Cigliuti with Claudia Cigliuti

Next we visited traditional, high quality Barbaresco house Cigliuti F.lli Azenda Agricola.

Claudia Cigliuti is a fifth-generation Cigliuti family member, now running the house with her sister. Claudia’s father, in the 1960s, improved the quality of his Barbarescos, introducing green harvest and reducing yields. The family has never moved away from traditional winemaking.

Cigliuti has 7.5 ha under vine: 6 ha in Serraboella and 1.5 ha in Bricco di Nieve. These vineyards are on either side of the road outside winery and Claudia took us out for a look at them. Serraboella is south west facing at 350 metres above sea level with calcareous soil and 25-55 year old vines. Bricco di Nieve, that produces the Vie Erte Barbaresco, faces south east at similar height with calcareous and sandy soil and vines aged above 15 years. Élevage is in Slavonian and larger French casks. Typically the Barbarescos have 20 or more day’s maceration on skins.

The winery typically produces 30,000 to 38,000 bottles per annum, Claudia said, noting the “big loss” of grapes in 2017. Claudia said that she really rates her 2016 Barbaresco vintage, preferring her ‘16s to either her ‘15s or ‘17s.

• 2015 Cigliuti Barbera d'Alba Serraboella

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba

  Claudia said that this Barbera is “from three parcels on the hill, two south-east facing on clay, one south-west on chalky soil”. A nose of blackberries, black cherries, plums and black spices. Rich, plush and chocolatey on palate, but with nice slatey minerality. A classical Barbera. “The fruit concentration matches the acidity well” noted Claudia. She said that the Barbera will age but that she prefers drinking this wine within 2-3 years of vintage.

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• 2015 Cigliuti Barbera d'Alba Campass

  Italy, Piedmont, Alba, Barbera d'Alba

  This is a selection from a vineyard with 35 year old vines on clay soil that sees more new oak (about 20% new French barriques Claudia said). A nose of blackcurrants, black plums, dark chocolate and liquorice. Bold, with a touch of lavender and some spicy oak. Drinking more velvety and fine than the Serraboella. Richer, more rounded and complex than the Serraboella. Dark fruited with minerals, cacao and black liquorice. There is a little spicy oak yet to integrate. A high quality Barbera. I’d cellar it for at least a couple of years.

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• 2014 Cigliuti Barbaresco Vie Erte

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  A spicy, light, attractive and elegant bouquet showing rose floral, cherry, tar and dried herb nuances. On palate, the Barbaresco, as would be expected from the vintage, is refined and pure. Red and black fruits, earth, minerals and a herbaceous element (meant as a positive) dominate the flavour profile. Only mid weight, with chalky yet round tannins. A lovely, precise Barbaresco. Give it 3+ years.

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• 2014 Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  A Barbaresco from vines up to 60 years old on chalky soil. Claudia confidently said that this wine would cellar for 40 years. A superb wine with a fine, perfumed nose showing a spectrum of florals and herbs – roses, violets and lavender – spices and minerals. Quite intoxicating. In the mouth, fully ripe yet elegant and silky, it caresses the palate. On entry it seems medium weight – or less – yet it expands across the mid palate, leading to a peacock’s tail of flavour. “Truly an amazing wine”, said Thierry. Still, it’ll improve, I would think, with 5 years in the cellar.

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• 2001 Cigliuti Barbaresco Serraboella

  Italy, Piedmont, Langhe, Barbaresco

  From Magnum. Very generously, Claudia opened this beautiful wine saying “2001 is a classical vintage in Barbaresco too”. Ruby colour with a little ochre at the rim. A beautiful bouquet, multi-layered and complex including notes of dried rose petal, earth, spices, red berries and cherries, porcini and dry brushwood. A profound wine to drink. Power with lightness. Complex and detailed. Savoury, mineral, earthy, spicy, red fruited and floral. At a lovely stage of its development.

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