2024 La Miraja ‘Canonico’ Ruché di Castagnole Monferrato, Piedmont, Italy
Regular price $31.00
Unit price per
100% Ruché
Nestled within the original castle of Castagnole Monferrato, La Miraja was constructed as an armory in the 11th century, only to be retrofitted as a cellar in the 1400s. La Miraja (pronounced “me-rye-uh”) is tiny by any measure, comprising less than 4 hectares under vine. It is here that Eugenio, seventh genration winemaker, devotes his life’s work to producing roughly 2,500 transcendent cases of wine each year. Harnessing his years of working in wineries and distilleries across Italy, he imbues his wines with a haunting purity and a simple elegance.
Estate fruit from vineyards situated at 250 meters above sea level. 40% of this fruit comes from Majole, a high-density vineyard planted to Ruché in 1975 with southwest exposure; meanwhile, the remaining 60% comes from Santa Eufemia, another high-density parcel planted in 1992 with eastern exposure. Hand-harvested fruit is destemmed and then crushed by basket press into stainless-steel tanks, where it remains in contact with the skins for 10 days while native fermentation occurs. Following spontaneous malolactic fermentation, the wine rests in cement vessels for 3 months and then an additional 4 months in bottle prior to release.
It's soft and floral and slightly spicy on the nose, while maintaining lush red and black fruit on the palate. It gives slight warm spice, a solid backbone that elevates but doesn't overpower - both timid and tenacious. This will seriously flex with braised and roasted meats.