RedLead grape in 1
Ruchè
A red from Castagnole Monferrato in Piedmont, grown on a handful of hills and almost nowhere else. It is aromatic in a way few reds are, with rose, black pepper and wild berry over light tannin and moderate body. It drinks young and it is unmistakable in a blind lineup.
Worth knowing
Its modern revival is credited to Don Giacomo Cauda, parish priest of Castagnole Monferrato, who planted a small vineyard by the church in 1964 and was the first to bottle it on its own. It gained its DOC in 1987 and its DOCG in 2010. What happened to the grape before that is genuinely unclear.
Where it is allowed1 appellation