2008 Domenico Clerico, Barolo, Briccotto

(bottled entirely in magnums): Entrancing aromas of cherry, plum, tobacco and dried flowers. Utterly seamless in spite of its very firm spine of acids and tannins, but extremely backward and youthfully imploded. A very elegant style of Barolo in need of much patience. These magnums may last forever. These vines below Aldo Conterno's Cicala were the first purchased by Clerico in Barolo (1979) but through the years this nebbiolo had gone into the Arte.

The 2008 Barolo Briccotto is a wine Clerico hasn't made since 1994. For years, this parcel in Bussia was the backbone of the Nebbiolo-based Arte. With 2008 Clerico is reintroducing the Briccotto, which will only be bottled in magnums. It is a huge, dark wine made to emphasize the depth and textural richness that is possible with Nebbiolo. Smoke, tar, espresso and licorice add complexity on the mid palate and finish. In my view the Briccotto is overly heavy. More importantly, though, it is the wine's early oxidative notes that are of most concern for its longevity. The Briccotto was aged in four new French oak barrels made from staves that had been toasted on the outside rather than inside, and two used French oak barrels. (Magnum)