Wine Advisor
Domenico Clerico, Barolo Pajana 2004
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Description
Tasting notes
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
2004 Barolo Pajana—This Barolo just keeps getting better and better with each tasting. It offers a perfumed, aromatic nose and an explosion of fruit flavors that coat the palate in a supremely elegant style with notable length. Impressive. (91-94), 11/05 Domenico Clerico’s 2003s are typical of the vintage-rich, concentrated and tannic. Because they have been aged in new oak, they also show a lot of wood tannins, which admittedly makes the wines hard to evaluate. If the wines come together a bit more, they may eventually deserve higher scores. Clerico’s stunning 2004s are shaping up to be among the best wines of the vintage. These Barolos are aromatically compelling and packed with layers of fruit, with much depth, complexity and personality. They are really something to marvel over and are well worth the wait. I always find it interesting to taste the three Barolos from barrel together, as it is easier to evaluate the Percristina, which is released a year later, when it is in the company of its siblings from the same vintage.
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Clerico's 2004 Barolo Pajana is an explosive wine loaded with layers of deeply spiced dark fruit. It is a notably pure, focused version of this wine that is totally compelling for its overall balance. The south-facing Pajana vineyard tends to give a more fruit-driven style of Barolo but the 2004 is a beautifully complete wine. Anticipated maturity: 2011-2024. A Marc de Grazia Selection, various American importers, including Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Vin Divino, Chicago, IL; tel. (773) 334-6700, and Estate Wines, Ltd., San Rafael, CA; tel. (415) 492-9411
Reviewed by: Antonio Galloni
Deep, saturated red. Wonderfully deep aromas of raspberry, plum, mocha, caramel and graphite, with a primary grapey character. Lush, sweet and remarkably deep, with penetrating, powerful flavors of raspberry, currant, minerals and chocolate and explosive inner-mouth perfume. Complicating notes of smoke and truffle. A very rich yet elegant example of the 2004 vintage, finishing with sweet tannins and excellent thrust. Pajana is a south-facing vineyard planted on sandy soil, and is normally picked before Ginestra.
About the Producer
Clerico Barolo is one of the pioneers of the emerging movement to improve the winemaking of modern Barolo. His wines are round and concentrated, with more fruity aromas, bright ruby red wine with a mulberry taste, reminiscent of burgundy. The Estherso Grand Cru in the Roots, and it is unexpected that these wines are Barolo wines made from Nebbiolo grapes. Clerico was the first state-of-the-art winery in the Barolo region to use the single-campus concept, bottling the wines separately from the different pockets. Let the wine tell the characteristics of the land, so that the wine produced has a unique personality. Clerico believes that the timing of the grape harvest is a very important factor, picking it earlier than other wineries, because he believes that the ripening of tannins is more important than the ripening of grape sweetness. High sweetness only produces wine with a strong alcohol taste. High-quality tannin is the quality guarantee of high-level wine. He especially emphasizes acidity, because acidity will make the wine have a perfect and strong skeleton. Clerico's flagship wine, Cristina, is stored in large oak barrels for 3 years, small oak barrels for 2 years, and 5 years in the bottle for a total of 10 years. Fascinating, is a rare good wine, its wine is to commemorate the unfortunate death of the owner's daughter Cristina when she was 7 years old, and the best grapes are specially selected to make this Percristina wine to commemorate the beloved daughter. Clerico Barolo has been praised as the most representative heavyweight winery in Barolo by virtue of its continuous introduction of amazing wines over the years, and it is also highly praised by wine critics. winery.
