Ferraris Agricola and Mazzetti d’Altavilla welcome “7.0 Le Origini”, the distillate that enhances the sublime notes of Ruchè from the most historic vineyard.
A flagship of a region, a unique grape variety saved from extinction, a grape variety with irreplaceable characteristics in both wine and grappa. Ruchè is an icon of Monferrato thanks to its unmistakable identity and limited production in seven municipalities in the northern Asti area, lending it an aura of rarity that captures the attention of consumers worldwide. Today, however, this grape variety would no longer be among us without the work of Don Giacomo Cauda, the parish priest who arrived in Castagnole Monferrato in 1964—the main producer of this nectar—unaware that he was about to embark on an extra-spiritual mission: to save Ruchè from extinction. "May God forgive me if, in dedicating myself body and soul to the vineyard, I have at times neglected my ministry," were the words of Don Cauda, to whose memory a town square is now dedicated. The parish priest in fact safeguarded what would later be renamed “Vigna del Parroco”, today the vineyard with the oldest Ruchè vines existing in the entire production area. Almost sixty years have passed since Don Cauda planted the vines, and this autumn the “Vigna del Parroco” is the protagonist of an absolute novelty that also concerns the world of distillation. Thanks to the collaboration between theFerraris Agricola company of Luca Ferraris – current owner of the most historic rows of Ruchè – and Mazzetti d’Altavilla – Distillatori dal 1846, a local company founded 176 years ago and long attentive to the valorization of Ruchè in distillation, Grappa 7.0 Le Origini, the brand new Riserva obtained from the exclusive distillation of pomace from the “Vigna del Parroco”.
For connoisseurs and the curious, this is a new grappa concept that marks the evolution of the 7.0 Barricata di Ruchè, created in 2016 to convey the key elements of the Ruchè grape variety through the modern language of numbers: 7 like the generations of the “Distillatori Mazzetti d’Altavilla” and the municipalities where the Ruchè di Castagnole Monferrato grapes ripen. 0 is the number of kilometers traveled by the Ruchè pomace to reach the grappa factory, and the environmental impact of production is also reduced thanks to the use of renewable energy sources.
"There are times when, to look to the future, we need to go back to where it all began. Grappa Le Origini ," comments Silvia Belvedere Mazzetti, Sales and Marketing Director of Mazzetti d’Altavilla , "fulfills our mission by capturing the most ancestral notes of Ruchè pomace from the oldest vineyard, enhanced by 24 months of aging in barriques to express great complexity. Ruchè represents an emblem of the territory, those winemaking (and cultural) roots that we strive to communicate as widely as possible to the public through meticulous attention to distillation and refinement."
“The Origini grappa carries with it a larger project, aimed at promoting the Monferrato area and its history. I am happy and enthusiastic to have sealed a pact of trust with Mazzetti d’Altavilla. I believe that synergy and collaboration between companies and entrepreneurs is the best tool for disseminating the culture of a region and its unique characteristics,” explains Luca Ferraris, the driving force behind the eponymous company. “At the same time, we are proud that the Vigna del Parroco the protagonist of the Le Origini. We are talking about that plot of land tended, first by Don Giacomo Cauda, then by Francesco Borgognone, and finally by the Ferraris Agricola team, which made the Ruchè grape variety and wine famous throughout the world.”
The new grappa is produced in a numbered series and in a vintage version (2019) and with an alcohol content (44%) that recalls the parallel on which the vineyard in Castagnole Monferrato is located. Starting from these days, this spirit – the most important new entry of the year in the Mazzetti Collection – will be available to the public throughout Italy (in stores, at Grappa Store , and at www.mazzetti.it) and will also be the protagonist of several events taking place this coming autumn, together with the Ruchè Vigna del Parroco. As part of “Vignale in Danza,” a special evening dedicated to dance and Ruchè will be held on Friday, October 21st, with tastings of Ferraris Agricola wines during dinner at the Materia Prima and Ruchè grappas (including “Le Origini”) during the subsequent performance scheduled in the newly renovated premises.
