Great Wines of Piemonte since 1878
Casa E. di. Mirafiore | Italy, Tuscany
The origin of the Mirafiore winery is a love story between the first King of Italy Vittorio Emanuele II and the peasant Rosa Vercellana at the heart of the Barolo area. The Estate had been donated by the King himself to his illegitimate son Emanuele di Mirafiore. Production at Mirafiore started in 1878, and the winery soon became an important name on the international wine market.
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Barolo is called “the king of wines and wine of kings” because of the Mirafiore estate and its historic association with Italy’s royal family. The beautiful winery and grounds are one of Piedmont’s most popular wine tourism destinations.
The Mirafiore History
The story of Casa E. di. Mirafiore began in 1878 where his estates in Barolo and Serralunga was then founded by Emanuele Alberto Count of Mirafiore, son of the first King of Italy. He was a noble farmer-entrepreneur, who dedicated himself to wine with an absolutely modern approach. Under his leadership, production immediately took an innovative turn, with constant attention to the production of quality wines, particularly Barolo. And soon in 1890, the first Barolo Mirafiore was exported all over the world.
Despite the phenomenon created by Mirafiore, the Great Depression hit in 1929, and soon the Mirafiore brand ceased to be used and, little by little, was forgotten by the market, remaining shut away inside a drawer for over 70 years.
The revitalization of the winery began in 2000. Mirafiore returned home to the heart of the estate and became a real winery, where it recommenced production of its Cru Barolos. Mirafiore’s current production philosophy is the historical expression of the brand, where innovation is represented by the recovery of the unconditional traditions of the past. The brand also reflects the philosophy promoted by the winery’s founder, Count Emanuele Alberto.
In recent years, Casa E. di Mirafiore has won a series of awards, including the Platinum Best Medal 2016 for the 2007 Barolo Riserva, with a BEST IN SHOW mention at the Decanter World Wine Awards.
Today, Mirafiore like it was over 100 years ago, but with something extra.
Terroir: Earth & Sky
The estate is located in North Western Italy, in the hearth of Langhe area, on those vineyard landscapes recognised, in 2014, as UNESCO World Heritage for the exceptional universal value of the farming scenery. The Mirafiore estate has 25 hectares of property in the commune of Serralunga d’Alba, one of the appellation’s top growing zones, renowned for the riches of the land and its vocation for wine production. All the vineyards are located on an elevation between 300 and 500 meters above sea level.
The Influence of the Soil
The whole area is characterized by a very ancient sedimentary soil of marine origin, composed by very compact marly clay, poor in nutriments for the vines. The environment is difficult for the plants where they are forced to grow slowly with roots that develop deeply in search of water and nutriments. The result is grapes with a lot of aromas and tones that express the flavours of the soil.
The estate’s production has been 100 percent certified organic since the 2018 harvest.
The Philosophy of Apparent Contrasts
Even today in the cellar the most traditional ageing techniques dictate the winemaking style of Casa E. di Mirafiore. The vinification method requires the strict observance of rules of the most refined and rigorous Piedmontese tradition.
Respect for the land and traditional local winemaking techniques – At Mirafiore, vineyards are planted and tended to while combining traditions of the past and modern innovative winemaking techniques. Each decision is made with each grape variety’s best interest. The Mirafiore aim is to achieve the utmost precision, balance and elegance for each wine, in order to express all the power and the deep connection between the vine and its land of origin.
