Ramona Bruno

Tenuta Tenaglia is an independent, medium-sized wine estate focused on the niche market of Piedmontese wines. The estate is located in one of the most enchanting places in Monferrato, on the border between the soft hills of Asti and Casale, at about 450 m above sea level. Watching over the amphitheatre of vineyards is the natural park of Sacro Monte di Crea, famous for its historical and landscape interest, and a Unesco World Heritage Site since 2003. It was the ancestral charm of this land that attracted in the 17th century the Governor of Moncalvo Giorgio Tenaglia, a famous mercenary captain and enterprising patron from Mantua, who boasted a great passion for Barbera wine and wanted to create a wine-growing oasis right here to retire to meditate. After various historical vicissitudes, in 2001 the estate was taken over by the Bavarian Ehrmann family who were seduced by this land and decided to stay here to realize a dream, produce high- quality wines. In the second and third generations, Sabine and her children Luigi and Isabella Ehrmann manage the estate with profound knowledge and great love, combining knowledge with creativity and imagination. The company's mission has always been quality: today's production is around 80,000 bottles per year, the result of a selective grape harvest on 17 hectares and a respective yield of 50/70 quintals per hectare. 'Tenaglia grapes ripen above the clouds' it is said: during the winter months Sacro Monte di Crea truly remains suspended between the fog and the clouds, enveloped with its vineyards in a surreal scenario. The record altitude - it is the highest winery in the Casale Monferrato area - allows our grapes to grow in a happy microclimate, far from the winter frosts, while the particular geological conformation completes the picture of our terroir, consecrating it as a de facto vocation for wine- growing excellence. The specific terroir is in fact characterized by a particular geological conformation of marine origin. The soil has an upper clayey layer that insists on underlying sedimentary layers of ancient marls that confer an advantageous mineral richness to the vineyards, allowing our wines to achieve aromatic and olfactory results of great refinement and elegance. In the portfolio, the great wines of Monferrato. 80% of production is represented by wines made from Barbera grapes, from the simplest, everyday versions matured in stainless steel tanks, to the noble Superiors aged in French oak barrels. The indigenous reds also include Grignolino del Monferrato Casalese, a wine profoundly linked to this territory and its gastronomy, recently at the center of an impressive relaunch. To conclude, an international wine from Syrah grapes, our 'Paradiso'. Completing the range are also three whites made from Chardonnay grapes and a very personal Chiaretto. Work in the vineyard and cellar is meticulously carried out following two fundamental philosophies: the integrated farming protocols (SQNPI) and careful selection at harvest to extract the best from each vintage and guarantee wines that fully reflect the tradition and excellence of Made in Italy.