2001 Domenico Clerico Barolo Pajana

The 2001 Barolo Pajana offers up freshly cut flowers, espresso, mint, leather, exotic spices and plums. The fruit still shows plenty of intensity and the tannins have softened, yet the Pajana remains a bit of a brute. There is enough fruit for the 2001 to drink well for another decade or so, but I don’t see this ever being a truly elegant Barolo. Anticipated maturity: 2012-2021. Without question the most surprising 2001s I tasted were those of Domenico Clerico. I loved these wines when they were released, rated them highly and bought them for my own cellar. I tasted the 2001s with Domenico Clerico and his team during a visit in November 2011, and then opened the wines from my own cellar back in New York. Oddly, I found the wines from my cellar in better shape than the wines I tasted in Piedmont. Still, time has not been kind to Clerico’s 2001s. I found all of the Baroli surprisingly forward and evolved. The tannins have softened some over the years, but now the fruit is dropping out and the wines are evolving rather quickly. The Langhe Rosso Arte, a 90% Nebbiolo/10% Barbera blend, is the wine that has aged best. And when the entry-level wine (Arte was the entry-level wine in 2001) has aged better than the top selections, there is a problem. Clerico was a long-time proponent of French oak, which he employed in very high levels until around 2005 or so. Maybe it was the toast levels. It’s hard to say exacly. What is pretty clear is that the 2001s are evolving at a fast pace and aren’t likely to improve much from here. Importers: Michael Skurnik, Syosset, NY; tel. (516) 677-9300, Classic Wine Imports, Norwood, MA; tel. (800) 862-4585, Cutting Edge Selections, Mariemont, OH; tel. (513) 561-8555, Robert Houde Wines, Elk Grove Village, IL; tel. (847) 430-3887, Robert Panzer Selections, Wilmington, DL; robertpanzer@hotmail.com, Bacchus Importers, Baltimore, MD; tel. (410) 633-0400, Selected Brands, FL; tel. (954) 428-0019, Giuliana Imports, Boulder, CO; tel. (303) 547-6343, Estate Wines, tel. (415) 706-7975, Vinum Wine Importing & Distributing, Seattle, WA; tel. (206) 621-8843, Bommarito Wines, Saint Louis, MO; tel. (314) 961-8996

This strong series continues with the 2001 Barolo Pajana. It too is a deeply-colored effort, with notes of violets, minerals and tar that appear out of the glass. The lower altititude of the vineyard gives a wine that is perhaps a touch less complex aromatically but that is quite rich, round and soft on the palate with generous amounts of very ripe black fruit,chocolate and toasted oak flavors supported by notable structure and finishing with excellent length.

Good dark red. Superripe, slightly reduced aromas of raspberry and mocha (this usually shows blacker fruits on the nose at this stage). Suave on entry, then musky, mellow and rich; less directly fruity than the Ginestra but simultaneously opulent and stylish. Finishes with big, rich, chewy tannins that coat the front teeth. Both this and the Ginestra seem much more than a year younger than the same two bottlings from the 2000 vintage.