The Legendary Estate

Think of the San Francisco 49ers and undoubtedly the name Joe Montana comes to mind. Even some 14 years after his retirement, his impact on the game of football is still felt. Widely considered the greatest quarterback of all time, Joe Montana was the soul of the San Francisco team for almost two decades, leading the 49ers to four Super Bowl games—and winning each one.

His personal history is deeply rooted in the region, so when his family’s property in northern California hit the market, it was bound to make headlines. To be fair, the price tag—in the dozens-of-millions-of-dollars range—may have made headlines regardless of the owner. Should the sale receive its original asking price of $49 million (it is currently listed as “price upon request”), it will be the most expensive real estate transaction in Sonoma history.

The price could be a testament to Joe Montana’s priceless impact on the San Francisco Bay Area. “The Catch” will forever be lauded as one of the most memorable moments in football history, as will Joe’s 92-yard drive in the closing seconds of Super Bowl XXIII to win the game. Since retiring from the NFL in 1994, he has typically shied away from the spotlight, dedicating his life to raising his four children with his beautiful wife Jennifer. While some of his time was spent on various business ventures and hobbies, he says that he only dabbled in various projects, preferring to watch his sons on the football field, excelling in the sport that he so loves rather than travel the country as a sports commentator. To this day, he rarely lends his name to endorsement deals.

However, winemaking played its role for the football great as both a hobby and business venture in the late 90s and early aughts, when he partnered with Beringer Vineyards for the production of Montagia wine, with a good portion of the profits being earmarked for charity. In the early part of the new century, the Montanas moved to an estate in Sonoma, combining their love of wine with their passion for real estate and their dedication to family. The pair then spent the better part of a decade creating the ultimate home for their family.

The Calistoga estate, which stretches into both Sonoma and Napa counties, can also be considered the ultimate piece of football memorabilia. Seeing as sports fanatics have been known to drop ridiculous prices for collectors’ items from their favorite stars, there could be no greater treasure for a wealthy “Joe Cool” enthusiast than to own Villa Montana. Forget a signed football or jersey. Joe can be considered the “Soul of San Francisco,” and this estate is the literal manifestation of that soul. Joe and Jennifer worked tirelessly to build Villa Montana as a haven for their family in the likeness of a Tuscan estate that exudes the California wine country lifestyle.

Haute Living met with the Joe and Jennifer at Villa Montana for our cover photo shoot a few weeks before they publicly announced the property was for sale via the Wall Street Journal, who “broke” the story. From the moment our team entered the estate, we were in awe of the sheer beauty of the land. And upon stepping into the home through the seemingly thousand-year-old guard tower surrounded by a moat and drawbridge, immediately, we wondered how the couple could be parting with such a special piece of personal history.

It was Jennifer who answered the query. “We have been living in Thousand Oaks for years now; it’s closer to our business interests and our children have gone to school there.” But Joe stresses how much they love northern California. “We have had so many special times on this property,” he says. “And since we are not able to spend as much time here now, we wanted to be able to allow another family to create their own memories.”

The Montanas have been creating memories of their own on the estate since moving in during 2003. They always knew they wanted to build an estate in wine country, but the process of finding the perfect spot to call home was an arduous task. “We were looking for a place in wine country for years, since before I retired from the NFL,” Joe explains. Jennifer, the more talkative half of the couple, chimes in. “We had just returned from a weekend where we had seen a number of properties when our realtor called. This property wasn’t even on the market yet, but he said that we had to see it.” The couple was hesitant, as they were exhausted from their never-ending search, but turned around and went back to Napa Valley.

Both Joe and Jennifer say that it was love at first sight, which was a relief after their seemingly endless search. They ended up eventually acquiring four adjoining parcels and creating Villa Montana, a 503-acre estate. Today, the grounds feature a professional-grade equestrian center, full-sized basketball court, skeet shooting range, caretaker’s residence, guesthouse, pool and spa, gym, Bocce ball court, and a producing olive farm. Two flowing creeks and a private pond, stocked with fish are also present, as is an untouched forest that is abundant with the natural wonders of the region.

But it is the main residence that is the crowning jewel of the property. The couple spared no expense in designing their dream home in from the ground up in the likeness of a Tuscan villa, a task that took nearly as many years to complete as it did for them to find the property.

The final result was certainly worth the wait. While Moller & Willrich Architecture & Design is listed as the firm for the home, it was Jennifer who is ultimately responsible for the design of the 9,700-square-foot main home, both inside and out. The three-bedroom, three-and-a-half-bath abode is arranged to accommodate an indoor-outdoor lifestyle, and includes all of the luxuries one would expect, such as the requisite media room and climate-controlled wine cellar. Joe explains that the home sits on the property in such a way as to take full advantage of the views, an intentional decision on their part. “It is absolutely beautiful,” he explains, “and it borders reserved land, so the views will never be interrupted.” From the elevated perch of the guard tower, one can enjoy untouched vistas that stretch for 100 miles. The location also served to offer unsurpassed privacy to the notorious footballer and his family.

While it is a daunting task to make such a grand estate into a home, Joe credits Jennifer with handling it with ease, although she does admit making it comfortable for everyday living was the biggest challenge. The result is a one-of-a-kind, handcrafted masterpiece that is worthy of praise. “We traveled all over to find the perfect pieces for the home,” Jennifer says. For example, the couple made a special trip to Italy to review the green marble selected for the kitchen island to ensure the color was to their liking. They imported ancient stone and terra cotta floors from Italy and France, and chose to outfit the space with hand-hewn beams, selected carved Baroque wood portals, artifact Italian fireplaces, and authentic plaster frescoes by master French artisans. While on these treasure hunts, they were constantly in touch with the builders, adjusting the plans as necessary to accommodate the worldly artifacts. “The home was designed to feel as if it was handed down through the generations,” she explains. “But it’s still incredibly homey,” Joe counters.

The couple explains that, when in the main home, the family spent the most time in the great room and loggia, a spectacular space featuring dramatic, undulating 22-foot ceilings. The design centerpiece of this room is the Montana family crest, painted by an artist in the south of France, which hangs above an elaborate stone fireplace. But the views of the hilly property and the mountain range beyond certainly steal some of the thunder from the design pieces, and served to call the active family to explore the great outdoors.

The Montanas certainly took advantage of the expansive property, as the rambunctious Montana boys and girls were often found tearing up the terrain on ATVs or trekking through the trails that crisscross the property on horseback, before returning the equines back to their housing center, which comes equipped with an indoor arena featuring 17 stalls, each with its own heat lamp, fan, and video camera.

The Montanas share fond memories of time spent on the property without an ounce of remorse in their voices. “This is such a magical place,” Joe says. “We now want to share that magic with another family.”

Villa Montana is represented by Frank Sullivan and Jimmy Quill of Coldwell Banker and Avram Goldman and Tim Hayden of Pacific Union.