Casa E. di Mirafiore Barolo | 2021

Casa di E. Mirafiore was founded in 1878 by Italy’s Royal Family and helped cement Barolo’s enduring nickname: the King of Wines, the Wine of Kings. It was also among the first estates to ship wines internationally. Today, Mirafiore is owned by Oscar Farinetti (the founder of Eataly), who’s been a driving force in reviving long-lived, yet sleepy Piedmont names—Borgogno and Fontanafredda among them. Under his direction, Mirafiore earned organic certification in 2018 and restarted production of its crus, including Lazzarito and Paiagallo. True to the old-school labels, the winemaking is unapologetically traditional with long fermentations and aging in large Slavonian cask, yet the style remains middle road. With most of the fruit coming from Serralunga d’Alba, the wine is lively with cherry and sandalwood spice. Neatly balancing fruit and Nebbiolo’s long-legged tannins, this is a Barolo that you can enjoy now, for a very nice price. ~Allegra Angelo