of a hundred towers”, all built in the XIV and XV centuries. Few have survived (the best preserved are those between Piazza Risorgimento and Via Cavour), and among those, many have been lowered to the level of the rooftops or incorporated into buildings.

Every year, around 480,000 bottles of Piedmont’s most prestigious red and white DOC and DOCG wines are produced under the expert guidance of director Roberto Giacone.

Grapes used by the Tenuta Carretta winery come exclusively from its own vineyards located in Roero and the Langhe.