Castello di Gabiano

Castello di Gabiano, situated in the Piedmont Region of north-west of Italy, boasts more than a century of history.

In the 8th century, the document signed by Carlo Magno already testify the presence of a “Cortem magnam nominam Gabianam”. In the remote 1164, Federico I granted the investiture to the Marquis Guglielmo II of Monferrato.

From this time the Castello di Gabiano was an important strategic and economic place, theatre of wars, passing over to the Montiglio, the Paleologo and the Gonzaga until the duke Ferdinando gave it to Agostino Durazzo Pallavicini in the year 1622, granting him the title of Marquis of Gabiano.

Today Giacomo Cattaneo Adorno, the last Marquis of Gabiano,together with his wife Emanuela, passionate and determined, directly engaged in an intensive wine production, are above all committed to capture theflavors and aromas of the terroir.

In this way they can assure the wine making tradition of the family, updated with the current oenology knowledge.

The labyrinth of the Gabiano castle, historical monument, is one of the rare examples documented within the framework of historic gardens of Italy.

This has an exceptional importance not only for its rarity but also for the historic period in which it was realized which dates back to the 1930’s when the already dominating taste for landscape integrated with formal gardens put nearby the residence but never in the form of a labyrinth.

The Gabiano labyrinth evokes the return to the past and finds its place within the framework of the restoration project assigned by the marquise Matilde Giustiniani to the Parma architect Lamberto Cusani to whom we owe the actual neo-medieval aspect of the castle and surroundings.

The location of the labyrinth in the centre of the park emphasizes the contrast between the rigid and geometrical lines of the structure and the natural park that surrounds it, calling to mind the medieval concept of forest such as natural labyrinth (park) and labyrinth as artificial forest where nature is rigorously manipulated and controlled by man.

ROOMS & SUITES
The perfect retreat for quality time. Ideal for a romantic escape or a family holiday, the Luxury Suites are nestled in 260 hectares estate, characterized by natural elements of rare beauty: the open view on the Alps and the river Po, the vineyards, the private lake, a beautiful park with native and exotic trees, the mysterious boxwood maze and the exclusive swimming pool placed among Italian style orchards .

The Suites, Apartments and Rooms are located in the castle grounds: the hunting lodges, ateliers and dependences have been restored with great care and attention. All of them feature a privileged view on the castle and the surrounding panorama.

Every corner is unique; the ideal spot where to savor and get to know the fascinating wines together with the thousand-year old history of Castello di Gabiano.

IL MELOGRANO APARTMENT
Mythological tree whose fruits enclose an ancient significance, symbol of light, life and fertility. The same giving life to the precious typical fruits of Monferrato.

The Appartment is located at the groundfloor, with one double bedroom with a four poster bed, second twin room with two four poster beds, two large fireplace, living area with sofa and lunch table, two big bathrooms with shower, kitchenette.

View on the Po Riserve Valley, the vineyards and ricefields. The entrance of this Appartment has a spacious patio with outdoor furniture.

LA MERIDIANA SUITE
Celebrating the sundial, which spells out the time through the sun and in tribute to the suspended garden of the castle named “3 clocks”. Suite with one double room with a four poster bed, spacious bathroom with shower, living room with sofa and kitchenette provided with dishwasher.

From the window you can admire the beautiful view on the Po Valley, the vineyards, hills and rice fields.

3 OROLOGI RESTAURANT
Located in the old “vinegar cellars”, the Restaurant lays its fundaments in tge aim of preserving the millenary history of the Castle and offer our guests the opportunity to taste the traditional local cuisine, whilst overlooking the breathtaking view of the vineyards and the winding of the river Po.

Every day we select vegetables and herbs from the Castle’s ‘potager’, which are of course naturally grown and chemical-free, lending a unique and healthy flavor to dishes created in the restaurant.

Following the “Agriturismo” guidelines, the kitchen gives priority to supplier’s meat and food from the proximity (km 0).

THE VEGETABLE GARDEN
Strongly connected to the EARTH, the kitchen’s day always begins in the garden. Wicker basket in hand, sun shining, the ingredients that make short the journey from the land to your plate are collected by hand. A lovingly tended vegetable garden, inspired by the principles of perma-culture and agroforestry.

An organic garden imbued with the scent of rosemary, basil and thyme, bursting with fruit, flowers, berries and vegetables! In our organic kitchen garden … Embrace nature with us and feel the earth between your fingers.

To offer every day a culinary experience fresh and varied, the menus of our Chef Irina change based on availabilty of product from the vegetable garden and the house farm near the Gabiano Castle.

The reservation are required. We appreciate that you informing the staff of restaurant about food allergy and intollerance. At the restaurant overlooking the Po Valley, you will find important works by Tunga, Lara Favaretto and Tatiana Trouvé.

Cy Twombly, Ed Rucha and Brice Marden have produced exclusive labels for the most important vintages of Castello wines.

MEETINGS
With its multi-level indoor spaces, spectacular wine cellars, open-air terraces, luxury apartments and comfortable tasting room&restaurant, Castello di Gabiano stands out as one of Monferrato’s most exclusive venues.

Whether you are planning a business event, corporate conference, an intimate private celebration or a party with your closest friends, Castello di Gabiano is a wonderful location to create a truly unique experience for your guests.

THE WINES
The Marquises Cattaneo Adorno Giustiniani are engaged in an intense wine production and are above all committed to quality: the estate covers 260 hectares, of which 20 are destined to vineyards. The commune’s archives of the XIIIth century already mention the quality of the grapes and the wine production of Gabiano.

Today Giacomo Cattaneo Adorno, the last Marquis of Gabiano ,together with his wife Emanuela, passionate and determined, directly engaged in an intensive wine production, are above all committed to capture the characteristics of the terroir to extract the raw material.

In this way, they can assure that the wine making tradition of the family, updated with the current oenology knowledge, can stand comparison with great secular wines.

The wines of this “small land” differ completely from others produced in other Piedmont areas, even with a similar denomination. First cause is the typical terroir , which conveys to the palate of who taste them the peculiarity of the land in which the grape has grown.

Secondly, the lower sharpness, greater persistence and the higher intensity of fragrances and flavors is dued to the unique position of the hills, benefiting from the winds from the Alps without any barrier.

This is the reason why the castle beholds two DOC which are considered among the oldest and smallest in Italy, the Gabiano Doc and Rubino di Cantavenna.

Gabiano is the name of one of the smallest DOC in Italy, covering today not more than 3 hectares. Made up of Barbera mainly, to which we add a small quantity (5-10%) of Freisa and Grignolino grapes.

The specific microclimate and the secular variety selection are the main feature of this wine, where the land where it is produced is still very recognizable.

Already awarded with a gold medal at the Paris Universal Exposition in 1900, Gabiano DOC stands out for its skill to improve with the aging: our cellars boast of bottles of memorable years, such as 1945, 1947, 1959, 1961, 1964, 1971, just to mention the most important ones.

The Rubino di Cantavenna DOC , is the second small doc of the territory, produced with selected grapes in areas very well exposed to the sun, concentrating fragrances and fruity aromas typical of this territory.

It is made of Barbera mainly, along with Grignolino and Freisa. The area where it is produced is very limited, exclusively in the territories of Gabiano.

TERROIR – MONFERRATO
A circle of hills, horseshoe shaped around a large level territory: this is the characteristic scenery of the Monferrato Wine-growing Region. The area is situated among the Po and the Tanaro rivers, connoted by not very high reliefs but with often seep slopes

The geological composition of the lands is characterized by various stratum of limy material, mingled with rocks sand coming from sandstones crumbling.

The Monferrato landscape is, as a result, marked out by natural conditions particularly appropriate to the cultivation of the grapevine. In fact, the wine production dates back to the end of the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.

During the history the wine production experienced a great development, also thanks to the transplantation of grape varieties belonging from overseas: numerous are the testimonies given by the literature and the archeology, some of which dating back to the 6th century, testifying the presence in the Monferrato Region of a flourishing wine production, besides the wine trade towards the Liguria Region.

Monferrato was among the Roman districts the most covered by vineyards.

THE VINEYARDS
The vineyards are located entirely in Gabiano, at the ideal height of 300 meters. The privileged position facing the wind arriving directly from the Alps creates a great temperature excursion between day and t night: characteristic which facilitate the creation of intense and typical aromas , easily recognized during the wine tasting.

In those partly ancient vineyards, some boasting more than 100 years, the work on the vine is manual, in order to obtain a better quality of the grape. The cultivation of the soil, such as the plant treatment, follows a strict program completely respectful to the environment.

THE CELLARS
The wine aging occurs in the cellars under the Castle, dating back to the 1200 and since that period destined to the wine storage. Those natural cellars have been created through digging underground into the local rock, in the two sides so to assure a constant temperature all year long: the best ambience for an accurate aging.

The room destined to the barriques was designed, right from the inception, in different sectors, in order to distinguish the wooden fermentation according to the vintage and the different vineyards. Here is where a prestigious bottle collection is stored, passed down from one generation to another.

WINE TASTING
The Castle’s wine shop is where guests can taste and buy the wines of the estate, as well as an interesting selection of local delicacies. The annexed tasting room, overlooking the vineyards, is the ideal location where to organize in-depth wine tastings, events and meeting.

Here is the point of departure of the guided tours to the amphitheater vineyards and to the prodigious and historic cellars under the castle. The castle Agriturismo “3 clocks” is really worth a visit for a tasty experience, discovering high quality local cuisine.

SPORT ACTIVITIES
Cycling between Monferrato hills and the rice fields by the Po river, venturing into this unspoilt landscape of rare beauty.

BIKING
From Gabiano depart many scenic bicycle routes : one is in plain across the Po river park that stretches from the Crescentino, home to the famous Arborio rice, the basis of Italian risotto to the confluence with the river Scrivia, in a succession of different environments harmoniously connected by the water of the river PO.

Another very beautiful bike ride is represented by the hilly tracts that connects Gabiano to Rocca delle Donne and its monastery and the castle of Camino, on the edge of its ridges with a magnificent panorama of Monferrato.

GOLF
We selected a range of the best golf camps of the region, immersed into the green and equipped with all comforts; one of the best of Italy is situated a little more than one hour from Gabiano!

PICNIC BASKET
Déjeuner sur l’herbe in contact with nature, beneath the shadow of the trees. Discover the hiding places and secret places of the surroundings of Gabiano Monferrato, along the river or in the meadows or in the woods, a “déjeuner sur l’herbe” in touch with nature, surrounded by hazelnut trees.

THE MAZE & THE MINOTAUR
Running through the Minotaur, is easy to lose yourself among the extraodinary maze of boxwood, in the park of Gabiano. The labyrinth of the castle of Gabiano is one of the very few Italian gardens of exceptional importance, not only for its rarity but also for the historic period in which it was made.

It dates back to the thirties of the twentieth century. The labyrinth of Gabiano evokes a return to the past and is part of the restoration project entrusted by Marquise Matilde Giustiniani Parmesan Architect Lamberto Cusani to whom we owe the present appearance of the neo-medieval castle and outbuildings.

The location of the labyrinth in the heart of the park emphasizes the contrast between the rigid lines and geometric plant and the natural park surrounding it, recalling the medieval concept of the forest as a natural maze (park) and the labyrinth as artificial wilderness where nature is strictly controlled and manipulated by man.

TRUFFLES HUNTING
With the truffle hunter and his dog. Savour the smell of the earth in autumn, find a truffle! The search for the white or black truffle is primarily an authentic experience deeply connected to the tradition of this area, that allows one to discover the beauty of stay in close contact with nature .

This research requires passion, consistency, technique and also good legs to keep up with the dogs, essential for this adventure.

Our truffle hunters know the woods around the castle like the back of their hands, including secret “tartufaie”, also known as “pasture”. The unicity of this activity is also connected, above the limited area, also for the limited time, the propitious fall season.

THE CASTLE LAKE
For our guests we offer the opportunity to relax on the shores of our lake or try a new activity: carp fishing or trout. Fun activity, which involves adults and children.

Dominated by the Castle of Gabiano and its vineyards, the “La Sorgente” lake has clean waters and rises in a splendid typical Monferrato landscape. You can relax by the lake shore, in the solarium area or take a break in the picnic area.

However, if you love spending a few hours fishing, even if you are not an expert, the managers will be able to advise you and give you all the useful information with the possibility to rent fishing equipment on site.

Rooms: 16

Price: from 171 EUR per night

Source: www.castellodigabiano.com