Domenico Clerico Aeroplan Servaj Barolo 2020

The 2020 Barolo Aeroplan Servaj offers a bright and elegant fruit profile with tart fruit, blackcurrant, spice, cola, licorice and candied orange peel. It feels ironed out and smooth, folding softly over the palate initially yet ending with firm structure and framing. This wine normally represents a selection of fruit from Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba (planted in 1994), but the big change this year is that Aeroplan Servaj only sees fruit picked in the coolest parts of the vineyard.

This year's tasting of Domenico Clerico's releases was exhilarating and full of surprises. Winemaker Oscar Arrivabene and winery owner Giuliana Viberti have made an important decision in terms of winemaking that has radically changed the taste profile of these wines for the better. They have abandoned small oak barrique for the most part and embraced more reductive 5,000-liter oak botti instead. The change is immediately identifiable, as the seamless quality of the oak integration is apparent upon your first sip. Other little tweaks to maintain freshness have also been made. For example, the 2020 Barolo Aeroplan Servaj draws its fruit from the coolest side of Baudana in Serralunga d'Alba. My favorite wine, which stands out for its brightness and nuanced elegance, is the restyled 2020 Barolo Bussia Bricotto. Among all these new releases from 2020 in this report, Domenico Clerico has been among the most successful in terms of interpreting the vintage. However, I am reminded that it was a difficult growing season. Indeed, 2020 had so many challenges that it inspired a switch over to organics

96 points Monica Larner robertparker.com