[Roo-KAY]

Ruché is another one of those grapes that was on the path towards extinction, being used mostly for sweet wine production and muscled out by Barbera in the Castagnole Monferrato region. It has almost no documentation as to how long it’s been in Piedmont or even how it got there, but most credit a local priest for selecting the best clone and helping unlock its potential. It has similar fabulous ability to retain acidity in maturation like Barbera can, but is a much more resilient grape with a much more distinctive character. So where to plant this in California? In some slightly cooler sites this should make a real show-stopper of a wine (provided they also resist the urge to hit it with new oak.) A clean Ruché is a good Ruché.

La Miraja / Dacapo / Montalbera