Domenico Clerico Barolo Aeroplanservaj 2008 750ml

The 2008 Barolo Aeroplanservaj puts on a whole different act. Here, the emphasis is on elegance and finesse. The opulence and massiveness of the wine fits in with the Clerico philosophy, but unlike the Barolo Briccotto its strongest cards are played with a more subtle strategy. The aromas of black fruit and spice are wrapped a bit tighter, and the wine shows some nervous tension in the glass that needs to soften with age. I loved those delicate sprigs of mint and wild flower that somehow emerge from the inner depths of this rock-solid wine. Terrible mudslides in 2009 damaged the Badarina vineyard in Serralunga d’Alba and Clerico did not produce the Aeroplanservaj that year. Anticipated maturity: 2016-2030.

• Country: Italy
• Region: Piedmont
• Appellation: Barolo
• Size: 750ml
• Color: Red

Varietal

Nebbiolo

The Nebbiolo grape varietal is widely understood to be the fruit responsible for Italy’s finest aged wines. However, its popularity and reliability as a grape which gives out outstanding flavors and aromas has led it to be planted in many countries around the world, with much success. These purple grapes are distinguishable by the fact that they take on a milky dust as they begin to reach maturity, leading many to claim that this is the reason for their unusual name, which means ‘fog’ in Italian. Nebbiolo grapes produce wines which have a wide range of beautiful and fascinating flavors, the most common of which are rich, dark and complex, such as violet, truffle, tobacco and prunes. They are generally aged for many years to balance out their characteristics, as their natural tannin levels tend to be very high.