2005 Domenico Clerico Barbera d'Alba Trevigne

In a region marked by venerable, well-established estates, Domenico Clerico's holding is relatively new, dating to 1976. New or old, we can't argue with results. For his modern-style Barolo, Clericio does a gentle extraction using rotofermenters and then ages his wines in barriques. The wines are plump, lush and loaded with sweet, sappy red fruits, but have good tannic support. (Clerico's barrique-aged blend of Nebbiolo and Barbera, called Arte, was the original "Super-Piedmont" wine.) Clerico also offers sturdy, substantial Dolcetto with some chocolatey oak tones, and a spicy, intense Barbera aged in a high percentage of small barrels.

In a region marked by venerable, well-established estates, Domenico Clerico's holding is relatively new, dating to 1976. New or old, we can't argue with results. For his modern-style Barolo, Clericio does a gentle extraction using rotofermenters and then ages his wines in barri... more