Joe Montana seeks US$49 mil for 500-acre property

SAN FRANCISCO: Former football quarterback Joe Montana and his wife are listing their 500-acre property in California’s Sonoma County for US$49 million (RM165.52 million).

Villa Montana is located outside Calistoga, about 75 miles north of San Francisco. It includes a 9,700 sq ft Tuscan-style main residence, an equestrian centre, two creeks and a pond, as well as a basketball court, skeet-shooting range, caretaker’s house, guest house, pool, spa, gym, bocce ball court and olive farm, Coldwell Banker said in a statement on Nov 9.

“Villa Montana was designed to feel as if it was handed down through the generations,” Jennifer Montana said in the statement. “It’s a real celebration of California’s food and wine culture.”

The Montanas requested the price they paid for four parcels purchased in 1995 not be made public, said Bill Rousseau, Sonoma County assessor. An 8,500 sq ft house was completed on the property in 2003 and assessed at US$2.6 million, county records show. A 600 sq ft guest house was assessed at US$100,000.

The land is subject to a California conservation act that reduces the value for tax purposes, Rousseau said. The tax benefits would pass on to a new owner, he said.

The land stretches into Napa County, according to Alyson Pitarre, a spokeswoman for broker Coldwell Banker. The property doesn’t include a winery or vineyards and is located on Franz Valley Road, she said.

No property without a winery or vineyard has sold for the Montanas’ asking price, said John Tuteur, Napa County’s assessor. A 1,600-acre property that includes about 400 acres suitable for wine grapes sold for US$16.7 million in June 2008, he said.

Rousseau said the asking price “would be very high for a rural residential sale without vineyard attached”.

Joe Montana played for the San Francisco 49ers and the Kansas City Chiefs. He won four Super Bowl titles. – Bloomberg LP