Where Joe Montana Kicks Back and calls Home!

The ex-quarterback's Sonoma retreat goes on the market for $49 million

from: http://online.wsj.com/

By JULIET CHUNG

Calistoga, Calif.

(See Corrections & Amplifications item below.)

Standing in the upstairs living room on a brisk October morning, Jennifer Montana described her husband, football great Joe Montana, as a simple guy. "He needed a beer tap, a pretty good-sized television screen and a barbecue area," she said.

Simple wouldn't be the first word that comes to mind in describing the couple's retreat, which extends into both Napa and Sonoma counties. Set on 500 acres on a hilly, forested expanse with year-round creeks and uninterrupted views, the couple's 9,700-square-foot Tuscan villa-style house with a tower boasts the beer tap and many hidden flat-screen televisions, but what commands attention are the baronial flourishes and details, many of them imported from Europe.

Joe Montana's California Retreat

The former football star and his wife spent about a decade creating a family retreat on 500 acres in Calistoga, Calif. The couple is now trying to sell the property for $49 million.

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The 22-foot tall ceiling in the great room, a large space decorated with a hanging tapestry and oversized velvet furniture, is encased in wood. In the loggia nearby is an imposing fireplace; above is the Montana family crest, painted by an artist from the south of France. A pair of tall iron gates from the 16th century guard the gallery; a heavy marble bathtub needed to be moved by crane. "The fish are local," joked Mr. Montana, now 52 and silver-haired, nodding to a nearby pond.

Former NFL defensive back and longtime friend Ronnie Lott said his former teammate was so drawn to the lifestyle of Italy that he considered moving there, but "after building this home, he didn't have to."

In all, the Montanas devoted about a decade to locating and building their family retreat, almost as much time as Mr. Montana spent at the San Francisco 49ers, the team that made him famous. Now the couple, who moved more than 400 miles south to Thousands Oaks, Calif. to be closer to their two football-playing sons, have decided to sell their property. The asking price: $49 million. Coldwell Banker Previews International and Pacific Union, an affiliate of Christie's Great Estates, have the listing.

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Kathrin Miller for The Wall Street Journal

The Montanas traveled to Italy to inspect the cutting of the kitchen counters.

It's an ambitious price tag, particularly in the sagging luxury market. "It's an unheard-of price, but it must be an unheard-of property," says Steve Gregory with Coldwell Banker Brokers of the Valley, adding that there haven't been many high-end sales. Other brokers say a $35 million Sonoma home recently went into contract.

Steve Bono, the former NFL quarterback who played with Mr. Montana on the 49ers and the Chiefs, says Mr. Montana enjoyed the privacy afforded by the home. "On the field, there were only 11 guys that could get at him. In public, there's many more than 11 who could get at him. I think that's why he felt most comfortable there," he says.

Born and raised in western Pennsylvania, Mr. Montana played football at Notre Dame and went on to lead the 49ers to four Super Bowl wins. In 1984, he met Jennifer on the set of a Schick commercial. She became his wife; the couple has four children.

As Mr. Montana neared retirement, the Montanas began searching for their retreat. They declined to say how much the property cost; records are unclear.

It was Ms. Montana, the more outspoken of the pair, who drove many of the decisions behind the home's construction and decor, a process that spanned three years. Parts of the home were built around shopping expeditions—the couple would buy items in Europe and phone in measurements to the builders.

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Kathrin Miller for The Wall Street Journal

Joe Montana and his pool

Since retiring, Mr. Montana has been attending his sons' school football practices, cooking prime rib in a pizza oven and visiting French flea markets and Italian villas with his wife. A wine and food enthusiast, he made an unsuccessful bid to buy Sonoma winery Williams Selyem and started collaborating with Beringer on a special blend.

His many hobbies are reflected outside, where a 45-foot-deep pond stocked with bass is framed by a sliver of man-made, white-sand beach. An equestrian stable has an indoor arena and 17 horse stalls, each stall bearing its own heat lamp, fan and video camera. (Mr. Montana gave up horses due to his busy schedule.) Riding trails crisscross the property, and there's also a swimming pool, basketball court and skeet-shooting range.

Mementos of Mr. Montana's football days are in the gym, a separate building whose walls are plastered with framed photos and Sports Illustrated covers. Three Super Bowl MVP trophies overlook the room from a shelf that also holds a large flat-screen TV.

He'll be taking other souvenirs with him. "My shoulder's been going numb along with a little bit of the side of my face," said Mr. Montana, who recently underwent several back surgeries.

Corrections & Amplifications:

The California estate that retired quarterback Joe Montana has listed for $49 million extends into both Napa and Sonoma counties. An earlier version of this article incorrectly implied that the property was located solely in Sonoma.

Write to Juliet Chung at juliet.chung@wsj.com