The inimitable Domenico Clerico is perhaps not the first master Piedmont winemaker we feature that spring to mind at a moment`s notice. Domenico is a man who would probably have a short career in retail but he`d go down a storm on a City trading floor. One visitor who claimed to be something of an expert was given three samples at the start of his interview. After discussing the differences in the three terroirs apparent in the samples, Clerico showed him the identical bottles they had come from and terminated the appointment. Uncorked`s first encounter with the man makes that story entirely credible. Having started life as an olive oil salesman living in the back of the van, he bought his first land in 1979. His (continuing) progress since then mirrors that of Barolo as a whole - most of the top producers today have emerged over a similar timeframe. (CW 21/09/10)