The last time I visited the Cigliutis, I was with my wife and we arrived in a driving rain storm.  The road up the muddy Serraboella hill near the Barbaresco village of Neive was slick with mud and extremely treacherous.  Just getting from the car to the entrance of their home-cum-cantina was an adventure.  As we started across the road, moving as fast as we could without slipping to the ground, a laughing Claudia magically materialized out of the downpour clutching what must have been her sister’s young daughter’s tiny pink umbrella. It was hardly wide enough to cover one head, much less three.  But, once inside, the smell of fermenting grapes from the cellar, a blazing fire in the parlor and the unbelievable warmth of Claudia and her father Renato made everything better.  Renato, though ostensibly retired, still keeps an eye on the daily goings on in the family business.  Outside the giant rain-streaked picture window, one had the million-Euro view, albeit a foggy one, of the Cigliutis’ holding in the famous Serraboella cru and, in the Burgundy stem in front of me, the product of the family’s arduous annual toils in that esteemed vineyard.  Let it rain!  All was right with the world.

It was Renato, the fourth generation Cigliuti to farm this land, who first got the idea, in 1964, to bottle a wine with his name on it and to strive to improve its overall quality by green harvesting his grapes to thin the crop and improve the concentration.  This, of course, scandalized the neighbors who thought he was mad for throwing so many potential Lire to the ground at a time when the poor people of Barbaresco could ill afford it.  But the results spoke for themselves, and the Cigliuitis have never looked back.  This tiny, ultra-artisanal cantina has built a hard-earned reputation for making fabulous wines.  We’re proud that the PRIMA family has been associated theirs for well over 30 years.  Renato and his wife Dina have passed the reigns to their two daughters, the ebullient, always-smiling Claudia and the more reticent, detail-oriented Silvia, and our relationship has only deepened.  Not that we get a lot of their wines, mind you. And they come and go very quickly, as lovers of Barbera and Barbaresco truly appreciate their grace, style and intensity.  But, while Barbera is far from an afterthought here- they produce two outstanding versions- it’s Barbaresco that has made the Cigliutis famous.  The Serraboella cru is Neive’s most important vineyard for Nebbiolo and the Cigliutis’ holding sits right in its sweet spot.  They produce a perfumed wine of supreme elegance, richness and polish, but the 65-year old vines here always endow the wine with a core of Neive iron….the kind of stuff that can age decades.  This is, indeed, one of the noblest Barbarescos we sell, and in 2020, a gorgeous, warm vintage with the potential for elegance and polish, it’s a wine that truly hits all of the high notes.  Very highly recommended.

Vinous: The 2020 Barbaresco Serraboella is another stellar wine in this range from Cigliuti. It offers a stunning mix of succulent dark fruit, rose petal, lavender, mocha and spice. The 2020 spent 26 months in oak, 70% cask and 30% tonneaux, the smaller barrels adding soft contours. Just bottled, the 2020 shows tons of potential. Blood orange, crushed red berry fruit, mint, spice, rose petal and a kick of sweet French oak linger. 96 points

Wine Enthusiast:  A savory nose evokes a pine forest at summer’s end, where wild herbs and drying red currant contrast the warmed earth tones and root spices that waft out of the glass. Vibrant flavors of cherry, cola nut and an enticing medley of sweet and savory spices waltz across the palate, as if choreographed by an unseen hand. This Nebbiolo, an elegant yet stately figure, commands attention with its mere presence. Fine tannins and classic acidity promise a drinking window that starts now and could last decades, a timeless dance that will leave you enchanted. 96 points

Wine Spectator: Black cherry, blackberry, violet and eucalyptus aromas and flavors introduce this red, whose texture verges on creamy, offset by velvety tannins. One can feel the ripeness of the vintage, yet there's fine cut and a long, detailed finish. 94 points