2004 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra

Domenico Clerico's 2004 Barolos are every bit as moving from bottle as they were the many times I tasted them from barrel and as young wines from bottle. These towering Barolos capture one of Piedmont's most inspired artisan growers at the height of his powers.

Domenico Clerico embodies the hard-working spirit which is such a central part of the Piedmontese character. Despite having made some of the most memorable Barolos in recent history, Clerico continues to strive to make even better wines. Over the years he has lengthened maceration times considerably from the 5-8 days he used in the mid-1990's to 18-23 days he employed for his 2006s. With the 2005 Barolos has also brought the level of new oak down from 100%. Today the wines are made with a more non-interventionalist approach which calls for using only natural yeasts and minimal racking of the wines in the cellar. As a result of these developments as well as the greater age of his vines, the Barolos are gaining more clarity and nuance than they had in the past. Clerico's 2005s are more variable than his 2004s, but the 2006s offer unreal potential. I find it amusing that the wines Clerico most often waxes about are the Chiantis of Castell'in Villa and the Barolos of Borgogno from the 1930s, wines that represent the essence of traditional winemaking. On my last visit Clerico told me next year he will leave one tank to macerate until Christmas, in the style of his close friend Roagna, who is perhaps the last producer to still observe this old Piedmontese tradition. Clerico has a wicked sense of humor so it is sometimes hard to tell how serious he is, but one thing is for sure....these 2004 Barolos are among the very finest wines he has ever made. They are not to be missed.

Clerico is constructing a huge new winemaking facility outside Monforte (the locals refer to the site as "ground zero") but is taking his time doing so and has no apparent plans to increase his production significantly. He was in fine form in September, and showed me a splendid collection of wines. Clerico describes 2004 as "a beautiful year" but claims to prefer 2005, as he picked everything but his Pajana barbera, which he sold off, prior to the prolonged and damaging rainy period in early October. "But the 2004s will get higher scores," he predicted. Clerico has reduced the percentage of new barriques he uses to age Barolo from 100% as recently as 2001 to 70% or 80% since the '04 vintage. He explained that he thought the oak aromas were blocking the perfume of nebbiolo, but he was also concerned that it has been difficult to find the right oak and the right level of toast. In recent years, his fermentations in rotary fermenters have also been longer and slower, resulting in better-quality tannins. (Marc de Grazia; numerous importers, including Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; and Estate Wines Ltd. , San Rafael, CA)