Ruché, Ferraris 'Sant' Eufemia'
Luca Ferraris’ great grandfather went to California in search of his fortune during the Gold Rush and struck it rich. He sent home to Monferrato the money that would purchase the family estate in 1921. For the most part, the family sold grapes or made wine for sale in bulk until in the 1980s when Luca’s grandfather Martino passed away. Luca’s father, like many Italians of his generation, had escaped the countryside to raise his family in Turin. He briefly returned to Monferrato to give farming a go, but it wasn’t to last. After a terrible hail storm in 1985 he threw in the towel—that is to say with the exception of 9 rows of vines that would keep his tax status as a farmer.
Fast forward to 2001: Luca Ferraris finishes military service and decides to abandon his home in Turin for the countryside to cultivate a little-known indigenous grape called Ruché. As luck would have it, a chance encounter with Randall Graham at VinItaly in 2002 led to an odd fax from Bonny Doon later that year: Randall wanted 1000 cases of Luca’s Ruché for his Ca del Solo project! The business with Randall launched Luca to the big time, giving him the possibility to invest in his beloved Ruché variety. By 2007, when Randall sold Ca del Solo, Luca had assumed the identity of Mr Ruché—his name is inextricable from the variety. He has become the ambassador and qualitative leader of the area, as well as the president of the producers association, and a passionate advocate of the hills of Monferrato.
Ruché is known for making a perfumed red wine with notes of mint, herb, cardamom and anise. This bottling is made from sustainably-farmed young vines with grapes fermented and aged in stainless steel before being bottled unfiltered.
This is such an appealing wine with aromas of darker black fruits like currants, boysenberry, and blueberry, with a touch of florality spring from the nose of unique Mediterranean grape. The wine is medium weight with red and purple fruits, plums, blueberries and rose petals. It is fresh, unique, appealing, fragrant, food-friendly, soft and accessible. The tannins are light to medium weight with crisp acidity.