2001 Domenico Clerico Barolo Per Cristina

The 2001 Barolo Percristina, from magnum, has aged well, but it needs to be enjoyed over the next few years. Today the balance of fruit and oak is still good, but over time the oak tannins will dominate. Sweet red cherries, flowers, licorice, spices and mint wrap around the deep finish. The astringency of the oak is impossible to miss. It is tolerable while the fruit retains some depth, but once the fruit fades, all bets are off. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2016. 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. Importers: Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA; tel. (800) 862-4585, Cutting Edge Selections, Mariemont, OH; tel. (513) 561-8555, Robert Houde Wines, Elk Grove Village, IL; tel. (847) 430-3887, Robert Panzer Selections, Wilmington, DL; robertpanzer@hotmail.com, Bacchus Importers, Baltimore, MD; tel. (410) 633-0400, Selected Brands, FL; tel. (954) 428-0019, Giuliana Imports, Boulder, CO; tel. (303) 547-6343, Estate Wines, tel. (415) 706-7975, Vinum Wine Importing & Distributing, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 621-8843, Bommarito Wines, Saint Louis, MO; tel. (314) 961-8996

Saturated deep red-ruby. Superripe aromas of plum, dried herbs, smoke and graphite, with an almost port-like chocolate character and a medicinal austerity. Huge, chewy and deep; still a bit monolithic and unformed today but inundates the palate with a superconcentrated wave of spicy dark fruits. Finishes with mouth-shattering tannins and extraordinary length. This will need a long time in bottle to reach full maturity. This was actually bottled in 2004, but Clerico held it back for an extra year, releasing it only in September of this year owing to its richness and high tannin level. Makes a worthy successor to the outstanding '99, which will be drinkable before this one.

Clerico waited an additional year to release his 2001 Barolo Percr istinaand that proved to be a w ise choice, as the wine has clearly benefitted from the extra time in bottle. this sweet and powerful yet luxurious Barolo is loaded with ripe dark fruit, spices and chocolate that flow onto the palate with stunning length, delineation and balance. Made in an intense, full-bodied style, it still needs a few years before it fully hits its stride. Percr istina is made from a south-facing plot in the Mosconi vineyard in Monforte.