Summary
Monchiero Carbone is a family estate in Canale, right in the middle of the Roero – the hilly country north of Alba that faces the famous Langhe across the Tanaro River. The name tells the story of two families: the marriage of Marco Monchiero and Lucia Carbone united the vineyards both sides had inherited. Today their son Francesco Monchiero and his wife Lucrezia farm around 35 hectares of vines, and he is considered one of the most committed advocates of the Roero – above all of white Arneis and sand-grown Nebbiolo.
History
The roots go back to 1918, when great-grandmother Clotilde Valente bought the Mombirone vineyard on the hill of Canale – a site that still forms the backbone of the Barbera d’Alba “MonBirone” today. The Carbone side of the family also had a winegrowing tradition dating back to the early 20th century, although it lay dormant for decades.
In 1987, the nationally renowned oenologist Marco Monchiero and his wife Lucia Carbone bought a large 18th-century farmhouse on Via Santo Stefano Roero in Canale – drawn above all by its historic cellar. Three years later, in 1990, their son Francesco made his first vintage: just about 2,000 bottles of Roero Superiore, produced as part of his thesis. After studying at the wine school in Alba, he steadily expanded the business from the mid-1990s; the cellar was enlarged in 2004.
Francesco bet early on the then little-noticed Arneis and on the Roero’s identity as an origin in its own right. In 2013 he was elected the first president of the newly founded Consorzio di Tutela del Roero. Today he runs the estate together with his wife Lucrezia, supported in the vineyards by Danilo Gallino.
Location & Terroir
The Roero differs markedly from the Langhe on the other side of the Tanaro. The soils are younger, sandier and looser, often interspersed with marl and clay. Steep slopes shaped by erosion – the so-called Rocche – define the landscape. These soils produce perfumed, elegant wines with fine tannins and lively freshness.
Monchiero Carbone’s roughly 35 hectares are spread across several single sites around Canale and in neighbouring villages. The most important include the historic Mombirone vineyard, the Arneis site Tanone (Tanùn) with vines planted by the Carbone family at the start of the 20th century, the Renesio site on the hill of Canale, and Bricco Genestreto in Priocca – a contiguous parcel of about 12 hectares with clay-rich, magnesium-rich soils.
Style & Philosophy
Francesco Monchiero sees the soil as the first architect of wine quality. The style is accordingly focused on origin and site character: the wines are vinified separately by single site and arranged in a clear quality pyramid – from fresh entry-level wines through the “Cru” line up to the top wines from the best parcels.
With Arneis, the range spans from the easy-going, floral and fruity Roero Arneis to the matured Riserva with depth and ageing potential. Nebbiolo from the Roero shows itself perfumed, with red fruit, rose petals and fine tannins – more approachable than many Barolos, yet genuinely age-worthy. Barbera brings juicy fruit and its typically lively acidity to the glass. In addition, the estate makes a Favorita and a few Selezioni from other Piedmontese origins.
Notable Sites & Wines
The range is clearly structured. The best-known wines include:
- Recit – Roero Arneis DOCG, the fresh, fruity classic of the house
- Cecu – Roero Arneis DOCG with more structure and site expression
- Renesio Incisa – Roero Arneis Riserva from a parcel of around 1.5 hectares on the hill of Canale
- Srü – Roero DOCG from Nebbiolo, perfumed and elegant
- Printi – Roero Riserva DOCG, the house’s long-lived top Nebbiolo
- MonBirone – Barbera d’Alba DOC from the historic Mombirone family vineyard
- Bricco Genestreto – single site in Priocca, part of the estate’s top range
Awards
Monchiero Carbone is among the consistently highly rated producers of the Roero. Its greatest success came with the Roero Arneis Riserva “Renesio Incisa” 2020, which Gambero Rosso named Italy’s best white wine in its Vini d’Italia 2026 guide – a remarkable accolade for a grape long regarded as a simple everyday wine. The red Roero wines such as Srü and Printi, as well as the Barbera d’Alba MonBirone, also regularly earn scores above 90 points in the Italian and international trade press.
