Domenico Clerico - Barolo Aeroplanservaj DOCG 2021 - selection

Aromas of plum, forest floor, tobacco, and fine spices. Powerful and layered on the palate, with dark fruit, firm yet ripe tannins, fresh acidity, and a long, spicy finish. A characterful Barolo with great depth.

Beautiful with slow-cooked beef cheek, ossobuco, and game such as venison or wild boar. Also excellent with tajarin with truffle, risotto with porcini, and aged cheeses such as Castelmagno. Serve at 17 °C.

Just as almost every legendary Barolo estate has its own special story, this certainly applies to Domenico Clerico in Monforte d’Alba, on the border with Barolo. Poverty was ubiquitous in the region, and no one had yet become wealthy from the sale of Barolo. After much hesitation, in 1976 he took over two hectares of vineyards and two hectares of peach trees from his father. In a document regarding the takeover of the farm, he noted: "...the land on which we live has a value we do not yet fully understand...". This proved to be incredibly visionary.

The winery now owns 21 hectares of vineyards in the most prestigious crus such as Bussia, Ginestra, Pajana, and Mosconi, and its wines are in huge demand worldwide. The great visionary himself unfortunately left us too soon in 2017. His top Barolo, Percristina, serves as a memorial to his daughter who passed away at a young age. The Barolo Ciabot Mentin is named after the former owner of the Ginestra site. The Barolo Aeroplanservaj is named after the nickname his father gave him, which loosely translates to "lively rascal." In one way or another, Domenico always remained that rascal: mischievous, headstrong, and humorous. This is also reflected in the labels. Because he liked all the designs by a Florentine artist, Aeroplanservaj is only available in a wooden box of six bottles, each with a different label. These art boxes have been very popular with collectors for years.

Domenico was a modernist and was at the forefront of everything that meant progress. He was one of the first winemakers to experiment with barriques and rotofermenters, something that made his wines very popular in the American market at the time. Especially for this market, the Clerico winery still makes a Langhe Rosso, which is aged in new barriques. The fact that Clerico was ahead of the curve served them well. The traditional course adopted ten years ago, in which the Barolo wines were largely aged in large casks (botte), has also proven to be a masterstroke that has given the company an extra boost in quality. It is no coincidence that the Barolo wines of Domenico Clerico standardly receive 92+ ratings from leading wine journalists. Since Domenico's passing, it is his wife, Giuliana Viberti Clerico, who continues to run the winery together with the extremely skilled oenologist and winemaker Oscar Arrivabene, ensuring and wherever possible even increasing quality. The vineyards and the cantina itself were bequeathed to his niece Cecilia and nephew Orlando. For several years now, they have been taking their first steps in the iconic cantina left to them by their uncle. Big shoes to fill, but judging by recent developments, the Clerico winery has a bright future ahead.

Originating from Teodoro on the eastern side of Serralunga d’Alba, a small MGA at an altitude of approximately 250 meters. The clay, sand, and loam-rich soil gives the Nebbiolo power and structure, while the eastern exposure provides freshness and tension.

The grapes are macerated and fermented for 15–20 days in stainless steel tanks. The wine is then aged for 16 months in French barriques, 20% of which are new, followed by 16 months in large Slavonian botti.

The 2021 combines concentrated fruit, firm tannins, and fresh acidity with great depth. Still young and would benefit from further bottle aging. Can be cellared until approximately 2045–2047. The current professional assessment extends to about 2047.