Luca Ferraris, Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG (Piedmont, Italy) “Sant’Eufemia” 2023 ($20)

Although I scored this in a tie with Ferraris’s stablemate “Clàsic,” I could easily understand how others might judge it the better of the two. Made from relatively young vines and aged only briefly and entirely in stainless steel, it is light in weight but blooming with floral perfume. The scent of freshly cut roses is extremely expressive and pure, and though that aromatic descriptor is widely associated with the variety, it rings true to me (as one who lives in a house surrounded by rose bushes, thanks to my Master Gardener wife). It is interesting that 2023 was a seriously hot vintage in the broader region around Alba, and though heat knocks down aromatic compounds in wine grapes, there’s no knocking down the scents in this arrestingly lovely wine. One caution: though it is light and lovely, Ruchè packs a notable tannic punch even in relatively simple and light renditions, so this is not used best as a sipping wine, but rather as a partner for light appetizers with a bit of buffering dietary fat, such as Parmesan crisps or almost anything with an accompanying dip based on sour cream or crème fresh.
91 Michael Franz