2009 Barolo Paiagallo

From a vineyard in the Barolo township, the 2009 Barolo Paiagallo opens to a garnet-crimson color and shows an autumnal range of aromas that span from fall leaf to white truffle. This is an elegant rendition of Nebbiolo that offers a beautiful evolution in the glass, imparting licorice, dried mint and ginger with each successive swirl of the glass. The warm 2009 vintage leaves its mark with the pronounced redness and softness of the fruit. Anticipated maturity: 2013-2020. In the 17th century, Carlo Emanuele di Savoia built a palace and garden so magnificent it became known as “Milleflorum” for the thousands of beautiful flowers that bloomed there. The site has since been erased by the modern urban sprawl surrounding the city of Turin, but its name survived. In 1859, Vittorio Emanuele II (the first king of Italy) gave his bride-to-be the title Countess of Mirafiore and Fontanafredda in honor of that magic garden. Today, Casa E. Mirafiore exists as a parallel brand to Fontanafredda. Importer: Domaine Select, New York, NY; tel. (212) 279-0799

Mirafiore's 2009 Barolo Paiagallo possesses lovely brightness and inner perfume. Sweet red berries, flowers and cinnamon are all layered together nicely. The 2009 is all about finesse and silkiness. I also find a feminine, gracious quality that is highly appealing. This mid-weight, radiant Barolo is an excellent example of the vintage. It should drink well pretty much upon release. This is the only single-vineyard Barolo from Mirafiore in 2009 as hail created problems elsewhere.