Winemaker Notes
The first flag planted by Domenico in Ginestra and the first wine with which he made himself acknowledged in the world. One of the wines that in the last 30 years have made the history of the denomination in its entirety.
Professional Ratings
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Decanter
Bright ruby with a garnet rim in the glass, the nose is remarkably classic, with plenty of leafy lightness typical of Barolo. Restrained and filigreed, it hides rich red and dark cherry, rosebud and violet aromas, with liquorice root in depth. The dense and vibrant palate is full of sucrosity, with cherry and tar alongside a violet tinge. The tannins are as much extracted as lavish, noble and ripe, while acid carries the finish of cherry kernel. Astonishing, ageworthy wine.
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Robert Parker's Wine Advocate
Following a few tweaks to its denomination identity over the years, this wine has returned to its celebrated Ginestra MGA identity, showcasing fruit from old vines in Monforte d'Alba planted in 1978. The Domenico Clerico 2017 Barolo Ginestra Ciabot Mentin is a landmark wine that has forever dazzled and delighted, thanks to the purity and power of its fruit and its fine textural fiber. This 2017 vintage reveals a hint of vintage ripeness with candied cherry and orange peel, but the wine maintains its depth and complexity with plenty of tarry smoke and licorice. There were 200 magnums and 6,500 bottles released.
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James Suckling
Sweet-berry, watermelon and candied-lemon aromas follow through to a medium body with firm, silky tannins and a fruity finish. Refined and polished. Fresh for the vintage. Drink or hold.
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Wine Spectator
A smooth, balanced red, deftly displaying macerated cherry, plum and currant flavors. Flashes of rose and licorice add depth, while a tobacco element emerges on the lingering finish. Best from 2024 through 2038. 500 cases made, 250 cases imported.
Responsible for some of the most elegant and age-worthy wines in the world, Nebbiolo, named for the ubiquitous autumnal fog (called nebbia in Italian), is the star variety of northern Italy’s Piedmont region. Grown throughout the area, as well as in the neighboring Valle d’Aosta and Valtellina, it reaches its highest potential in the Piedmontese villages of Barolo, Barbaresco and Roero. Outside of Italy, growers are still very much in the experimentation stage but some success has been achieved in parts of California. Somm Secret—If you’re new to Nebbiolo, start with a charming, wallet-friendly, early-drinking Langhe Nebbiolo or Nebbiolo d'Alba.
The center of the production of the world’s most exclusive and age-worthy red wines made from Nebbiolo, the Barolo wine region includes five core townships: La Morra, Monforte d’Alba, Serralunga d’Alba, Castiglione Falletto and the Barolo village itself, as well as a few outlying villages. The landscape of Barolo, characterized by prominent and castle-topped hills, is full of history and romance centered on the Nebbiolo grape. Its wines, with the signature “tar and roses” aromas, have a deceptively light garnet color but full presence on the palate and plenty of tannins and acidity. In a well-made Barolo wine, one can expect to find complexity and good evolution with notes of, for example, strawberry, cherry, plum, leather, truffle, anise, fresh and dried herbs, tobacco and violets.
There are two predominant soil types here, which distinguish Barolo from the lesser surrounding areas. Compact and fertile Tortonian sandy marls define the vineyards farthest west and at higher elevations. Typically the Barolo wines coming from this side, from La Morra and Barolo, can be approachable relatively early on in their evolution and represent the “feminine” side of Barolo, often closer in style to Barbaresco with elegant perfume and fresh fruit.
On the eastern side of the Barolo wine region, Helvetian soils of compressed sandstone and chalks are less fertile, producing wines with intense body, power and structured tannins. This more “masculine” style comes from Monforte d’Alba and Serralunga d’Alba. The township of Castiglione Falletto covers a spine with both soil types.
The best Barolo wines need 10-15 years before they are ready to drink, and can further age for several decades.