Italian Property - Piedmont Properties

Magnificent 1.5 Ha Country Residence in Unique Hilltop Position with 360 Degree Views

Alto Monferrato

Situation : This 1.5 hectare (3.75 acre) estate is situated on a ridge in the very heart of the Monferrato wine country, and enjoys a spectacular position with 360 degree panoramic views. Surrounded by lush vineyards, it is located beside a quiet country lane only a 10 minute drive away from a town with good shopping facilities, banks, cinemas, restaurants, bars and enotecas. The property has plenty of privacy and is in an immaculate condition: its secluded grounds include landscaped gardens with a generous new swimming pool, a pool house, a barbeque/entertaining area, an orchard and 2 outbuildings, one of which provides garaging for up to 3 cars.

The main house is an antique farm house that has been fully renovated over the last 10 years to the highest standards, offering generous accommodation that includes 6 bedrooms, 5 bathrooms and a games room. The grounds include a 1 Ha (2.5 acre) DOC Brachetto vineyard, currently looked after by a neighbouring farmer.

The motorway is a 20 minute drive away, and the international airports of Milan, Turin and Genoa can be reached within one to one and a half hours.

The vineyard: The 1 Ha Brachetto DOC vineyard is situated on the south-facing slope on the other side of the country lane. It is in excellent condition, and is currently tended by a local farmer under a long-term maintenance agreement. Under the terms of this agreement, no money is exchanged - the farmer keeps the grape harvest in return for his work. This is a very convenient arrangement, but it can be terminated at the request of the new owner.

The House: The original antique farm house has 2 floors and is built in an L-shape. This very spacious family residence has all modern amenities - central heating, double glazing, a sophisticated alarm system, a lawn sprinkler system, etc - while the use of antique materials, such as hand-made antique bricks and roof tiles, gives the house its distinctive country-house appearance. The house has terracotta floors throughout, traditional vaulted brick ceilings in the reception rooms, and many rooms feature beautiful, antique wooden beams. The total floor space of the house is about 450 sq m (4500 sq ft).

Accommodation

Ground Floor: The main entrance leads from the paved courtyard into a small hall, opening to a large L-shaped room that accommodates a cosy open-plan country-house kitchen, with an adjoining dining room that features an open fireplace, a wood-paneled ceiling with wooden beams and 2 doors opening onto a patio with fantastic views to the west as far as the French Alps in the distance. Next to the main entrance there is a study, with doors leading into the garden.The open-plan living room, next to the dining room, also has access onto the patio, and features a traditional, vaulted brick ceiling plus an impressive open fireplace: stairs lead up from here to the first floor.

First Floor: The stairs from the living room lead to a third reception room on the first floor, currently used as a games room - complete with a snooker table, which will be removed if not required by the new owner. Doors lead from the games room to a double bedroom and a modern, fully-tiled bathroom with shower and bath tub. A corridor leads from the games room to a laundry room, 3 further double bedrooms with balconies, 3 additional bathrooms, and stairs to the second floor. All rooms enjoy lots of light and wonderful views.

Second Floor: Contains 2 further double bedrooms with fine views, plus a shower room.

The Grounds: 2 gates lead from the country lane into the property. One opens onto the paved courtyard in front of the main house, and the second leads to a second courtyard with a newly-constructed outbuilding that houses a spacious garage for up to 3 cars, a carport, and a huge cantina/wine cellar. Outside this building is an orchard featuring various fruit trees, a variety of vines producing dessert grapes, a vegetable garden and a small pond.

A path leads from this outbuilding to the main courtyard in front of the house. Next to this is the second outbuilding, an antique brick-built house that currently accommodates a workshop, another large storage room and a crotin - an underground wine cellar that provides constant temperatures throughout the year, used for wine storage. Outdoor stairs lead to rooms on the first floor, above the workshop, that offer further development potential.

Adjacent to the courtyard, between the main house and the second outbuilding, is a patio facing west that offers fantastic views - a great place to enjoy the sunset with a glass of wine. The patio running along the house is partly covered by a portico, a typical Mediterranean architectural feature, and leads to a beautiful landscaped garden and a swimming pool. The grounds surrounding the main house, the 2 outbuildings, courtyard, garden, swimming pool and orchard are fenced and enjoy a maximum of privacy and security.

The Garden & Swimming Pool: The garden is situated on a slight slope and features mature trees, trimmed hedges, well-maintained lawns and flower beds, and an attractive brick-built well. There are several seating areas, all of which enjoy stunning views: one is located above the pool house and features a wooden pergola. Located under the portico, a brick barbeque and pizza oven is a great spot for summer entertaining. The swimming pool, constructed in 1998, measures 12m x 6m and comes with a sophisticated cleaning system that uses salt rather the more usual chlorine. All the pool equipment is accommodated in the adjacent pool house, which also has a changing room, shower and WC. The swimming pool has overflow edges, and comes with a thermally-insulating cover that prolongs the swimming season.

Services: Telephone, mains and well-drawn water, electricity, gas, alarm system.

Our opinion: A prestigious residence in a unique position with plenty of Mediterranean charm, renovated to a high standard with a well-maintained vineyard, excellent facilities and plenty of exciting development potential.

Sporting facilities: There are a number of golf courses in Southern Piedmont. The nearest, Margara in Felizzano, can be reached by car in 25 minutes. Tennis courts can be found in the nearby towns, and horseriding is also very popular, with stables nearby. The excellent network of small, tarmac-surfaced country roads makes the area very popular with cyclists. The beaches of the Italian Riviera are a one hour drive away, and popular Italian ski resorts can be reached by motorway within a one to one-and-a-half hour drive.

Viewing: Strictly by appointment with the sole agents, Piedmont Properties.

Please note that all quoted measurements are approximate.

Many More Pictures are available of this property.

For the price and further details, contact us quoting reference P204.