Domenico Clerico

The past twenty five to thirty years has seen the emergence of producers in Barolo and Barbaresco who are called “modernists”. This is to indicate changes made in the wineries designed to enrich and soften the great wines of Barolo and Barbaresco. It should not be assumed that this means that “traditional” producers and “modern” producers are sitting around Piemonte having fights. Both are in full agreement that the critical work is done in the vineyards and that the one essential element for great wine is healthy grapes. In 2004, the grapes were perfectly healthy. One of the signs of this was that all of the grapes had perfectly mature brown seeds and thus did not carry unripe tannins.

Two of the shining lights in the modernist producer camp are Domenico Clerico and Elio Altare. Both use shorter maceration times and new oak barrels to soften the wines. Domenico is relatively new to this, having taken over and starting to expand the family estate back in 1977. The estate now owns some of the best vineyard sites in Monforte d’Alba. The wines of Domenico Clerico have been ridiculously well received, making him a kind of rock star among winemakers in Piemonte. In 2004 Domenico produced stunning wines, particularly the single vineyard 2004 Domenico Clerico Ciabot Mentin Ginestra. All of his wines are great. This one has an added dimension of depth and a palpably brooding character.

Over in La Morra, Elio Altare has generated a similar following with his wines. The estate was purchased by Elio’s grandfather back in the 1940’s. Today, the farm is entirely family run by Elio and his wife Lucia, with the very capable assistance of daughters Silvia and Elena. One side note, as a group the producers in Piemonte are some of the nicest, most hospitable people you will ever meet. Elio is special even among this group.

For this offer, we have chosen his single vineyard 2004 Elio Altare Vigneto Arborina. Over the years this has been my favorite Altare wine. The 2004 is the best I have ever tasted.

Because of the similarity in style and the corresponding high quality, we have decided to offer the Clerico and Altare together. The Clerico is scheduled to arrive in July and the Altare later in September.

Special 6 Pack offer: Three bottles of each wine at a special price of $650

Special Mixed Case Offer: Six bottles of each wine at a special price of $1229