2008 Barolo Aeroplan Servaj
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Tasting notes
(from 35-year-old vines in Badarina in Serralunga): Good deep red. Medicinal aromas and flavors of dark raspberry, cherry, menthol and tobacco; very Serralunga. At once suave and penetrating, offering terrific definition and inner-mouth aromatic character. Powerful acidity is keeping this wine tightly wrapped today, but it has buns of steel to support a graceful evolution in bottle. Incidentally, there's no 2009 Aeroplan Servaj due to a landslide that occurred during a huge rain storm in April of 2009, which also cost Clerico 15 rows of Ciabot Mentin.
Critic scores
Average Score
Monica Larner, Wine Advocate
Julia Harding MW, jancisrobinson.com
More reviews and scores
Serralunga. Name means wild aeroplane, which was Domenico's nickname as a child. Soft bricky ruby. Fruit smells a little bit stewed and tea like. Fruitcake. Savoury and fruitcake on the palate too. Grainy but softening tannins. Has surprising freshness in terms of acidity but the fruit is more dried than fresh. Complex, rich, a little bit rustic. (JH)
The 2008 Barolo Aeroplanservaj puts on a whole different act. Here, the emphasis is on elegance and finesse. The opulence and massiveness of the wine fits in with the Clerico philosophy, but unlike the Barolo Briccotto its strongest cards are played with a more subtle strategy. The aromas of black fruit and spice are wrapped a bit tighter, and the wine shows some nervous tension in the glass that needs to soften with age. I loved those delicate sprigs of mint and wild flower that somehow emerge from the inner depths of this rock-solid wine. Terrible mudslides in 2009 damaged the Badarina vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba and Clerico did not produce the Aeroplanservaj that year. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2030. Importer: Michael Skurnik Wines, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300
The 2008 Barolo Aeroplan Servaj is supported by a backbone of big Serralunga tannins. Sweet dark cherries, plums, menthol and tobacco jump from the glass. Tasted next to Clerico's 2009s, the greater freshness of the year is quite evident, even allowing for the difference in vineyard sites. Layers of rich, dark fruit build to a creamy, expressive finish supported by firm yet nicely balanced tannins.