Domenico Clerico Barolo Aeroplan Servaj Nebbiolo Italy Piedmont 2016

Aeroplan Servaj or "little airplane" is the affectionate nickname that Domenico's father gave to his young "free spirited" son. The Domenico Clerico 2016 Barolo Aeroplan Servaj is tightly wound and nervous at this young stage. The wine needs some coaxing before it relaxes to release wild cherry, candied orange peel, tilled earth and rusty nail. There is some distant sweetness in the primary fruit, but the wine is mostly defined by its very sophisticated, rich, sultry and savory sides. Between these two vintages (2015 and 2016), this wine is poised to ultimately deliver better results once it gets further down its evolutionary track. It delivers impeccable balance and linearity.

With the passing of Domenico Clerico, this historic winery is now managed by Winemaker and General Director Oscar Arrivabene. Some of the latest releases have been staggered, with the 2014 vintage hitting the market in March of last year and the 2015 vintage released in September 2019. The 2016 vintage is released on schedule. For this reason, I have included reviews of both 2015 and 2016 Baroli Pajana, Ciabot Mentin and Aeroplan Servaj. I've also included a review of the 2010 Barolo Per Cristina, a wine that was not made in 2009. Oscar tells me that he started making an expression from Bussia last year, so it should be interesting to see how that wine develops before its release in four years' time.