2024 Monastero Suore Cistercensi - Lazio Bianco IGT Coenobium Ruscum (750ml)

In the medieval village of Vitorchiano, ninety minutes north of Rome, a community of Cistercian nuns has tended five hectares of vineyard organically since planting them back in 1963. For decades the wines drew little outside attention, until the estate began working with winemaking consultant Giampiero Bea, son of the celebrated Paolo Bea, in the early 2000s. His influence brought a new level of precision and wildness to the sisters' work, and the resulting wines carry an unmistakable family resemblance to the Bea style, right down to the label.

Ruscum comes from the same volcanic-soil vineyards and the same harvest as the estate's flagship Coenobium, a blend of Trebbiano, Malvasia, Verdicchio, and Grechetto, but takes a different path in the cellar. Here, the juice spends about two weeks or more in contact with its skins, extracting deeper color, texture, and a light grip of tannin. Production is tiny, only around four thousand bottles a year, with most of it shipped to the American market.

The 2024 offers a richer, more contemplative take on the blend, with crunchy apricot, dried flowers, spice cake, and a savory, saline undercurrent running beneath its gentle tannins. It pairs well with roasted vegetables, aged sheep's milk cheese, or braised poultry.