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Domenico Clerico Barolo Percristina 1997

Country: Italy
Price: $150
Region: Piedmont
Winery Name: Domenico Clerico
Variety:
Nebbiolo
Vintage: 1997
Score: 97 points

Tasting Date:

18th May 2011

Tasting Note:

When this appeared, at what was already an extremely good lunch, my eyes nearly popped. It followed some stunning and famous wines, but I am a huge fan of Clerico Barolo's. The rarely spotted Per Christina is the absolute pinnacle and 1997 is a brilliant vintage.

Clerico are right in the modern corner (lots of debate as to whether the local makers should retain the old traditional ways or include newer, more international methods within their winemaking armoury). This wine spent the best part of two years in French oak, 90% of which was new.

Witrhout question, it lived up to expectations and those expectations were pretty damn high.
A wine of great intensity, yet cashmere softness. Amazing length it just lingered and lingered. Flavours ranged between earthy, chocolate, dark fruits, forest floor, florals and so much more. This was the epitome of complexity.

As for ageing, this has decades to go, if cellared well, and should become even more interesting.

Certainly not cheap but when one compares it with a comparable Bordeaux (and some cynics may think that would be a long search) or Burgundy, it is cheap-as-chips.

A monumental wine. If you are not convinced by Barolo then this is the wine to do it.

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Comments (1)


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kbg | 24 Months ago

two things -
first, i understand that gary walsh has commented somwhere in the black hole that is facebook on new oak in barolo. gary, didn't mean to infer that it was necessary - more just commenting on the fact that there are the two schools. and yes, love clerico.
secondly, something under discussion at SB is pricing. we'd love any thoughts. obviously, this wine has been sold out for many years. you may find a few bottles somewhere or perhaps at auction. so what price should we include? the price when it was available? the price at auction, though that can vary enormously. the price of the current vintage - which will be a fair bit heftier thasn the price given? or just n/a? i'm inclined to the latter.

 

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