Montalbera, Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato (Piedmont, Italy) 2018

 Throughout the Piedmont, or all of Italy for that matter, one can discover grape varieties that yield wines of great distinction, even though they are hardly recognized at all outside their local area.  The Monferrato Hills are a wide-ranging area to the northeast of Barolo and Barbaresco.  The area produces diverse wines from Barbera, Moscato, Grignolino, Dolcetto, Freisa and other grapes.  One of those others is the Ruché, which is planted around Castagnole Monferrato.  Montalbera is a top producer here, and the “Laccento” bottling is one of their best.  Ruché at its best yields a pale-colored wine with surprising depth and complexity.  Comparisons can be drawn to Nebbiolo, Nerello and other Italian varieties, but Ruché has its own style.  The 2018 Montalbera Laccento Ruché has a lovely bouquet of raspberries, cranberries, dried roses, tea leaves, leather and spices.  Its pale color belies its rich and multilayered flavors.  Dried cherry, raspberry and cranberry fruits are enhanced by subtleties of potpourri, autumn leaves, herbs and spices.  The remarkable combination of delicately layered flavors with a creamy texture is evidence of the potential of the Ruché grape.  This is top-class red that can compare with similarly-priced wines from any region or grape.