2001 Domenico Clerico, Barolo, Ginestra Ciabot Mentin

Aromas of blackberries and licorice with hints of oak. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and lots of ripe fruit as well as smoky oak. A rich and very long wine. A massive beauty. Best after 2008. 1,250 cases made. –JS

Clerico's 2001 Ciabot Mentin Ginestra was one of the first Barolos that really captivated my attention and for me it remains this producer's most representative wine. It is a superb achievement and one of the highlights of the vintage.

Good medium red. Exotic, exhilarating aromas of sappy red berry liqueur and woodsmoke. Wonderfully sweet on entry, then superripe and liqueur-like in the middle palate, with an utterly suave texture over firm supporting spine. Finishes impressively long and sweet, with serious but noble tannins. There's nothing especially austere or forbidding about this extremely rich Barolo.