2007 Barolo Pajana

Two-thousand eighteen is a tough vintage for Clerico. The wines are light in body and lacking in both complexity and depth. Some of the wines, for example the Pajana, present a cloudy appearance in the glass. I hope Giuliana Clerico can turn things around here, but it is not going to be easy.

Giuliana Clerico has spent her life in the vineyard. "The difference between today and twenty years ago is that the sun is so much more intense in the summer now," she told me. "We've had to re-think our entire approach." These days, that involves leaving more leaf cover and reducing the impact of small French oak in favor of larger casks. Things are still evolving at Clerico, but the most recent wines I tasted from barrel suggest this historic estate is getting back on track. And that is of course great to see.

Giuliana Clerico has spent her life in the vineyard. "The difference between today and twenty years ago is that the sun is so much more intense in the summer now," she told me. "We've had to re-think our entire approach." These days, that involves leaving more leaf cover and reducing the impact of small French oak in favor of larger casks. Things are still evolving at Clerico, but the most recent wines I tasted from barrel suggest this historic estate is getting back on track. And that is of course great to see.

Giuliana Clerico told me she would never give up following the passing of her husband, Domenico, in 2017. She has certainly kept her word. These new releases are another step forward. As has been the case for a few years now, Clerico presents their vineyard designated with an extra year of bottle age. Today, the Barolos spend 16 months in barrel and then another 16 months in cask, an aging regime that is on the longer side of things, especially at a time when the trend is to lower rather than to extend time in oak. My impression is that these wines would benefit from more primary freshness, as I fear the wines are drying out a bit in the cellar.

I can only describe tasting Domenico Clerico's 2014 and 2013 Barolos as bittersweet. This past summer, on a late Sunday evening, the news that had been in the air finally arrived. Domenico Clerico had passed away after a long battle with cancer. I have lost track of the number of epic tastings I had in Clerico's winery over the years. One of the most vocal exponents of the modern school in Barolo, Clerico had recently come to the feel that, in essence, he really did not care for the wines that had brought him so much critical and popular acclaim, especially during the mid-1990s. Unfortunately for Clerico, that realization came late in life. Clerico subsequently worked to find a more moderate style. But these things take time, often years, and Clerico passed away before he could see his new vision through to completion. Tasting these wines is like looking at an unfinished canvas. There is enough to see the direction of a work in progress, but the painting is not finished. The responsibility for that now lies with Clerico's widow, Giuliana, and her team. Clerico did not bottle their Percristina Barolo in 2012 or 2013.

Clerico had just begun harvesting the day I stopped by for a visit.His monumental winery is now finished and we tasted in his large, airy tasting room with a spectacular view of the vineyards.A bit of a breeze was blowing out the haze, and the distant mountains came into view as we tasted.Clerico told me he prefers 2009 to 2010 today, simply because the earlier year is more drinkable."I'm content with the 2010s," he said."But we would have liked to wait a bit longer to put them into bottle because more maturing would have softened the tannins."Still, added assistant winemaker Luciano Racca, the 2009s are generally a tad higher in acidity than the '10s.Racca noted that beginning in 2011 the estate has done longer, cooler macerations, with a "very slow spin of the rotofermenters--just four or five times a day--in order to avoid overextraction."While the Barolos are made in almost 100% new oak, Clerico has been working with better coopers since 2008, using longer-dried, less-toasted barrels from oak meant for the Burgundy market, which Racca says give less wood impact. (Importers include Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com; Estate Wines Ltd., www.estatewinesltd.com)

Clerico had just begun harvesting the day I stopped by for a visit. His monumental winery is now finished and we tasted in his large, airy tasting room with a spectacular view of the vineyards. A bit of a breeze was blowing out the haze, and the distant mountains came into view as we tasted. Clerico told me he prefers 2009 to 2010 today, simply because the earlier year is more drinkable. "I'm content with the 2010s," he said. "But we would have liked to wait a bit longer to put them into bottle because more maturing would have softened the tannins." Still, added assistant winemaker Luciano Racca, the 2009s are generally a tad higher in acidity than the '10s. Racca noted that beginning in 2011 the estate has done longer, cooler macerations, with a "very slow spin of the rotofermenters--just four or five times a day--in order to avoid overextraction." While the Barolos are made in almost 100% new oak, Clerico has been working with better coopers since 2008, using longer-dried, less-toasted barrels from oak meant for the Burgundy market, which Racca says give less wood impact. (Importers include Michael Skurnik Wines, www.skurnikwines.com; Estate Wines Ltd., www.estatewinesltd.com)

Domenico Clerico's 2009s are very good, but also show the limits of the year. My sense is that the estate is still in a bit of a transition phase, and as with all things in life, it takes time. New oak continues to come down, and that should be a positive, as Clerico owns some of the very best vineyards in Barolo.

It was served after the 1982 Conterno Monfortino and 1982 Giacosa Collina Rionda. A wine very few of us had ever seen, much less tasted. I thought I might have tasted this vintage once before, but it wasn't a great bottle. This one was. No, it was monumental. The wine? Domenico Clerico's 1982 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra. Talk about stunning. Clerico's 1982 had no problem hanging out with the big guns. It is amazing to think how the 1982 was made. The 1982 Ciabot was fermented in an outdoor shack. For the malos, Clerico used three used 14-hectoliter casks he bought from Aldo Conterno. The wine was subsequently aged in used 30-hectoliter barrels that were reconditioned from their first life, when they had been used to make beer. Fast forward to today. It was a bit of a shock this year to see Domenico Clerico in his huge new winery, which is still under construction. I have so many fond memories of tasting in the old cellar. No one is as passionate or generous as Clerico in showing his wines. And that's the way it has always been. Even when I was just a young consumer visiting Piemonte on the weekends, the door was always open. Any day, any time. Back to the present. The massive steel and concrete building not only seems out of place in the landscape, it is also far removed from traditional Piedmontese values. The scale alone is just bizarre, making it difficult to find someone, much less communicate. As for the wines, 2008 was clearly a difficult vintage here. Some of that is probably because of Clerico's health struggles over the last few years, but the new cellar has also been a massive undertaking made all the more difficult by the poor timing of the project. The 2008s are underwhelming wines that fall short of the standard Clerico has established over the last three decades. The day to day is clearly much more difficult for Clerico now, so it is up to his team to step up and prove they are up to the challenge.

Domenico Clerico's spectacular new winery is finally close to completion after several years of construction, and the 2011 harvest was vinified there. In recent years Clerico has backed off on some of his more modern techniques and says he is now making wines with more structure and grip. Even as far back as the outstanding 2001 vintage, Clerico told me, he thought his wines had too much oak, and he considered his past dolcettos to be too big. "Sometimes we had to wait three or four years to drink them, which is not the point of dolcetto," he told me. According to Clerico, 2008 stands out for its overall freshness. "It's not just a question of acidity. And it's not an easy-drinking vintage like 2007." Incidentally, Clerico's Pajana fruit was already in a rotofermenter by the time of my visit, having been harvested early, on September 16. He was giving it a shorter maceration for fear of getting dry tannins. Cellarmaster Gianmatteo ("Jimmy") Raineri compared vintage 2009 to 2007. "It was great for barbera because that grape likes warmth," he said, "but the nebbiolo could be better. And the 2007 has rather soft tannins. "We're more Piemontese: we like grip and tannic structure."

Domenico Clerico's spectacular new winery is finally close to completion after several years of construction, and the 2011 harvest was vinified there. In recent years Clerico has backed off on some of his more modern techniques and says he is now making wines with more structure and grip. Even as far back as the outstanding 2001 vintage, Clerico told me, he thought his wines had too much oak, and he considered his past dolcettos to be too big. "Sometimes we had to wait three or four years to drink them, which is not the point of dolcetto," he told me. According to Clerico, 2008 stands out for its overall freshness. "It's not just a question of acidity. And it's not an easy-drinking vintage like 2007." Incidentally, Clerico's Pajana fruit was already in a rotofermenter by the time of my visit, having been harvested early, on September 16. He was giving it a shorter maceration for fear of getting dry tannins. Cellarmaster Gianmatteo ("Jimmy") Raineri compared vintage 2009 to 2007. "It was great for barbera because that grape likes warmth," he said, "but the nebbiolo could be better. And the 2007 has rather soft tannins. "We're more Piemontese: we like grip and tannic structure."

It's great to see Domenico Clerico pretty much back to his normal self after a bout with illness over the last few years. Despite having made so many dazzling wines in the past, I can't help thinking Clerico's best Baroli may still lie ahead. Maceration times have been gradually lengthened, the use of new French oak has come down in most of the wines and there are rumblings that larger casks are on the way. As always, I tasted a large selection of wines during my recent visit to the estate, including 4-5 vintages of each of the Baroli. Clerico's 2006s are emotional, moving wines that are living up to the praise I bestowed upon them last year. The 2007s are stratospheric, while the 2008s are developing very well, albeit in a more classic style than the decidedly exuberant 2007s. In 2008 Clerico has a Barolo from his vineyard in Bussia that is still being raised separately and may be bottled on its own. Based on multiple tastings, it is a special Barolo. It's still early for the 2009s, but today they are less viscerally thrilling, pretty much in line with the way most wines of that year are showing right now.

It's great to see Domenico Clerico doing better after what has been a very difficult struggle with illness. My recent tasting with Clerico was amazing, as I had a chance to survey all of his Barolos in verticals covering vintages 2004 through 2008, which provided quite a bit of perspective on the relative qualities of this series of important vintages. I have done similar tastings here once – sometimes twice – a year for many years, and have always needed a bit of a break afterwards, as Clerico's wines are massively tannic and structured when young, which, when coupled with Monforte's trademark acidity, can tire the palate. Not this time. What has changed? For starters, the move toward longer fermentations/macerations and the reduction in the use of French oak have begun to yield wines of incomparable finesse and elegance. Tasting the vintages side by side, it is apparent that 2004 – as great as those wines are – represents the end of an era at Clerico. The 2005s signal a move towards a more elegant style (much of that is due to the vintage itself, rather than to changes in winemaking) but it is the 2006s that show the first true results of the new approach here, and the wines are simply breathtaking. Clerico's 2007s, however, may be even better as they are shaping up to be profound, utterly mind-bending Barolos. And as for the 2008s, they are still young, but are so promising I can hardly wait to taste them again. For readers who are curious, the 2004s here are superb but are shutting down rapidly in bottle. The 2005s continue to put on weight, yet they lack the sheer stuffing and depth of the 2006s. The 2007s are rich, sensual, perfumed and utterly thrilling, while the 2008 are a touch more transparent and classic. Watching these wines evolve over the coming years will be fascinating. Sadly, long-time cellarmaster Massimo Conterno recently left the winery after spending nearly his entire career at Clerico's side. Conterno is like a son to Clerico and his departure remains a painful loss. Still, change is often invigorating, and I can only hope that will be the case here as well.

Cellarmaster Massimo Conterno, who since my September visit has just left Clerico after 25 years, considers all the Barolo vintages from 2004 through 2008 to have large structures but finds 2004 and 2006 the most powerful of this group-as well as the best balanced. "The '07s and the '05s are a bit finer, with less body for their tannins," he told me. "They will need time in bottle to find their balance, especially the 2005s, which can be aggressive. The dividing line in 2005 was the last rain. Wines made from fruit picked after that are much less successful." Incidentally, the extraordinary 2004 Per Cristina bottling is a worthy successor to the 2001, and the beat goes on with the 2005 and especially the 2006. All the Barolos here are aged for 24 to 26 months in a blend of 70% new and 30% once-used barriques, then go into stainless steel tanks for the rest of their elevage. Clerico's monumental new winery outside Monforte, which reminds me a bit of Dulles Airport during its construction, is still a work in progress but is scheduled to be completed in time to handle the 2010 harvest. (Marc de Grazia; numerous importers, including Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville, IL; and Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael, CA)

I still remember tasting Domenico Clerico's 2005 Barolos in the old tasting room, a place that is filled with many memories of amazing tastings over the years. The 2005s are mostly worthy follow up to the stellar 2004s. The wines are rich, super-concentrated and powerful. Readers might want to give the 2005s a bit more time in the cellar, but I would be concerned with the fruit drying out and would prefer to drink the wines on the younger side, but opened well in advance. I tasted the 2005s twice, one at the winery and on a second occasion in my office with bottles purchased on release. Bottles from my cellar were in far better shape than those from the winery. The only 2005 that is not impressive is the Percristina, which is totally covered by French oak. I had hoped that wine would one day emerge, as so many wines have here over the years, but it has never happened, and I don't think it ever will.

Cellarmaster Massimo Conterno, who since my September visit has just left Clerico after 25 years, considers all the Barolo vintages from 2004 through 2008 to have large structures but finds 2004 and 2006 the most powerful of this group-as well as the best balanced. "The '07s and the '05s are a bit finer, with less body for their tannins," he told me. "They will need time in bottle to find their balance, especially the 2005s, which can be aggressive. The dividing line in 2005 was the last rain. Wines made from fruit picked after that are much less successful." Incidentally, the extraordinary 2004 Per Cristina bottling is a worthy successor to the 2001, and the beat goes on with the 2005 and especially the 2006. All the Barolos here are aged for 24 to 26 months in a blend of 70% new and 30% once-used barriques, then go into stainless steel tanks for the rest of their elevage. Clerico's monumental new winery outside Monforte, which reminds me a bit of Dulles Airport during its construction, is still a work in progress but is scheduled to be completed in time to handle the 2010 harvest. (Marc de Grazia; numerous importers, including Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; Robert Houde Wines, Bensenville, IL; and Estate Wines Ltd., San Rafael, CA)

Domenico Clerico's 2005 Barolos are among the handful of wines in this vintage that reveal the three-dimensional qualities that make Barolo such a seductive wine. Unfortunately there is no Percristina, as the vintage that would have been released is the 2002, in which Clerico did not produce his single-vineyard Barolos. In August 2008 I spent a morning driving around Clerico's vineyards in the Ginestra zone of Monforte, which is the source of his Pajana and Ciabot Mentin Ginestra Barolos. It is impossible to fully appreciate the backbreaking effort that is required to manually work these steep vineyards without setting foot in the vines themselves. The site of green-harvested fruit strewn across the ground was a testament to Clerico's dedication to low yields. In recent years Clerico has gradually lengthened maceration times and lowered the use of new oak, both of which are allowing for the purity of that fruit to come through with extraordinary detail.

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)

All things considered, Domenico Clerico's 2003 Barolos have come along well. The Pajana was picked first, which may explain why it is the freshest of the three Barolos. By the time the Ciabot and Percristina were brought in Clerico had to use dry ice to cool down the fruit. During this era, the Barolos were aged in 100% new French oak. The 2003 were all bottled at the same time, although the Percristina was released later. As always, the Clerico Barolos are super-extracted, with plenty of tannic heft, much of it coming from the generous oak.

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)

Few producers' wines have given me as much pleasure over the years as those of Domenico Clerico. Based in Monforte, Clerico has been turning out spectacular Barolos since the mid-1980s. I find a spirituality and character in these wines that puts them in a class with few peers. The last few years have seen an evolution in Clerico's philosophy. He has gradually lengthened fermentation times and beginning with h is 2005s also backed off the 100% new oak, perhaps the one critic ism I have had of some wines in the past. For h is 2003 Barolos Clerico shortened the fermentation time by a few days. “Given that the grapes already had a lot of tannins, it was important not to over-extract,” says Clerico. “I used a high percentage of new oak for the Barolos. When we racked them, the wines aged in new oak turned out as I had hoped in that they were a little rounder than the wines aged in one-year old barrels. I am optim istic about 2003, the wines just need time for the tannins to soften. Look at what people said about the 1997s. The wines were supposed to fall apart, yet I think the best wines have held up beautifully.” Clerico fans can also look forward to a very prom ising series of Barolos for the 2004, 2005 and 2006 vintages. The 2006s will include a new Barolo made from purchased Serralunga fruit. Readers who want to learn more about the h istory of the property may want to check out my article in the Italy Report section of this site.

Without question the most surprising 2001s I tasted were those of Domenico Clerico. I loved these wines when they were released, rated them highly and bought them for my own cellar. I tasted the 2001s with Domenico Clerico and his team during a visit in November 2011, and then opened the wines from my own cellar back in New York. Oddly, I found the wines from my cellar in better shape than the wines I tasted in Piedmont. Still, time has not been kind to Clerico's 2001s. I found all of the Baroli surprisingly forward and evolved. The tannins have softened some over the years, but now the fruit is dropping out and the wines are evolving rather quickly. The Langhe Rosso Arte, a 90% Nebbiolo/10% Barbera blend, is the wine that has aged best. And when the entry-level wine (Arte was the entry-level wine in 2001) has aged better than the top selections, there is a problem. Clerico was a long-time proponent of French oak, which he employed in very high levels until around 2005 or so. Maybe it was the toast levels. It's hard to say exacly. What is pretty clear is that the 2001s are evolving at a fast pace and aren't likely to improve much from here.

For this outspoken and intensely passionate vigneron the real work is done in the vineyards, which he tends to with near-fanatical obsession. Clerico's yields are among the lowest in the region, averaging around 35 hectoliters per hectare for the Barolos. Clerico is enthusiastic when it comes to his 2001s saying “it was a beautiful vintage, starting with the Dolcetto which had ideal conditions of heat and not too much cold. After the 20th of September we started to have cool nights and hot days, which allowed both the sugars and the tannins of the Nebbiolos to mature gradually and simultaneously, as was also the case with 1996, 1999, and 2004.” For his 2001 Barolos, Clerico did about 12-14 days of fermentation and maceration in rotary fermenters, using natural yeasts. The wines were aged 24 months in barriques, of which 85% were new for the Pajana and Ciabot Mentin Ginestra, while the Percristina saw 100% new oak. “It's the quality of the oak that makes the difference, not the amount,” says Clerico. “I use barriques to give my wines color and to provide oxigenation without doing any more racking other than that which is absolutely necessary, with the ultimate goal of not tasting the oak when the wines are ready to drink. I want my wines to be as natural as possible, so the wines are bottled without fining or filtration.” My favorite wine has typically been the Ciabot Mentin Ginestra, which comes from vines planted at 400 meters with a south to southeast exposure, which gives the wine its characteristic explosive aromas. The Pajana comes from vineyard at 300 meters in altitude, with a due south exposure, and as would be expected, it is a less perfumed on the nose, but rounder and lusher on the palate. Clerico's Percristina is produced from old vines planted in the south-facing Mosconi cru. Stylistically I find it more similar to the Pajana, though the older vines give this wine a more concentrated profile along with heady, exotic aromas and flavors. The richly-colored 2001 Barolo Ciabot Mentin Ginestra opens with an unmistakable Ginestra nose of menthol, eucalyptus, spices and minerals. It is dense and structured, showing plenty of ripe dark cherry fruit, licorice, tar and toasted oak flavors, with exceptional length and sustain on the palate, and closing with an inviting, beautiful, lingering finish that makes you want to come back to the wine time and again.

Domenico Clerico's 2000s have not fared as well as I had hoped. Curiously, wines from my cellar were fresher than bottles I tasted in Italy.

Armed with a big, booming voice and a healthy sense of humor, Domenico Clerico is without question one of Piedmont's most colorful characters. Despite his successes Clerico remains a simple, down-to-earth man who has little time for the pretentiousness and arrogance of others. Stories abound about visitors who have been shown the door here. My favorite of these regards a journalist who proclaimed to be an “expert” taster. Clerico served the journalist three wines and asked him to comment on them. After the journalist waxed poetically about the differences in terroir and micro-climate in the wines, Clerico showed him the corks....three bottles of the same vintage of Ciabot Mentin Ginestra. With that, the appointment was concluded. Needless to say I was a bit wary on my most recent visit when three glasses of 2005 Barolo were placed in front of me, fearing I might meet the same fate! Fortunately it was not to be....

Readers who enjoy this producer's wines will not want to miss the 1999 Barolos, which are among the best of the vintage. Those who aren't yet familiar with this producer's wines might want to check out these excellent releases, as they represent the highest expression of this vigneron's craft. Although I generally find the Ciabot Mentin Ginestra to be the most complete and expressive wine here, in 1999 all three Barolos are exceptional and merit close attention. I can't recommend these wines highly enough. Lastly, 2006 should have seen the release of the 2001 Percristina, but Clerico has decided to give the wine an additional year of bottle age as he finds the wine to still be quite hard. Having tasted the 2001 Percristina twice in the last year, it seems like a wise decision. “To me 1999 and 2000 are very much like 1989 and 1990,” explains Clerico. “In the beginning everyone was chasing the 1990s. It took a while for peopl

e to realize just how great the 1989s were. The reality is that Nebbiolo is a difficult wine to understand. Each vintage has its own expression and it is often very hard to know how wines will eventually turn out. In today's world there is a rush to judge wines, and as a result sometimes we tend to undervalue certain vintages. There is no doubt 1999 is a great vintage, but it remains overshadowed by 2000, which is by all means a beautiful vintage, but 1999 is more ‘Piedmontese.' The wines are fresher and have slightly higher acidities, something that is also quite characteristic

of our Monforte terroir. In retrospect, perhaps we should have kept our wines in the cellar an additional year to give them time to mature a little more.” “We had excellent conditions during 1999 with the alternation of temperatures that are ideal for the maturation of Nebbiolo. The resulting grapes were healthy and thick-skinned. Once the fruit was in the cellar we did roughly 14 days of fermentation/maceration for the Ciabot and Pajana and 16 days for the Percristina, all in rotary fermenters. The wines then went into barrique, of which roughly 90% new, where they did their malos. I did not rack the wines until the following year, preferring to leave them on their lees for about eight months. Ciabot spent 24 months in oak, while Pajana and Percristina saw an additional two months of barrique.”

For 2002 Clerico has produced one Barolo which is a blend of the best fruit he was able to salvage from his plots. Like many producers he felt the market would simply not accept single-vineyard wines in this vintage. Overall production was down sharply and was about one- third of normal levels. “We worked diligently to get the best fruit we could in 2002,” says Clerico. “We left three to four bunches of fruit per plant and those were trimmed to allow the fruit to mature as well as was possible under the circumstances. The grapes were beautiful although the seeds obviously struggled to ripen. We did a maceration and fermentation of 10-12 days, which is slightly less than usual. I was surprised by the intensity of the color of the 2002s, in fact my 2002 Barolo has more color than my 2003s. After fermentation the wines went into barrique where they did their malos and completed their aging. Naturally I used less new oak in 2002 than usual. Prior to bottling I decided to blend the wines from my three vineyards into a single Barolo, although if I had it to do all over again I would have bottled my single-vineyard wines. When I taste my older Barolos from past vintages that I consider inferior to 2002 I usually find they have held up quite well.” To prove his point Clerico opened bottles of his 1983 and 1984 Ciabot Mentin Ginestra which were tasted alongside the 2002. The 1983 and 1984 show just how much a quality-minded producer can accomplish even in poor vintages.

This stunning set of wines shows how far ahead of the pack Domenico Clerico was 20 years ago. Then again, Clerico has the privilege of working with some of the very finest vineyards in the world. Winemaking was decidedly rustic at the time, as these wines were fermented in tanks outside Clerico's house, the site of his current cellar. No matter, the wines are splendid, even today. The 1989 and 1990 Ciabot Mentin Ginestra were aged in 700-liter French oak barrels, while the 1990 Pajana is the first wine Clerico aged in the smaller 225-liter barrels he now uses for all of his Barolos.