2012 Vinchio-Vaglio Serra, Rebus, Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato DOCG, Piedmonte, Italy.
Here’s another wildly cool wine to search for, imported by Bon Vivant Imports, the Vinchio-Vaglio Serra Ruche from Piedmonte is bright, intensely floral and playfully charming. Ruche is a rare varietal, native to Piedmonte and almost exclusively found in Castagnole Monferrato, it was almost extinct at one point, and still there is only a handful or maybe a dozen producers available, I’ve tried most all the wineries that export to the States, and while I have a few favorites, this Vinchio-Vaglio Serra version might be the best for the money in the 2012 vintage. Last year Twitter lit up with a Ruche di Castagnole Monferrato trend, even Randall Grahm of Bonny Doon was singing the Ruche praise, it was amazing an obscure little grape could explode like that, but it shows the love of Italian reds is still very high and the thirst for new things, but it made Ruche harder to find on the shelf! The 2012 Vinchio-Vaglio Serra Rebus starts with the varietal pureness that Ruche is famous for, a burst of rose oil, rose petals, sweet herbs, wild strawberries, white anise and a lovely ruby hue, the Vinchio-Vaglio Serra is not all perfume though, it deepens on the palate with hints of earth, game and the core flavors expand into cherry, raspberry and are lifted by mild acidity and a refined almost creamy texture along with a cut of minty/basil spice, mineral notes and touch of liqueur. This is a medium bodied red that is well put together with a velvet like finish and lingers with a mix of flowers, spice and fruit, it should be interesting to follow over the next few years, drink from 2014 to 2018, this is a very nice version of this unique grape, it should pair well with lamb kabob, roast poultry, think Thanksgiving meal and I like it with some Indian fare too.
($27 Est.) 92 Points, grapelive