A visit to Fratelli Cigliuti

A chat and an interesting tasting with Renato Cigliuti, a sprightly Langhe 80-year-old who makes great wines.

I had been thinking for a while about yet another trip to the Langhe because it had been quite some time since my last visit. The Langhe is not a place one can stay away from long if they truly love wine. Needless to say, during my absence I drank Langhe wines often but doing this there is a whole different story. I drew up a list of places that might be interesting to visit but, after this was done, I felt I had missed something. And so I picked up the phone and called the legendary Prompicai, a friend and colleague with an extraordinary expertise in wine and music, and asked him a simple question: “Prompi, who should I go and hassle in the Langhe? You know what I’m looking for, for someone serious, without any frippery”. And his peremptory response was that I should go see Renato Cigliuti.

As soon as I heard that name I felt like a fool for not having thought of him myself! But that is not important. Prompi told me some engaging personal interactions he has had with Renato and so I had a nice preview of what to expect. I then contacted him and after a few days showed up at the winery, on the hills above Neive, right at the center of the Serraboella cru.

Renato himself opened the door to me, a short, very thin 80-year-old who moved with the agility of a young boy, oozing charm, energy and a desire to communicate from every pore. It was a beautiful day, full of sunshine, and for being at the end of November it was even too warm. We first toured the vineyards and from the house who can see all the almost eight hectares of land with its different exposures and altitudes. We then went to the winery and, amid the stainless steel fermentation vats and barrels of various sizes, talked about the different vintages and even global warming, which is no longer a hypothesis but an undeniable fact that can even be verified by the rising alcoholic content of wines.

In recent years, his greatest problem has been how to maintain the overall balance of the wine’s various components in order to achieve the classic elegance he has always sought. Renato views are important because they are the result of decades of harvests and vintages all focused in tradition and quality. He told us how over the years he had had various occasions to expand his estate but, be it for uncertainty be it for ideology, he never did so. The 30,000 bottle he produces a year are sufficient to provide work for his two daughters with little to worry about. Sales are good and that works for them.

After this we went to the very beautiful tasting hall where, between slices of salami and cheese and with a splendid view that stretched out over the snowcapped Alps, we tasted his latest vintages: spectacular! Below you will see my tasting notes on one Barbaresco and two Barbera. What is missing is the estate’s showcase wine: Barbaresco Serraboella 2015. I, naturally, did taste it but to give it a more proper evaluation I will need to taste it again and you are sure to read about it in the next edition of our Essential Guide, 2020. However, I can already tell you that it is extremely good but that is certainly nothing new.

Barbera d’Alba Campass 2016

Made from only Barbera grapes and matured for 18 months in new and used barriques. This is a great Barbera, the product of the vineyard of the same name inside the Serraboella cru. The wine has a very dark and bright color with distinct aromas of ripe wild berries, black cherry and prune. The mouthfeel has great balance with flavors that correspond with the bouquet. It has an excellent drinkability and goes down well despite its high alcoholic content of 16%. Special mention is warranted for the precise use of wood that did not distort anything. A wine to drink and then drink again. Bottles produced: 4,000.

91/100

€ 18,00  

Barbera d’Alba Vigna Serraboella 2016

Made with only Barbera grapes and matured for 18 months in new and used barriques. Another Barbera but one that is less concentrated and has a slightly lower alcohol content. This also has a dark and bright color but the bouquet has more spice as well as the usual notes of ripe dark fruit and currant. The mouthfeel is less bold than its sister but has great texture, balance and persistence. This is more of a wine you can drink every day. Bottles produced: 10,000.

90/100

€ 16,00

Barbaresco Vie Erte 2015

Made from Nebbiolo grapes and matured for three years in large barrels. The wine has a classic and intense garnet color with bright reflections with a fine and balsamic aroma of spice yet mostly strawberry and black cherry. The flavor is consistent with the aroma and the mouthfeel is structured, with a high alcohol content and lively, fine tannins upheld by an excellent freshness that provides great agility and persistence. A truly great Barbaresco at a commendable price. Bottle produced: 5.000.

93/100

45,00 euro

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