Just as nearly every legendary Barolo estate has its own special story, this is certainly true for Domenico Clerico in Monforte d’Alba, on the border with Barolo. Poverty was widespread in the region, and no one had yet become wealthy from the sale of Barolo. After much hesitation, he took over two hectares of vineyards and two hectares of peach trees from his father in 1976. In a document regarding the farm's acquisition, he noted: "...the land on which we live has a value that we do not yet fully understand...". This proved to be incredibly visionary.
The estate now owns 21 hectares of vineyards in the most prestigious crus such as Bussia, Ginestra, Pajana, and Mosconi, and its wines are highly sought after worldwide. The great visionary himself sadly passed away too soon in 2017. His top Barolo, Percristina, serves as a memorial to his daughter who died 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 translates loosely to "lively rascal." In one way or another, Domenico always remained that rascal: mischievous, headstrong, and humorous. This was also true of his labels. Because he liked all the designs by a Florentine artist, Aeroplan Servaj is only available in a wooden case 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 represented progress. He was one of the first winemakers to experiment with barriques and roto-fermenters, which made his wines very popular on the American market at the time. Especially for this market, the Clerico winery still produces a Langhe Rosso, which is aged in new barriques. Clerico’s ability to stay ahead of trends has served them well. The more traditional course taken ten years ago, in which the Barolo wines were largely aged in large casks (botte), has also been a masterstroke that gave the company an additional boost in quality. It is not without reason that the Barolo wines of Domenico Clerico consistently 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 highly skilled oenologist and winemaker Oscar Arrivabene, ensuring and, where 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. They have big shoes to fill, but judging by recent developments, the Clerico winery has a bright future ahead.
